Community Based Tourism
Finding the Euilibrium in the COMCEC Context
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UNJP, the community, and the Ministry are the main decisive authorities. Even though the
voice of the community was heard in designing the capacity-building programs, the existing
legal and administrative structures as well as the project goals prevented a desirable level
of control by the community with regard to the allocation of resources and/or tourism
strategy development. However, a strategy to develop a democratic tourism governance
model for the future tourism-related activities in the city was an important output of the
capacity building initiatives.
Sources: (MDGF-MDG Achievement Fund, 2013;UNDP- United Nations Development
Agency, Turkey, 2006; UNESCO-United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization, 2008)
Buhoma Village Walk Tourism Enterprise is a community-based tourism initiative that
aims to diversify the tourism activities in Buhoma, Uganda in order to increase the income
generation opportunities for the local community. The village walk was initiated between
the years 2001 and 2004, by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), in collaboration with a national partner, Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Conservation Trust. FAO’s overall goal was to “create viable small-scale enterprises to
generate additional income for the local communities while providing incentives for
sustainable natural resource management at Bwindi World Heritage Site”.
Main CBT components of the Buhoma Village Walk Tourism enterprise consisted of local
participation in the management of the enterprise as well as the direct distribution of the
benefits among the members of the community. The walk is approximately three hours
near the Buhoma entrance to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). It includes stops
at households in the community where tourists can view cultural events and scenic
attractions. This enterprise intends to attract an average of 150 tourists per month (half of
the approximate average number of tourists visiting the BINP).
Objectives:
1. Generating additional household income
2. Establishing strategic alliances among community enterprise and NGOs, government
institutions and private sector companies.
3. Developing environmentally friendly products.
Resources and Activities:
The main ecotourism product is the walk through the village of Buhoma. After mapping the
natural and cultural inventory of the site, the resources were shortlisted by eliminating
those that were too risky or costly to be utilized. The walk itinerary included a local
women’s handicraft demonstration, a waterfall, tea plantations, a banana brewing
demonstration site, a local traditional medicine healer, a local school, bird-watching in a
CASE 8 - Uganda: Buhoma Village Walk Tourism Enterprise