Determinants of Rural Household Participation and its Level for Community-Based Ecotourism in Abune Yoseph Zigit Abuhay Gariya, North-East, Ethiopia
Author : Melsew Nibret Mazengiya and Abeje Mengesha
Abstract :
Community-based ecotourism is important for improving rural development and securing the well-being of rural households. Despite its importance, in Ethiopia, rural households have faced limited involvement in community-based ecotourism specifically in the study area. The study is aimed to analyze the determinants of household participation in community-based ecotourism in the study area. Key informants provided further support for the data that had been gathered through structured interviews from both primary and secondary sources. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 204 sample households from four rural kebeles. With the participation index, descriptive statistics like mean, standard deviation, and percentage were used to evaluate the level of CBET involvement. Binary logistic regression models were employed to analyze the determinants of rural household participation for community-based ecotourism in the study area. The participation index result shows that the rural households are at a non-participant level for CBET. The results of the model revealed that CBET participation was determined by the age of households, and distance to park positively whereas sex, access to training and annual income were determined negatively. The finding shows that demographic, institutional, and economic characteristics are the most crucial variables that determine the participation of rural households for CBET in the study area. The study, therefore, recommends that the governments should improve the local ecotourism association, culture and tourism, and community conservation area offices. To encourage non-participants, the woreda culture and tourist office and the community conservation area office should develop well-sound strategies.
Keywords :
Determinants, ecotourism, rural households, participation
