A tale of duality: Community perceptions towards the ecotourism impacts on Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
Received date: 2023-05-03
Revised date: 2023-10-12
Accepted date: 2023-11-29
Online published: 2024-01-09
This study aims to analyze how park households perceive the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts of ecotourism in Simien Mountain National Park (SMNP), Ethiopia. We combined qualitative and quantitative techniques for data collection. A sequentially embedded mixed design that gives priority to quantitative data was used. We also employed a multistage sampling technique to select respondents from three districts or woredas, namely Debark, Janamora, and Beyeda woredas. Finally, 397 participants were involved in the study from a random selection of three villages from each district or woreda. Data were gathered using a survey questionnaire, interviews, and focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including means, standard deviations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression models. The findings from a logistic regression analysis revealed that ecotourism participation had a significant relationship with gender (B=1.850, P=0.023), level of education (B=0.238, P=0.032), geographical location (B=0.420, P=0.041), and occupation (B=0.920, P=0.019). This investigation suggested that males and individuals with a higher educational background are more likely to possess optimistic perspectives concerning the impacts of ecotourism. Furthermore, individuals residing in districts relatively near ecotourism destinations, those engaged in tourism-related work, and younger participants were recognized as having optimistic viewpoints regarding the impacts of ecotourism. In conclusion, the study highlighted the need for collaborative efforts among stakeholders to maximize ecotourism’s benefits and minimize negative effects in SMNP. To achieve this, it is recommended that the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Agency, the Ministry of Tourism, and local government should work together to develop sustainable tourism plans that enhance local livelihoods and park conditions. Efforts should focus on increasing the participation of females and individuals with lower education levels through training and resource provision.
Tewodros ABUHAY , Endalkachew TESHOME , Gashaw MULU . A tale of duality: Community perceptions towards the ecotourism impacts on Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia[J]. Regional Sustainability, 2023 , 4(4) : 453 -464 . DOI: 10.1016/j.regsus.2023.11.007
| [1] | Abdurahman, A.Z.A., Ali, J.K., Khedif, L.Y.B., et al., 2016. Ecotourism product attributes and tourist attractions: UiTM undergraduate studies. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 224, 360-367. |
| [2] | Abuhay, T., Abiew, D., Leulseged, T., 2019. Challenges and opportunities of the tourism industry in Amhara Regional State: The World Heritage sites in focus. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 8(5), 8-10. |
| [3] | Admasu, S., 2020. Ecotourism as a tool to substantially funding conservation endeavors in Ethiopia. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality. 9(3), 432, doi: 10.35248/2167-0269.20.9.432. |
| [4] | Agyeman, Y.B., Yeboah, A.O., Ashie, E., 2019. Protected areas and poverty reduction: the role of ecotourism livelihood in local communities in Ghana. Community Dev. 50(1), 73-91. |
| [5] | Alemayehu, K., Dessie, T., Gizaw, S., et al., 2011. Population dynamics of Walia ibex (Capra walie) at Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Afr. J. Ecol. 49(3), 292-300. |
| [6] | Angessa, A.T., Lemma, B., Yeshitela, K., et al., 2022. Community perceptions towards the impacts of ecotourism development in the central highlands of Ethiopia: the case of Lake Wanchi and its adjacent landscapes. Heliyon. 8(2), e08924, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e08924. |
| [7] | Ante, ?., Branko, C., Silvija, ?., et al., 2019. Land suitability zoning for ecotourism planning and development of Dikgatlhong Dam, Botswana. Geogr. Pannonica. 23(2), 76-86. |
| [8] | Arowosafe, F.C., Kudder, C.-J.W., Rose Emma, E.-M.M., 2019. Perceptions on benefits of ecotourism development by residents of fringe communities to two national parks in West Africa. American Journal of Tourism Management. 8(1), 8-18. |
| [9] | Aseres, S.A., Sira, R.K., 2021. Ecotourism development in Ethiopia: costs and benefits for protected area conservation. J. Ecotourism. 20(3), 224-249. |
| [10] | Asfaw, Y., Melese, G., Abunie, Y., et al., 2021. Tourism enterprises job opportunities: the roles and challenges for sustainable tourism development in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences. 10(3), 299-308. |
| [11] | Brett, M.R., 2018. Tourism in the Kruger National Park: past development, present determinants and future constraints. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 7(2), 1-28. |
| [12] | Cabral, C., Dhar, R.L., 2020. Ecotourism research in India: from an integrative literature review to a future research framework. J. Ecotourism. 19(1), 23-49. |
| [13] | Chaigneau, T., Coulthard, S., Brown, K., et al., 2019. Incorporating basic needs to reconcile poverty and ecosystem services. Conserv. Biol. 33(3), 655-664. |
| [14] | Chamboko-Mpotaringa, M., PTichaawa, T.M., 2021. Tourism digital marketing tools and views on future trends: a systematic review of literature. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 10(2), 712-726. |
| [15] | Creswell, J.W., 2014. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th edition). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Ltd., 228. |
| [16] | Demssie, M.A., 2015. Tourism as sustainable local development option: a case study in Simen Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies. 10(1), 278-284. |
| [17] | Dey, T., Ahmed, S., Bachar, B.K., et al., 2020. Prospects of community based eco-tourism in Sundarbans: a case study at Munshiganj, Satkhira, Bangladesh. International Journal of Forestry, Ecology and Environment. 2(1), 60-68. |
| [18] | Gashaw, T., 2015. Threats of Bale Mountains National Park and solutions, Ethiopia. Journal of Physical Science and Environmental Studies. 1(2), 10-16. |
| [19] | Gebremicael, T.G., Mohamed, Y.A., van der Zaag, P., et al., 2018. Quantifying longitudinal land use change from land degradation to rehabilitation in the headwaters of Tekeze-Atbara Basin, Ethiopia. Sci. Total Environ. 622-623, 1581-1589. |
| [20] | Gulte, E., Tadele, H., Haileslassie, A., et al., 2022. Perception of Local Communities on the Environmental and Socio-economic Benefits and Management Systems of the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. [2023-02-18]. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1769264/v1. |
| [21] | Holladay, P.J., Ormsby, A.A., 2011. A comparative study of local perceptions of ecotourism and conservation at Five Blues Lake National Park, Belize. J. Ecotourism. 10(2), 118-134. |
| [22] | Holland, K.K., Larson, L.R., Powell, R.B., et al., 2022. Impacts of tourism on support for conservation, local livelihoods, and community resilience around Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. J. Sustain. Tour. 30(11), 2526-2548. |
| [23] | Huang, Y.J., Li, C.L., Chen, K.H., 2021. Ecotourism perceptions, impacts, and carrying capacity: the case of Walami trail in Yushan National Park. International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance. 12(5), 121-125. |
| [24] | Hurni, H., Ludi, E., 2000. Reconciling Conservation with Sustainable Development. A Participatory Study inside and around the Simen Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Berne: Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Berne, 21. |
| [25] | Karayilan, E., Cetin, G., 2016. Tourism destination: design of experiences. In: Sotiriadis, M., Gursoy, D., (eds.). The Handbook of Managing and Marketing Tourism Experiences. Leeds: Emerald Publishing Limited, 65-83. |
| [26] | Kimengsi, J.N., 2014. Threats to ecotourism development and forest conservation in the Lake Barombi Mbo Area (LBMA) of Cameroon. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy. 17(4), 213-230. |
| [27] | Kiss, A., 2004. Is community-based ecotourism a good use of biodiversity conservation funds? Trends Ecol. Evol. 19(5), 232-237. |
| [28] | Koki, J.N., 2017. Contribution of ecotourism towards sustainable livelihood of the communities living on Wasini Island, Kwale County, Kenya. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management. 5(3), 106-125. |
| [29] | Liu, W., Vogt, C.A., Luo, J.Y., et al., 2012. Drivers and socioeconomic impacts of tourism participation in protected areas. PLoS One. 7(4), e35420, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035420. |
| [30] | Peach, M., 2017. Evaluating the role of protected areas in mitigating avian responses to climate and land use change. PhD Dissertation. New York: State University of New York. |
| [31] | Ruhanen, L., 2019. The prominence of eco in ecotourism experiences: An analysis of post-purchase online reviews. J. Hosp. Tour. Manag. 39, 110-116. |
| [32] | Saikia, M., 2015. Tourism and its socio-economic impacts on local communities: a case study of Kaziranga and Manas National Park of Assam, India. International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research. 3(4), 353-356. |
| [33] | Sarmah, H.K., Hazarika, B.B., 2012. Importance of the size of sample and its determination in the context of data related to the schools of greater Guwahati. Bulletin of the Gauhati University Mathematics Association. 12, 55-76. |
| [34] | Teshome, E., Demissie, E., 2018. Tourist services quality in the Simien Mountains National Park, World Heritage Site, Ethiopia. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 7(2), 1-14. |
| [35] | Teshome, E., Shita, F., Abebe, F., 2021. Current community based ecotourism practices in Menz Guassa community conservation area, Ethiopia. GeoJournal. 86, 2135-2147. |
| [36] | Thompson, B.S., Gillen, J., Friess, D.A., 2018. Challenging the principles of ecotourism: insights from entrepreneurs on environmental and economic sustainability in Langkawi, Malaysia. J. Sustain. Tour. 26(2), 257-276. |
| [37] | Wang, P.W., Zhong, L.S., 2018. Tourists’ willingness to pay for protected area ecotourism resources and influencing factors at the Hulun Lake protected area. Journal of Resources and Ecology. 9(2), 174-180. |
| [38] | Ward, K., Gott, M., Hoare, K., 2016. Analysis in Grounded Theory—How Is It Done? Examples from a Study That Explored Living with Treatment for Sleep Apnea. London: SAGE Publications Ltd., 121. |
| [39] | Wondie, M., Teketay, D., Melesse, A.M., et al., 2012. Relationship between topographic variables and land cover in the Simen Mountains National Park, a World Heritage Site in Northern Ethiopia. International Journal of Remote Sensing Applications. 2(2), 36-43. |
| [40] | Wondirad, A., Bogale, D., Li, Y., 2021. Practices and challenges of developing handicrafts as a core tourism product in Chencha and Konso, southern Ethiopia. Int. J. Cult, Policy. doi: 10.1080/10286632.2021.1938560. |
| [41] | Xu, L.X., Xu, W.Y., Jiang, C., et al., 2022. Evaluating communities’ willingness to participate in ecosystem conservation in Southeast Tibetan Nature Reserves, China. Land. 11(2), 207, doi: 10.3390/land11020207. |
| [42] | Zhang, H., Lei, S.L., 2012. A structural model of residents’ intention to participate in ecotourism: The case of a wetland community. Tourism Manage. 33(4), 916-925. |
| [43] | Zhang, J.Z., Yin, N., Li, Y., et al., 2020. Socioeconomic impacts of a protected area in China: An assessment from rural communities of Qianjiangyuan National Park Pilot. Land Use Pol. 99, 104849, doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104849. |
/
| 〈 |
|
〉 |
REGSUS Wechat
新公网安备 65010402001202号