Access to Tourism Market Pro-ject for Sustainable Economic Development of Community around Protected Areas in Natta Mbiso village - Serengeti District
The study aimed at assessing factors limiting economic benefits from protected areas to lo-cal people in Serengeti district. Three villages adjacent Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) namely Bonchugu, Ikoma Robanda and Nata Mbiso were involved. Survey data were col-lected using household questionnaire survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Semi-structured Interviews, and by observation. The study found that about 9% of the local com-munities could see benefits. The benefits included both direct and indirect. The direct bene-fits included funds to Income Generating Activities (IGAs) and employment, whereas the indirect one included social projects on construction of classroom, dispensary, dam, dormi-tory and provision of furniture for school and dispensary. The study revealed major limiting factors to benefits access include institutional interest, limited employment opportunities and market for local produces, lack of participation, and low qualification of the locals. The study concludes that, despite of indirect benefits seem to be high than direct benefits, the benefits accessed by the local communities are insignificant both social and economic wise. After the community priority ranking has been agreed and proposed to carry out the project named access to tourism market project (ATOMP) for sustainable economic development of community around protected areas in Natta Mbiso village - Serengeti district to make the local communities to enjoy conservation benefits when all effective mechanisms to benefit the local community was applied. This project create market for local produces in PAs, en-abling the local community to access employment opportunities and income, significant im-prove social amenities, having good relationship between local community and PAs, and collaboration among the key stakeholders to enhance locals to access conservation benefits.
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