Community based ecotourism development in Meqdela Amba, Ethiopia: Current development barriers

Abstract

Ethiopia has very distinct natural, cultural and historic products that could attract visitors from all over the world. Meqdela Amba, a community in Ethiopia, is endowed with a unique historical heritage and outstanding biophysical features. The aim of this study was to identify the major barrier of the Meqdela Amba community based ecotourism development in Tenta district. The study used descriptive research design and also both probability and non-probability sampling methods. The data sources used both primary and secondary data, and the research approaches used mixed research method both qualitative and quantitative research. These were generated by employing qualitative (using key informant interview, focus group discussions and field observation) and quantitative (mainly using household survey questionnaires) methods. Checklists were the main data gathering tools with the total target population being 370. A sample of 193 questionnaires was distributed to local communities and 185 were returned. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, to interpret the result frequency and percentage. The barriers identified to Meqdela Amba community based ecotourism site were: lack of marketing and promotion activity, low level of knowledge and attitudes of local community towards community based ecotourism, lack of cooperation among stakeholders, lack of professional guides, lack of major infrastructure and facilities such as accommodation, electricity, and clean water supply. Attention should be given to reducing the major barriers from Meqdela Amba community based ecotourism site.

Local Community Attitude towards Forest-Based Ecotourism Development in Arbegona and Nensebo Woredas, Southern Ethiopia

“…Te respondents' age was also signifcantly associated with their attitude towards the local community. Both the young (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) a more positive attitude towards ecotourism development than that of old age. Almost all (260, 97.7%) of the respondents use frewood for domestic cooking.…”

“…However, there have been few studies that have attempted to document local community attitudes towards ecotourism development in the country's nexus for sustainable conservation [7,23]. In the meantime, forestbased ecotourism resources, such as forest landscapes, endemic, and/or rare fora and fauna, are deteriorating due to failure to integrate conservation with livelihood needs [23,25]. Considering the vast forest resource and socioeconomic diversity and declining status, there is a need to seek how to promote sustainable conservation, while supporting local livelihood.…”

Review on ecotourism potentials, challenges and opportunities in Ethiopia

“…Human induced challenges for ecotourism development in Ethiopia include overgrazing, deforestation, population growth, illegal land marketing, uncontrolled fire, illegal hunting, conflicts of interest over resource use, industrialization (Beyene, 2016;Tesfaye, 2017b;Menbere and Menbere, 2017;Tesfaye, 2017a;Menbere and Menbere, 2018) (Teshome et al, 2020;Aseres and Sira, 2021;Mekonnen and Mekonen, 2023). Bogale (2015) result indicates that extensive farming and deforestation are the major problems affecting biodiversity of the Bahir Dar Nile River Millennium Park contributing to land degradation by exposing the soil to various agents of erosion which in turn greatly affects agricultural productivity directly affected the agrarian livelihood.…”

“…Different constraints have been identified for ecotourism development in Ethiopia. Lack of infrastructure, low level of accommodation facility and hospitality, financial administration and profit sharing problems, marketing and promotion problems, lack of stakeholders' collaboration, lack of developmental activities like road, electricity and telecommunication networks are among the main challenges encountered in the Yosef Massif, of northern Ethiopia (Lema, 2016;Meniga and Ousman, 2017;Tesfaye, 2017b;Teshome et al, 2020;Wondirad, 2020;Ambecha et al, 2020). The study conducted by Menbere and Menbere (2017) shows that inadequate infrastructure and lack of accommodation were the main ecotourism facility problems.…”

“…The study conducted by Menbere and Menbere (2017) shows that inadequate infrastructure and lack of accommodation were the main ecotourism facility problems. Lack of marketing and promotion activity, low level of knowledge and attitudes of local community towards community based ecotourism, lack of cooperation among stakeholders, absence of professional guides, lack of major infrastructure and facilities such as accommodation, electricity, and clean water supply are barriers identified in the Meqdela Amba community based ecotourism (Teshome et al, 2020).…”