Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series

Title:
Community-based ecotourism: Its socio-economic impacts at Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Ghana

Authors

Gabriel Eshun - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Culture and Tourism Programme, P.M.B. Kumasi, A/R. Ghana; University of Johannesburg, School of Tourism & Hospitality, South Africa; e-mail: gabriel_eshun_knust@yahoo.co.uk (corresponding author)

Joycelyn Naana Pokuaa Tonto - University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography and Rural Department, P.M.B. Kumasi, A/R. Ghana; email: tjoycelintonto@yahoo.com

Keywords
Community-based ecotourism, socio-economic impact, community participation, Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana

Abstract
There is a lacuna in literature from Western Africa on how issue of participation influence socio-economic impacts at ecotourism destinations. This paper investigates the socio-economic impacts of ecotourism based on Boabeng- Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana. The paper is based on primary data generated from Boabeng and Fiema communities. Seventy mainly opened-ended questionnaires were administered face-to-face to purposively selected residents from the two communities, alongside, in-depth interviews with the management of the Sanctuary and focus group with purposively selected individuals from Boabeng and Fiema. The study reveals that the residents of the communities face burgeoning challenges such as shrinking livelihood options, inadequate involvement of community in the ecotourism, poor state of the visitor centre, inadequate government support and poor roads.

Pages:
67-81

DOI:
10.2478/bog-2014-0045

BGSS No. 26 (2014)