Factors That Influence Local Community Participation in Tourism in Murchison Falls Conservation Area

出 版 物：《Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering(A)》 (环境科学与工程（A）)

年 卷 期：2017年第6卷第4期

页      面：209-223页

学科分类：12[管理学] 120203[管理学-旅游管理] 1202[管理学-工商管理] 08[工学] 0834[工学-风景园林学（可授工学、农学学位）] 

主　　题：Local community participation tourism conservation area. 

摘      要：Community＇s participation is fundamental in understanding the factors that influence their access to and utilization of tourism resources. It is a plausible way of involving local communities in the planning and management of the available resources for their sustainability. This study examined the socio-economic characteristics of the households in Murchison Falls Conservation Area to understand how they influence their participation in tourism and eventually enhance household welfare. Using household survey and key informant interviews, data were collected on demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and analyzed using Binomial Logit Regression in order to show the factors that influence participation of households in tourism. It was found that the households＇ characteristics significantly influenced their participation. In particular, level of education （r = 0.824）, engagement in farm labor （r = 0.651）, provision of services to the tourists （r = 0.841）, income （r = 0.83） and landholding （r = 0.689） significantly influenced households＇ participation in tourism. On the other hand, age （r = 0.59） and period of residence （r = 0.430） did not significantly influence the households＇ participation in tourism. These results suggest that a clear understanding of the households＇ socio-economic characteristics is a vital step in engaging them meaningfully in tourism activities meant to enhance their livelihoods. Equally important is the need for tourism managers and local government leaders to consider these characteristics when designing policies and strategies to enhance community involvement and management of tourism at a conservation area level.