Development of Community Based Ecotourism in Abune Yosef Massif, Northern Ethiopia: Potential, Challenges and Prospects
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2018-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Community based ecotourism is not an easy undertaking which only seeks its initial commencement. Operational research and continues follow up are the keys for genuine and promising sustainability of a given CBET destination. This thesis has attempted to assess the potential, challenge and prospect of ecotourism development in Abune Yoseph massif found in the northern Ethiopia, particularly to north east of Lalibela town. In order for the achievement of intended thesis objectives, both primary and secondary data were generated by employing both qualitative (semi structured interview, focus group discussion, and observation) and quantitative (household survey and visitor survey) methods. Purposive, convenience and simple random sampling techniques were applied to obtain 35 tourists and 119 household samples respectively. All generated data are analyzed through the help of simple descriptive quantitative figures, thematic and conversational analysis. The research findings reveal that, the study area is a home for diverse endemic fauna, flora and avifauna resources. Correspondingly, it has also a vast array of cultural and historic tourism resource potentials. In spite of these various potential ecotourism resources, the area is facing a number of developmental bottlenecks to boost its potential effectively. Intensive livestock grazing on the protected area, illegal hunting and settlement, inadequate conservation practice, lack of cooperation among stakeholders, naturally and culturally incompatible infrastructural developments, cultural commercialization and abuse from tourists and community are among the vulnerable challenges which merely seeks quick intervening solutions. Relatively, monopolized marketing and promotional practices, tourist safety and security related concerns, lack of CBET benefit distribution schemes and low level of accommodation facilities are also other hindering factors which adversely affecting the sustainable developmental prospect of ecotourism in Abune yoseph massif. Results and recommendations of the study explore ways to improve and enhance the capacity of CBET to generate benefits at the study area and local community. As a coping mechanism for lack of locals’ involvement in decision making process, community participation framework adopted from Felix G. et’al (2016) is also presented and illustrated as guidance.
Key words; Ecotourism, potential, challenges, prospect, Abune yoseph