Abstract:
This study centred on understanding how local communities participate in tourism industry in
Bwejuu Village in Zanzibar, the benefit they are getting and challenges towards improving
their livelihoods. Specifically, the study identifies tourism industry activities and how local
communities participate in improving their livelihoods. Secondly, it finds out challenges
hindering local community participation in tourism sector. Thirdly, it identifies the contribution
and prospects of tourism sector in enhancing local communities' livelihoods. Interviews,
observations, questionnaire, focus group discussion, documentary reviews and photograph
taking were methods employed to collect the data and explore the case.
The study results show that tourist hotels, beach attraction, seaweed, historical building
archives, diving and snorkeling, sailing boats, coral reefs and lagoons as well as mangrove
swamps are some tourist activities in the settlement, Both men and women are involved in the
tourist activities. Language barriers, inadequate experience of operators, poor education and
training, culture, low commitment of actors and poverty level are some challenges highlighted.
The tourist activities noted contribute to the local communities' livelihoods in terms of
employment creation, leisure, income generation, increased government revenues, schooling,
health, house construction and household consumption. The study recommends that the
government may opt to ensure that local communities' involvement in the tourism sector
through training and awareness creation. Thus, there is an urgent need to enhance participation
and involvement of local communities in tourism sector for local communities' livelihoods
improvement and thereby contributing to the national economic growth and poverty reduction
agenda at national and household level.
