The management of mountain gorilla tourism in Uganda : are the socio-economic benefits realised?

Abstract

Despite being endangered, the mountain gorilla (gorilla beringei beringei) is inextricably linked to tourism. With only 1069 primates globally, expanded conservation initiatives need to be extended to allow for continuous and sustainable benefits from gorilla tourism. This unique tourism niche has positively changed the economies of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where they are endemic. Vast opportunities emanate from the management and conservation of the great apes (e.g. poverty alleviation, economic growth, etc.). The study examined the management of mountain gorilla tourism and its socio-economic contribution to selected stakeholders in Butogota, a rural community next to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). To achieve this, structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with six stakeholder groups. In order to gather samples for the study, convenience sampling and snowball sampling were used. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed with the help of the constant comparative method. Key findings show that mountain gorilla tourism activities benefit people in a number of ways, including job creation, entrepreneurial opportunities and expanded local infrastructure. The study highlights key imperatives for the effective management of mountain gorilla tourism, including developing infrastructure, investment in training, empowerment of locals, controlled access, and more conservation and dealing with the persistent corruption problem.