the evolution of ecotourism in east africa: from an idea ... · ecotourism has been dismissed as a...

S u m m a ry of the Proceedings of the East African Regional Conference on Ecotourism O rganised by The African Conservation Centre ,PO Box 15289, Langata, 00509 Kenya

19-23 March 2002N a i robi, Kenya

John R. Watkin

The Evolution of Ecotourismin East Africa: From an ideato an industry

IIED Wildlife and Development Series No. 15, June 2003

Titles in this seriesNo.1 M u r p h ree M (1995): The Lesson from Mahenye:

Rural Povert y, Democracy and Wildlife Conser-v a t i o n.

No.2 Thomas S (1995): S h a re and Share Alike?Equity in CAMPFIRE.

No.3 Nabane N (1995): A Gender-Sensitive Analysisof CAMPFIRE in Masoka Vi l l a g e.

No.4 Thomas S (1995): The Legacy of Dualism in De-cision-Making within CAMPFIRE.

No.5 B i rd C and Metcalf S (1995): Two Views fro mCAMPFIRE in Zimbabwe’s Hurungwe District:Training and Motivation. Who benefits and whod o e s n ’t ?

No.6 B i rd C, Clark J, Moyo J, Moyo JM, Nyakuna Pand Thomas S (1995): Access to Timber in Zim-b a b w e ’s Communal Are a s.

No.7 Hasler R (1995): The Multi-Ti e red Co-Manage-ment of Zimbabwean Wildlife Resourc e s.

No.8 Taylor R (1995): From Liability to Asset:Wildlife in the Omay Communal Land of Zim-b a b w e .

No.9 L e a d e r- Williams N, Kayera JA and Overton GL(eds.) (1996): Mining in Protected Areas in Ta n-z a n i a .

No.10 Roe D, Leader- Williams N and Dalal-Clayton B(1997): Take Only Photographs, Leave OnlyFootprints: The Environmental Impacts ofWildlife To u r i s m .

No.11 Ashley C and Roe D (1998): Enhancing Com-munity Involvement in Wildlife Tourism: Issuesand Challenges.

No.12 Goodwin H, Kent I, Parker K and Walpole M(1998): Tourism, Conservation and SustainableDevelopment: Case Studies from Asia andA f r i c a .

No.13 Dalal-Clayton B and Child B (2001): L e s s o n sf rom Luangwa: The Story of the Luangwa Inte-grated Resource Development Project, Zambia.

No.14 Walpole M, Karanja GG, Sitati NW and Leader-Williams N (2002): Wildlife and People: Con-flict and Conservation in Masai Mara, Kenya.

This publicationPublished by: International Institute for Enviro n m e n tand Development (IIED), 3 Endsleigh Street, London,WC1H 0DD, UK.Copyright: IIED, London, UK.Citation: Watkin, J. R. (2003) The Evolution of Eco-tourism in East Africa: From and Idea to an Industry .Wildlife and Development Series No.15. Intern a t i o n a lInstitute for Environment and Development, London.ISBN: 1 84369 431 0 ISSN: 1361 8628Edited by Lizzie Wi l d e rIllustrations by Jared CrawfordDesigned by Andy SmithPrinted by Oldacres, London

Note: The views expressed in this publication are thoseof the authors and workshop participants and do notnecessarily re p resent those of IIED.

2 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

African Conservation Centre The African Conservation Centre is a regionally focusedc o n s e rvation organisation based in Nairobi. Thro u g hconstant interaction with people who live with wildlifein areas outside parks, the African Conservation Centrehas come to understand and appreciate the critical ro l eof these communities in the conservation of wildlife andother natural re s o u rces. The African Conserv a t i o nC e n t re aims to link science to conservation and conser-vation to people through its multi-disciplinary appro a c hto conservation. In order to achieve these ends, the or-ganisation has set for itself three main goals as follows:• To provide the sound scientific information which is

n e c e s s a ry for implementing sustainable conserv a t i o np ro g r a m s .

• To work with rural communities and local landownersto enhance the conservation of wildlife and natural re-s o u rces for the mutual benefit of both people and an-imals and to provide communities with the skillsn e c e s s a ry for the management of wildlife and wildlife-based enterprises through links with the private sectorand donors.

• To support the development of human and institu-tional capacity for applied conservation re s e a rc hwithin the re g i o n .

The African Conservation Centre maintains a multi-d i s c i p l i n a ry team of professional scientists and supports t a ff. Professional staff members are attached to specificp rograms or support activities and include pro f e s s i o n a l sin ecology and conservation, fore s t ry, natural re s o u rc eeconomics, sociology, program development and com-puter science.

A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t sThis publication is based upon the proceedings of theEast Africa Regional Conference on Ecotourism, heldin March 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya. The author would liketo express thanks for the support received for this con-f e rence from The African Conservation Centre, TheCommunity Development Trust Fund – BiodiversityC o n s e rvation Programme, Conservation Intern a t i o n a l ,E c o - re s o rts, Ecotourism Society of Kenya, The FordFoundation, Rainforest Alliance, The International Eco-tourism Society and United Nations Environment Pro-gramme. Thanks also to Wa n j i ru Macharia, Anne Loehrand Neel Inamdar, who organised and staged the con-f e rence and the volunteers who provided invaluable as-s i s t a n c e .

The case studies have been drawn from re p o rts bya number of consultants who visited the various pro j-ects. Thanks to Richard Hatfield, Agrippinah Namaraand Reena Shah. Dr Matthew Walpole of the Durre l lInstitute for Conservation Ecology, University of Can-t e r b u ry, UK, reviewed an earlier version of the manu-script and made many positive changes.

The Ford Foundation provided funds to support thewriting-up of the East African Regional Conference onEcotourism and the drafting of this manuscript, forwhich the African Conservation Centre is extre m e l yg r a t e f u l .

F i n a l l y, thanks to all the African Conserv a t i o nC e n t re staff for their support and hard work which en-ables the organisation to strive to “link science, conser-vation and people”.

The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 3

Table of Co n t e n t sA c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2P re f a c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4I n t ro d u c t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Sectors Involved in Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Communities and landowners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Donors and non-government org a n i s a t i o n s. . . . . . . . . .9Private investors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9G o v e rn m e n t. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Diversifying the Ecotourism Sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0E n v i ronmental interest gro u p s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0A d v e n t u re seekers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0Cultural activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0Domestic tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1

P ros and Cons of Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1Respects local culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1Involves travel to natural are a s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2Minimizes impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2Builds environmental aware n e s s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2P rovides direct financial benefits for c o n s e rv a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3P rovides financial benefits and e m p o w e rment for local people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3S u p p o rts human rights and democratic m o v e m e n t s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3

Management of Ecotourism Enterprises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 4Key Restrictions on Ecotourism Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 5P romoting Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 5Marketing Ecotourism Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 5Time – The Essential Ingre d i e n t. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6Financing Ecotourism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6Role of Govern m e n t. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6

Role of government at regional and i n t e rnational scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 7

C o n c l u s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8Statement From The Confere n c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8R e f e re n c e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 9P a rticipants List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 9

Pre f a c eEcotourism has been dismissed as a fad, a marketingtool, even travel industry greenwashing. Yet despite thepundits, ecotourism has begun to affect the entire touristi n d u s t ry for the better. The unexpected success of eco-tourism can be explained by its conservation ro o t s ,changing tourist mores and community involvement.

Far from being a new force for conserv a t i o n ,tourism was the main reason for the creation of nationalparks in the late 1800s. In Africa, tourists and conser-vationists were thrown together by a common interest inwildlife. The upshot was the pre s e rvation of vast tractsof natural land ranging from Kruger to Serengeti.

Over the last century a booming tourist industrya round the world has done more to conserve natural are a sthan any other industry. Put simply, the ‘tourist’ stem ofthe word ‘ecotourism’ is the main cause of its success. Itsd u r a b i l i t y, on the other hand, comes down to the ‘eco’p refix and the shortcomings of conventional tourism.

B u rgeoning wildlife tourism and a ‘laissez faire ’c o m m e rcialisation pose a threat to wildlife and, indi-re c t l y, to tourists’ enjoyment. Yosemite Valley filled withshopping malls and Amboseli cheetahs cowering fro mfleets of minibuses is bad for the wilds and tourists alike.The park manager’s response was more roads, hard e n e dtrails and tougher regulations. That helped, but at the ex-pense of nature and visitor freedom. A few discern i n gvisitors began to go elsewhere to enjoy the wilds and tohelp pre s e rve them.

The ‘eco’ in ecotourism took on a deeper meaningwhen conservationists saw sense in these discern i n gtourists’ visiting threatened areas outside parks and inp romoting their environmental sensibilities as an exem-plar of responsible tourism. By the late 1970s, a smallsector of the wildlife industry in East Africa was ‘eco-tourism’ in all but name.

T h e re was, however, one vital ingredient of eco-tourism still lacking: social re s p o n s i b i l i t y. No park is eco-logically self-sufficient. Each is hewn from the landsowned by a local community, and there f o re the ecologyis strongly linked to this community. Various conserv a-tionists began promoting policies that made local com-munities the beneficiaries of conservation on their lands,and there f o re partners in conservation, rather than ad-v e r s a r i e s .

To d a y, dozens of communities around the world areactively encouraging visitors because they see tangible



benefits from nature conservation. Ecotourism is at thec o re of these new initiatives. A welter of workshops,c o n s e rvation programs and academic treaties has eval-uated the successes and shortcomings of ecotourism.O d d l y, none of them brings together the communitiesto ask what it will take for them to become a drivingf o rce in ecotourism.

The African Conservation Centre ’s workshop on‘Ecotourism in East Africa: Walking the Eco-Path’ fillsa critical gap by bringing local communities togetherwith the tourist industry, wildlife agencies and conser-vationists to discuss how to make ecotourism an endur-ing part of the rural landscape.

As outlined in these proceedings, the task will notbe easy. Conducive national policies must be combinedwith savvy business skills, social responsibility andsound conservation practices, all in a way that encour-ages rather than smothers responsible tourism.David We s t e rn, 31st March 2003

I n t ro d u c t i o nThis publication is based upon the proceedings of theEast African Regional International Year of EcotourismC o n f e rence, held in Nairobi between 19–23 Marc h2002. Over two hundred people participated in this con-f e rence. More than half of the participants were com-munity re p resentatives from established ecotourismv e n t u res throughout the region and beyond. The con-clusions from this conference and other regional con-f e rences contributed to the World Ecotourism Summitas well as preparing for the World Summit on Sustain-able Development and the Cairns Ecotourism Confer-ence scheduled for October 2002 in Australia.

The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa“Time had come for a new approach, an appro a c hresting on fairness and local involvement rather thanon alienation and enforcement. Why should localcommunities not become the principal beneficiariesand ultimate custodians of wildlife, as they hadalways been, without sacrificing the larger interests ofs o c i e t y ?” We s t e rn 1997.

These were Dr David We s t e rn ’s thoughts re g a rd i n gthe Amboseli Basin in Kenya in the late 1960s, as de-tailed in his book ‘In the dust of Kilimanjaro’. His viewsre p resented the early ideas emerging in the 1960s aboutwhat is now known as ‘ecotourism’. In East Africa thecolonial legacy of protected areas for the elite did notmeet the growing demands of the local population. Thedisparity between the wealthy tourists admiring wildlifeand rural Africans who suff e red at the hands of the samehad to be reconciled for these areas to exist in the long-t e rm .

T h ree reasons led to the divergence in the tourismmarket between the three countries that comprise theEast African region. In 1977 the common border be-tween Kenya and Tanzania was closed. At the sametime, Kenya instigated a ban on trophy hunting whichshut down the sport hunting industry. These factors,combined with the civil conflict in Uganda under theAmin rule, propelled Kenya’s tourism industry along ad i ff e rent path to that of the surrounding area.

Photographic wildlife safaris and coastal holidaysbecame the mainstay of the Kenyan mass tourism sector.At the same time ‘ecotourism’ was emerging. Whilstmass tourism catered for the majority of visitors toKenya, small-scale environmentally sound lodges beganto be established on private land where a savannahwildlife community still survived. These destinations of-f e red a glimpse of ‘traditional’ Africa, and broke awayf rom the normal vehicle-bound safari, offering a numberof alternative activities such as walking safaris, cameland horseback treks.

Whilst tourists and the tourist industry were quickto adopt ‘responsible tourism’ pertaining to the envi-ronment and conservation, the idea of tourism pro v i d-ing benefits to local communities was more difficult top romote. Achieving benefits for the community – a vitalcomponent of an ecotourism enterprise – has consis-tently been a stumbling block of this sector of the in-d u s t ry.

Despite initial problems, ecotourism has, during thelast decade, become the fastest growing sector of thetourism industry. The ideas surrounding this area of thei n d u s t ry have evolved gradually throughout its develop-ment, and a definition of ecotourism is now necessary.A widely accepted definition is:

“Responsible travel to natural areas that conser v e sthe environment and sustains the well-being of local

p e o p l e . ” The International Ecotourism SocietyThis definition was expanded by Honey (1999) to

include seven aspects, as follows:• Respects local culture .• Involves travel to natural are a s .• Minimizes impact.• Builds environmental aware n e s s .• P rovides direct financial benefits for conserv a t i o n .• P rovides financial benefits and empowerment for local

p e o p l e .• S u p p o rts human rights and democratic movements.

The essential ingredients of ecotourism have beendescribed above. Genuine ecotourism should strive tocombine these elements. Ecotourism is a re s p o n s i b l ebusiness opport u n i t y, resulting in environmental andcommunity benefits. These aims can be achieved in anumber of ways depending upon the landscape, local cul-t u re and economy, and conservation needs in the locality.

Ecotourism does not simply consist of enviro n m e n-tally sound ecolodges: it provides a means for ru r a lpeople to benefit from the wildlife and environment ofwhich they have traditionally been custodians. It also re-q u i red a change from foreign owned mass tourism fa-cilities to community-based ecotourism.

I n i t i a l l y, pioneers in the ecotourism sector were re-g a rded with suspicion. They were introducing a radicalidea that was often beyond the comprehension of local


Box 1: Ecotourism as a development toolIn 1996, the Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, located in Laikipia District, Kenya, adopted a new land diversification strategy: wildlifetourism. The main goal of this endeavour was to develop an additional source of income for the group ranch members tocomplement their normal pastoral livelihoods.

Key to the adoption of wildlife as a livelihood was the encouragement and example of their neighbour, Lewa Downs. Thisprivate ranch successfully converted from cattle ranching to wildlife conservation and tourism as its main income, and continuesto maintain a high profile in the Kenyan wildlife field.

The Il Ngwesi project consists of two main elements. Firstly, the designation of nearly half the group ranch – 8,000 hectares –as a conservation area, in which habitation is banned and livestock grazing is permitted only times of need, and secondly, thec o n s t ruction of an ‘eco-friendly’ lodge using local materials to create a unique design. The lodge is managed and staffed by thelocal community, who act as guides to visitors both at the lodge and on bush walks. The main activities include walking, gamedriving, camel riding and cultural visits. The project has achieved widespread recognition, winning international travel award s ,and is a successful pioneer eff o rt in community conserv a t i o n .

The community consists of some 400 households re p resenting 3,000 people on 16,000 hectares, while. The Il NgwesiC o n s e rvancy and Lodge is run by a board of directors comprising four elected community members and three external memberswho re p o rt to the Group Ranch Management Committee. In addition to the lodge manager and lodge staff, who are allcommunity members, a project manager is also employed, primarily with a professional accounting function.

Benefits from the Il Ngwesi lodge have been realized on several levels. Revenue currently stands at KSh 3 million per year, ofwhich approximately one third is paid to employed individuals in salaries, one third covers ecotourism operating expenses, andone third is available as benefits to the community in the form of community projects identified by the group ranch committeeand approved by members. The highest priority is the provision of schools (so far three schools have been improved), followedby school bursaries and provision of health facilities. Funds are also used for road building and providing transport, as well asbuilding cattle dips. ● R i c h a rd Hatfield

Well, we are off toAfrica and our 5 Star

l u x u ry hotel

Ecotourism is for the traveller who wants a diff e rent experience

A c t u a l l y, I’m off toexperience bush life

in an eco lodge

E c o ?

communities. These individuals realised that, withoutthe support of local communities, the natural re s o u rc ebase would continue to be eroded to the detriment of allc o n c e rned.

In Kenya the earliest ecotourism ventures were ini-tiated around National Reserves such as Amboseli,Masai Mara and on private ranches. Pre d o m i n a n t l y,white Kenyans and expatriates, with a broad perc e p t i o nof the future of the tourism industry and the potential ofecotourism, took these initial steps towards ecotourism.

Marketing the idea to communities was not with-out problems. Essentially, communities did not under-stand the need to offer a diff e rent product to the touristmarket, and harboured re s e rvations about the capacityof ecotourism to generate sustainable benefits.

Not only did the communities’ perception have tochange before implementation of the ideas: a massiveshift in thinking and regulation of the tourist industrywas also re q u i red. This shift would be along a spectru mas illustrated above.

A classic example of ecotourism is Il Ngwesi inLaikipia District, Kenya, a community owned and man-aged ecolodge and conservancy (see box 1). Many otherecotourism ventures have been established building on thelessons learned in Il Ngwesi, such as the Shompole Lodgeabove lake Magadi in Kenya (see box 2), the Ta r a n g i re

C o n s e rvation Company in Tanzania and communityc a m p g rounds around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest inUganda (see box 3). These early attempts have shown that,despite initial apprehension, ecotourism can be achieved.H o w e v e r, the evolution from nature tourism, through eco-tourism and on to the more inclusive community-basedtourism is a long-term and complicated pro c e s s .

Sectors Involved in EcotourismDuring the conference the participants agreed that to besuccessful, ecotourism endeavours must be appro a c h e df rom a business perspective with a “for profit” ethos.This method is dependent on the development of a busi-ness plan that includes an assessment of the potentialmarket, the commercial viability, and the potential con-s e rvation and economic benefits.

This business plan must state the roles of individualp a rtners and the extent of their involvement. It mustalso make clear the management system that is re s p o n-sible for the organization of the enterprise. All part n e r s ,including communities, must be fully involved in eachstage of the development. This involvement will impro v ethe communities’ understanding of the aims of the pro j-ect and ensure that their expectations are re a l i s t i c .

The management system is responsible for disburs-ing funds in an equitable and transparent manner to all


Box 2: On ShompoleAs pastoralist communities seek to diversify their livelihood strategies, and as the international ecotourism market continues tog ro w, communities stand a greater chance of receiving benefits from wilderness and wildlife. A recent example is the ShompoleG roup Ranch near Lake Magadi: an area of spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife where local Maasai pursuing a traditionallifestyle decided to develop their own conservation pro j e c t .

The group ranch established three goals of the conservation project: to realize benefits from wildlife use, to develop benefitsf rom other natural re s o u rce use e.g. landscape, raw materials, bird shooting, bee-keeping, and to pre s e rve their culture and wayof life.

The community specifically did not wish any business enterprise to impact land issues, which are protected by the form a la g reement. The community’s concerns that they many be alienated from re s o u rces within the conservation area were countere dby a clause allowing grazing during times of drought. In order to enhance the overall transparency of the project, the Pro j e c tManagement Committee holds public meetings in each sub-location to inform about new developments, benefits accruing, andthe community’s involvement, and the accounts of the joint venture are feely available to members.

As the lodge was newly opened in December 2001 it is too early to reflect on the practical impacts of the pro j e c t ’s design.H o w e v e r, one issue still be agreed upon is the distribution of benefits. Thus far, no formula exists for determining distribution ofrevenue, but discussions are taking place within the community, through the GRC. The approach currently favoured is to dividethe revenue equally among the ranch sub-locations, to be spent on community projects such as schools and clinics. Pro j e c tpriority and fund disbursement would be decided at the sub-location level. ● R i c h a rd Hatfield

MassTourism

Responsibletourism

Naturetourism

EcotourismCommunity-based

ecotourism

p a rtners. The benefits accrued from ecotourism must befocused on improving livelihoods as well as conserv i n gb i o d i v e r s i t y. A process of monitoring and evaluationshould be incorporated into the business plan to assesschanges in environmental factors and conservation goalsin relation to other emerging factors and conditions.Within the monitoring programme, controls and base-line data on social and economic standards and envi-ronmental aspects should be integrated to allowcomparisons to be drawn.

Ecotourism has several distinct features. The com-munity must be involved as partners in the ecotourismenterprise, as opposed to superimposing a tourism en-terprise upon them. With the expansion of this sectorof the tourism industry, and the recognition of its po-tential positive impact on community development, thiscommunity involvement has become an increasingly im-p o rtant aspect of successful ecotourism initiatives.

Other potential partners can combine to undert a k ean ecotourism enterprise, including:• Communities and landowners.• Business community.• Private individuals.• Development agencies.• D o n o r s .• I n d u s t ry.• G o v e rn m e n t .

During the conference, ten steps that help ensuree ffective implementation of an ecotourism enterprisew e re developed (Table 1). Each step is the re s p o n s i b i l-ity of one or more of the partners involved in an eco-tourism enterprise, and contributes to the developmentof the business and land-use plan and the management

s t ru c t u re. The steps also help promote accountabilityand establishment of a system of monitoring and evalu-ation as well as the legal agreements that hold the en-terprise together.

Individual partners do have specific roles to under-take within the ten steps highlighted above. These havebeen broken down as follows.

Communities and landownersCommunities or landowners must initially decidewhether ecotourism is the best landuse option. Eco-tourism is only one of a number of ways to generate ben-efits from natural re s o u rce management, and otheroptions should be quantified and compared with antic-ipated re t u rns from ecotourism. It must also be acceptedf rom the start that ecotourism is a long-term and alter-native land-use, which may challenge their establishedp e rception. Only by making this commitment at the startwill the enterprise re t u rn benefits.

It is virtually impossible to ensure that any devel-opment satisfies the needs of all members of the com-m u n i t y. A committee or community-based org a n i s a t i o n ,that re p resents the aspirations of the majority of themembers of the community, must be established to acton behalf of the community as a whole. There are po-tential problems with such a community-based org a n i-sation, such as corruption, and systems must beestablished to manage these problems at the communityl e v e l .

The community-based organisation should act asthe community re p resentative to external partners aswell as to re p o rting pro g ress back to the larger commu-n i t y. For ecotourism enterprise to be successful is it vital


Box 3: Buhoma Rest Camp, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, UgandaBuhoma Rest Camp, located near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, was established in 1993. This community campp rovides accommodation, food, entertainment and sale of local handcrafts to tourists, and uses the income to fund communityi n f r a s t ru c t u re projects and to support education activities and community groups engaged in income generating pro j e c t s .Members of the local community have received training in aspects of the tourist industry and are employed by the local touristoperators. Aside from the revenue generated from tourism there were few alternative sources of income, partly because thecommunity had no means to transport visitors and supplies for the camp or send handicrafts to market.

The infamous 1999 massacre of eight American tourists in Bwindi affected overall visitor numbers. Before the unfort u n a t eincident, the community had acquired a pick-up vehicle by hire / p u rchase after some part-payment. However, when touristnumbers slumped, they failed to raise money to complete the payments. The owner threatened to sue them for non-paymentand the only solution was to sell the vehicle at a loss in order to pay the balance.

Since 1990, the Rest Camp has a good occupancy rate, capturing the low class tourist market comprising over-landers, backpackers, local visitors and sometimes mid range tourists. However, they have not been able to market their services widely,especially the handicrafts made by the local people. They still lack international connections to export crafts, and lack oft r a n s p o rt has prevented them from establishing a shop in a more strategic location to access more customers.● Agrippinah Namara

that the community appreciates the interests of the pri-vate sector partners, and informs the rest of the com-munity about developments.

Donors and non-government org a n i s a t i o n sAlthough other partners, especially communities, oftenperceive these two types of organisations as acting intandem, there are distinct diff e rences that should beclarified at an early stage. However, there are basicprincipals that apply to both of these org a n i s a t i o n s .F i r s t l y, donors and non-government organisations needto maintain a neutral stance between the partners thatcome together to undertake an ecotourism enterprise.Their actions must be complementary, rather than contradictory.

S e c o n d l y, because of the perceptions above, the ac-tivities of donors and non-government org a n i s a t i o n smust be transparent and accountable throughout thep rocess of developing an ecotourism enterprise. Theseactivities must focus on outcomes and results that wille n s u re the sustainability of the project before their in-volvement comes to an end.

Private InvestorsAs partners in an ecotourism enterprise, the privatesector must consider the goals of the community to-gether with the communities’ existing attitude toward secotourism. Communities often fear that on entering

p a rtnerships with the private sector they will be ex-ploited. To overcome this, investors must be transpar-ent and accountable and explain or interpret thea g reements or contracts that the communities enterinto. They must also adhere to established agre e m e n t sand contracts.

G o v e rn m e n tT h e re is a dichotomy between the tourist industry,which wishes to regulate ecotourism intern a l l y, andthe other partners and the government who would tosee an independent body to oversee the developmentand maintenance of environmental standards andp r a c t i c e s .

The govern m e n t ’s role in the development of theecotourism sector is detailed further on page 16. Es-s e n t i a l l y, governmental support is vital to the devel-opment of the ecotourism sector. Governments shouldstrive to create an institutional framework policy, lawsand pro c e d u res that encourage ecotourism as a meansof rural development. This includes: tax and other fi-nancial incentives; promoting conservation and liveli-hood objectives of ecotourism; and ensuring safetyand security.

F i n a l l y, governments must develop and implementa system that regulates and controls ecotourism en-terprise and ensures suitable re t u rns for the part n e r si n v o l v e d .


Table 1: Ten steps for the successful implementation of ecotourismS t e p D e s c r i p t i o n P a rties re s p o n s i b l e

1 Identification of pro d u c t Investors and Community

2 Feasibility study (including analysis of pre l i m i n a ry market I n v e s t o rdemand, capital re q u i red at Environmental Impact Assessment

3 Identification of stakeholders/potential partnership Action Plan I n v e s t o r, Community and Other Stakeholders

4 Sensitisation and mobilization of stakeholders I n v e s t o r, Community Leaders, Community(community focused)

5 E n v i ronmental Impact Assessment Investor is responsible. Involvement of theCommunity Leaders and Experts is also re q u i re d .

6 F o rmalise partnerships and legal re q u i re m e n t s I n v e s t o r, Government, Community Leaders andOther S t a k e h o l d e r s

7 Implementation and mobilization of re s o u rc e s Investor is responsible but E x p e rts, Community Leaders Community and Other Stakeholders are involved

8 M a r k e t i n g Investor has primary re s p o n s i b i l i t yE x p e rts, Travel Agents, Ecotourism serv i c e s ,Community Leaders, Community and OtherS t a k e h o l d e r s

9 Reaping the fru i t s

1 0 Living up to your agreements/contract

Diversifying the Ecotourism SectorA typical ecotourism venture in East Africa comprises al u x u ry lodge that targets small numbers of high-endtourists. Whilst this ensures the maximum re t u rn withthe minimum impact, it is an exclusive and finite market.

A l t e rnative sources of revenue generation and con-tingency plans should be established to ensure that thebusiness plan is sustainable.

As the re w a rds of ecotourism become incre a s i n g l yrealised there is also a need for the sector to diversify ino rder to benefit from all potential sectors of the market.T h e re are two main areas that can be broadened. • The sectors of the tourist market targeted by the facil-

ities aim. • The activities off e red to clients as excursions from es-

tablished lodges and hotels.As well as the high-end clients, there are several

other echelons within the tourist market. As ecotourismbecomes more broadly understood and demanded bytourists, less exclusive clients will also choose facilitiesthat satisfy the re q u i rements of ecotourism, and fallwithin their price range.

T h e re is also a perception that ecotourism must in-volve constructing an eco-lodge. However, many of theobjectives of ecotourism can be achieved by offering al-t e rnative activities to tourists. This is especially true ofcommunities neighbouring protected areas.

Although within protected areas activities are lim-ited, often extending only to game drives and bird walks,

communities living outside the protected area can off e ra range of activities to guests staying locally. Such activ-ities should aim to educate or improve the understand-ing of the local culture.

E n v i ronmental interest gro u p sClients interested in nature and environment benefitf rom exploring an unspoilt wilderness, which oftenholds rare and endangered species in a variety of land-scapes. Local guides can enhance their understandingof the traditional importance of the elements that makeup the landscape.

A d v e n t u re seekersThey are dependant on the landscape, but potentiallyecotourism can provide a range of thrilling experiencesf rom rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking andsnorkelling to camel trekking and bush craft. Huntingand fishing may also be considered suitable activities too ffer guests.

Cultural activitiesTourists looking to know more about diff e rent culture sgain a great deal through ecotourism as they have an au-thentic and honest exchange with local people. They alsohave opportunities that are not often available to masstourists such as experiencing traditional customs at closehand. Clients also benefit from knowing that their pro-ceeds are being re t u rned to the community.

1 0 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Table 2: A list of pros and cons of ecotourism developed during the regional conference on ecotourism inEast Africa

P ro s C o n s

E c o n o m i c Revenue generation Uneven benefit sharing between part n e r s

E m p l o y m e n t Low percentage of community employment

P romotion of local micro enterprise Risk of failure in small businesses

E n v i ro n m e n t a l Low environmental impact Risk of environmental degradation

D e v e l o p m e n t a l P rovision for the development of the community F a i l u re to meet the community’s perception ofdevelopment

Capacity building within the community Advantages open to abuse by community members

P rovision for health and family planning C o n t roversy about the motivation of suchp ro g r a m m e s

C o n s e rv a t i o n Enhancement of conservation objectives Disturbance to habitats and species

Monitoring of habitat and species T h reats posed by dangerous animals

Cultural aspects Aw a reness of the local culture s M i s re p resentation and degradation of culture s

Low cultural impact

E d u c a t i o n Aw a reness increase, both for the community E rosion of traditional valuesand for the guests

Cultural activities could include ethno-botanical les-sons, tool making and use, traditional crafts and jew-e l l e ry, hunting techniques, preparation of food andc o n s t ruction of traditional dwellings.

Domestic tourismThe local market should be considered as a viable alter-native to international tourism, especially during lowseason when incentives or resident rates encourage busi-ness.

P ros and Cons of Ecotourism T h e re are obvious conflicts with the ecotourism devel-opment project that were identified during the EastAfrican Regional International Year of Ecotourism Con-f e rence. These are highlighted in Table 2 and pertain toeconomic aspects, impacts on culture, enviro n m e n t a lc o n c e rns and development. This chapter expands uponthese issues and attempts to suggest ways and means tomitigate the potential conflicts.

To address these benefits, threats and means to al-leviate conflicts, the categories established by Honey(1999) are used.

Respects local cultureCommunities often claim that the presence of tourists

degrades the local culture. This is a double-edged sword .Many tourists may well have inappropriate perc e p t i o n sof individual cultures based upon media interpre t a t i o n s .H o w e v e r, communities can use tourism as a means top romote their culture and explain aspects that engenderunderstanding and sympathy.

Raising awareness of the local cultures by pro v i d i n go p p o rtunities to explain the traditions and practices tovisitors can form a major part of an ecotourism experi-ence. Education about the local culture should startb e f o re the guests arrive in the ecolodge so that bothsides understand as much as possible about each otherb e f o re they meet. The main threat to this aspect of eco-tourism is the potential for such exchanges to becomevoyeuristic or invasive.

In order to offset this, communities must decidewhich aspects of their culture they are willing to shareand explain, and what specific tourist behaviours theywill not accept. Just as agreements relating to the useof the available landscape can be established to avoidoffence through disregard of cultural icons and sancti-fied areas, so can their culture be “mapped” to avoidconflicts stemming from tourists’ disrespect. Commu-nity based organisations can act to protect the com-munity and cultural practices that are considered mostsacred.

The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 1 1

Hello there! Thesnorkelling was exquisite!Might there be any other

activities available?

Successful ecotourism offers a diverse range of activities

I hard l yever danceat home!

Ecotourism offers an opportunity for cultural exchange butcommunities must decide which parts of their culture they wishto share

Involves travel to natural are a sFor ecotourists, having the opportunity to experienceremote, unspoilt locations and learn more about thepeople who live there is the primary reason for choosingan ecotourism destination. Witnessing and enjoying pris-tine wilderness areas in the knowledge that their staywill be beneficial rather than detrimental is the mainmotivation behind ecotourism.

To maintain the area set aside for ecotourism in ahealthy state, partners in ecotourism must agree uponand implement a land-use management plan. Thisshould include a system of controls, and monitoring andevaluation pro c e d u res to ensure that both tourist activ-ities and the management practices are achieving the es-tablished goals.

Minimizes impactThe environmental standards of an ecolodge must be ofthe highest calibre for it to qualify as enviro n m e n t a l l ysound. This includes:• E ffective treatment of sewage.• Reusing and recycling waste and water.• Using renewable energy for heating and lighting.• Ensuring activities have minimal impact on the envi-

ro n m e n t .T h e re are increasing numbers of enviro n m e n t a l l y

friendly methods and practices to achieve these ends.E n v i ronmental responsibilities should also be in-

corporated into the activities off e red to clients. Off - ro a ddriving has been shown to have long lasting impacts ongrasslands, leading to erosion. Tourist behaviour whilstgame viewing should also not have adverse effects onthe animals being observed. Safety measures should beput in place to minimise these impacts.

A monitoring and evaluation programme can pro-vide data to quantify environmental impact. This pro-gramme should be included in the land-use plan and beacceptable to all part i e s .

Builds environmental aware n e s sAw a reness and education of all aspects of ecotourism isnot simply a priority for the tourists visiting an ecolodge:this issue applies equally to the business partners andcommunity members themselves.

Development of clients’ awareness of these issuesshould start before they arrive at the ecolodge. To u roperators should encourage clients to become ac-

quainted with cultural and environmental aspects ofthe location. The ecolodge itself should pre p a re anddistribute materials and a recommended list of suit-able publications that guests can access prior to de-parture for the holiday.

Likewise, business partners should attempt to learnm o re about the environment and culture with whichthey are involved. By improving their understanding andasking for clarification of issues, business partners willbe able to pre-empt many potential problems. This in-cludes aspects such as the harvesting of plants and ani-mals in the area for traditional medicinal or re l i g i o u spurposes, which may be interpreted as violation of theland-use plan.

F i n a l l y, communities should also be assisted to im-p rove their understanding the environment from a con-s e rvation perspective. Fre q u e n t l y, these ideas andpractices are not sufficiently well explained and lead toconflicts between the part i e s .

P rovides direct financial benefits for conserv a t i o nT h e re are many ways that ecotourism benefits conser-vation both directly and indire c t l y. Setting aside are a sas ‘conservancies’, which are managed for conserv a t i o n ,benefits biodiversity and provides natural areas fortourists to see wildlife.

These areas need appropriate management,which re q u i res financial investment. Ecotourism isf requently promoted as a means to assure the exis-tence of dispersal areas outside established pro t e c t e da reas. This effectively increases the conservation are aand, there f o re, the costs of ensuring management ands e c u r i t y.

The protection and ultimately the increase ofwildlife numbers in areas set aside for ecotourism canalso result in greater human-wildlife conflict, which willu n d e rmine the eff o rts of ecotourism. Again, contingen-cies need to be built into the business plan to alleviatesuch pro b l e m s .

Ecotourism enterprises can share revenue withwildlife and protected area authorities to improve theire ff i c a c y, whilst providing funds for training and equip-ping community scouts to improve security of the are afor both people and wildlife. Protection of wildlife bythe community themselves re p resents a major positivechange in attitudes of communities towards wildlife andthe environment.


P rovides financial benefits and empowerment forlocal peopleEcotourism should act as a vehicle to enhance the com-munities’ capacity through training, education anda w a reness to improve the human re s o u rce base. Othertangible benefits from ecotourism include: • Employment of individuals from the community.• Development of market for selling artefacts pro d u c e d

by the community.• S h a re of the profits from revenues generated re c e i v e d

by the community.• Generation of revenue for community development:

education, health care and family planning. Some communities believe that ecotourism re p re-

sents an alternative means to achieve rural developmentand economic gain. However, unless it is explained fro mthe outset, many communities misinterpret the philoso-phy underpinning ecotourism which leads to concern sover the true motivation of the venture .

Other threats to ecotourism being perceived as ana p p ropriate means to achieve its aims include:

• Uneven benefit sharing between partners, leading toj e a l o u s y,

• Small percentage of the community being employed. • Risk of failure of micro enterprises.• Exploitation of community members.

Just as communities have to realise and accept thatecotourism is a long-term process, so do the other part-ners. There is a ‘snowballing’ effect as communitiesgradually develop capacity to understand, and want tobe more involved in the day-to-day management of theecolodge. The communities’ expectations and anticipa-tions of benefits will shift through time. An attemptshould be made to predict these changes that accom-pany increasingly education and capacity and thesechanges should be accommodated in the business plan.

S u p p o rts human rights and democraticm o v e m e n t sT h e re are many interpretations and misconceptions ofhow people live throughout the world. A situation thatallows discourse and an opportunity to experience other


The community, herein the “party ofthe first part”, enters into an MOU,“memorandum of understanding…”

E e e h ? …

Legal agreements are necessary to support ecotourism projects, but be careful to present all information in a locally acceptable language

c u l t u res can lead to improved understanding betweend i ff e rent cultures and comprehension of issues they face.

This aspect is largely indefinable in the short term ,and cannot be forced, but results from a slow and steadyexchange between the host community and guests.

Management of Ecotourism EnterprisesThe management of ecotourism enterprises have had toevolve alternative approaches to meet the special re-q u i rements of community involvement in the initiative.

For ecotourism ventures to be successful the firststep is understanding of the communities’ current levelof development. This will determine the extent to whichspecific areas re q u i re focus to create a sense of owner-ship of the initiative. Understanding the initial start i n gpoint will determine priorities for capacity buildingwithin the community.

As communities become increasingly aware of thepotential that ecotourism has to improve their liveli-hoods they have demanded a greater level of involve-ment in the overall conception, design and managementof the ecolodge.

Full involvement of all partners in ecotourism canonly be achieved with complete transparency on allsides. To ensure this is it essential that a common lan-guage is used in all dealings. Communities fre q u e n t l ysay that they feel excluded from discussions and deci-sion-making because the lingua franca used to debateissues is not their mother tongue. The level of form a leducation amongst communities is often very limited,which further compounds the situation. In contrast,business partners cite the problems of trying to com-p rehend aspects of local culture and beliefs.

C o m p romises in the management of an ecotourismenterprise must be made so that none of the parties de-velop a feeling of isolation and disenfranchisement. Inpractise, this means that minutes of meetings and agre e-ments must be translated into an agreed language thatcan, if re q u i red, be read out to the community to ensurethat all parties understand developments.

Such an inclusive approach is vital, especially whendeveloping the business plan, defining land-use man-agement issues and forming legal agreements betweenall parties involved. The respective contributions by allp a rtners involved have to be fully understood and agre e dupon for the ecotourism venture to work in the long-t e rm .

Individual partners present distinct skills and ca-pacities, which can be harnessed for the benefit of theecotourism development. These can all be described asinputs, whether on a practical or financial level, and re p-resent an investment in the initiative. Such investmentsinclude the contribution of the land on which theecolodge is based as well as providing labour and al-lowing access to materials re q u i red to construct thee c o l o d g e .

P a rtners can also offer technical expertise in are a ssuch as planning and developing policies. Highly skilleda reas such as marketing of the facility often fall underthe jurisdiction of one part n e r, but in many areas con-tributions from all partners can ensure the over-all suc-cess of the ecotourism initiative.

A decision-making process that is acceptable to allp a rtners must be developed to allow effective exchangeand the transfer of knowledge and skills between all par-ties. Exchanges between other ecotourism projects canp rovide lessons on decision-making processes. Once es-tablished, this management system should be used inplanning and priority setting throughout the initiative,including appropriate mechanisms for monitoring ande v a l u a t i o n .

C u rre n t l y, many of the existing ecotourism enter-prises in East Africa are located in arid or semi arid pas-toral areas. These are the existing models for ecotourismand consequently impose a bias on the conference dis-cussions.

Management of the landscape is a joint re s p o n s i b i l-ity of the partners in an ecotourism enterprise. Fire isan efficient tool which many cultures have used fire forh u n d reds of years to promote or improve the quality ofgrasslands for grazing. This dictates the composition ofthe wildlife community that can exist within the land-scape. Cattle grazing can also be used to manage are a s ,changing the composition of grasslands.

The land-use plan should include agreements uponthe use of fire and grazing to achieve desired re s u l t s .The plan should be dynamic, responding to enviro n-mental fluctuations and including mechanisms to copewith environmental extremes such as periods ofd rought. The land-use plan should also define conse-quences for infractions of the established plan by bothsides. This would include malicious burning and grazingof domestic stock and compensating individuals fordamage caused by wildlife. As ecotourism expands to


include other habitats and landscapes the land-use planshould evolve to be appropriate to the respective h a b i t a t .

Ecotourism developments re q u i re a secure fundingbase to develop the infrastru c t u re re q u i red. Infrastru c-t u re development should be environmentally sound anduse local materials where possible.

All of the above re q u i re a significant amount of timefor completion, as well as readiness of the community tobe part of an ecotourism initiative. Government poli-cies, political stability and security all contribute to thedevelopment of the ecotourism sector.

Key Restrictions on Ecotourism EnterpriseCommunity involvement in the development and im-plementation of the initiative is of primary import a n c e .All genders, age groups and hierarchies must be in-volved in some way.

The second thrust of the ecotourism activity mustbe to support conservation. Much of this can beachieved through instigating appropriate planning andmanagement pro c e d u res. These need to encompass en-v i ronmental aspects such as assessments as well asdefining monitoring and evaluation pro c e d u re s .

Education, capacity building and training opport u-nities for community members should also be includedin the development of ecotourism. All of these can bec o n s i d e red as benefits of the communities’ involvementin ecotourism.

Guidelines for ecotourism establishments, touristsand communities should be established so that all par-ties have a clear idea of the aims of the facility. Theseguidelines should also define the mechanics of benefitsharing and carrying capacity of the initiative, explainingthat these conditions try to achieve the optimum bal-ance to ensure sustainability.

The conditions above should all have a legal basis aswell as provision for the resolution of any conflicts thata r i s e .

P romoting EcotourismAs a young sector within the tourism industry, aware n e s sabout ecotourism must be raised to ensure that the valueof this sector is understood. Promoting this sector is notsimply a one-way process, targeted at tourists, but mustinclude all partners in an ecotourism development ino rder to gain acceptance. This will eventually lead to im-

p roving the marketing of the endeavour. F i r s t l y, communities have to agree that the eco-

tourism is a business venture that they are pre p a red toendeavour to make successful. This includes assessing,at the community level, whether ecotourism is the bestland-use practice for their demands that they are pre-p a red to accommodate the compromises re q u i red. Com-munities must also accept that investment in ecotourismis long-term and that benefits – both tangible and in-tangible – can take a considerable time to accru e .

As with all partners, communities have a vital ro l eto play in the successful implementation of an eco-tourism initiative: they should not be bystanders in eco-tourism development. One means to achieve this is toinclude the community as an equal partner in all stagesof ‘conception’, ‘design’ and ‘implementation’ of the ini-tiative. Communities need to become fully inform e dabout the ethos behind ecotourism in order to under-stand the motivation of both the investors in ecotourisminitiatives, and why tourists wish to visit a particular lo-cation.

Likewise, investors need to develop a full under-standing of the reasons why communities are willing to“open up” to host tourists and tourists themselves mustbecome more informed about the area and culture thatthey wish to visit before they arrive in order to fully ap-p reciate the location and culture they will be immersed in.

Marketing Ecotourism EnterprisesThe participants agreed that marketing ecotourism is aspecialist niche requiring professional input, and thatmarketing must be undertaken simultaneously with thedevelopment of the product in order that the tourismi n d u s t ry and clients are aware of the new destinationand activities. This should be based upon a feasibilitystudy that includes a pre l i m i n a ry analysis of the marketand the demand for the product, as well as the capital re-q u i red.

Such professional input could focus on the devel-opment of bro c h u res, e-cards, complimentary trips forj o u rnalists and alternative media, and opportunities togenerate publicity about the destination and activitiesavailable. Communities and other partners do have arole in facilitating the marketing of the enterprise withobtaining the correct material. This includes allowingj o u rnalists and photographers unhindered opport u n i t i e sto best promote the initiative.


Time – The Essential Ingre d i e n tAbove all, during the conference, the one aspect thatwas cited frequently was the need for all partners to re-alise that communities would re q u i re a significantamount of time to understand, at a society level, the phi-losophy underpinning ecotourism. This time allowscommunities to change their attitudes and incorporateecotourism into their traditional land-use.

Financing EcotourismThe level of investment re q u i red to establish a success-ful ecotourism enterprise and the long-term nature ofsuch a venture means that the conditions surro u n d i n gc o m m e rcial loans from banks are out-of-reach to all buta minority. Many ecotourism enterprises simply cannotmeet the repayments re q u i red by such loans. Essentially,banks do not have the patience to accommodate eco-tourism as a viable option.

However ecotourism, which combines communityre t u rns, enterprise development and environmental ben-efits, is an activity that many international donor or-ganisations support. Many of the high-end ecolodgesand ecotourism destinations have been established ands u p p o rted by international donors prior to becoming in-dependent. Without the support of such donors, eco-tourism is not sustainable due to the specialistinvestment re q u i red to ensure that ecolodges are envi-ronmentally sound.

Yet there are still shortfalls. Many donor time-lines,which are typically up to three years, are too short forecotourism to achieve its full potential. Donors, failing

to understand that an ecotourism enterprise has to de-velop gradually into a sustainable business, will fundp roposals that would not be considered by banks andother financial institutions. This includes support i n gp roposals that promise unrealistic re t u rns to communi-ties leading to the partners involved becoming disen-chanted with the development.

Role of govern m e n tFor the ecotourism sector to fulfil its potential and makea significant contribution to rural development, it musthave governmental support.

At present, in the East African region, govern m e n t sappear to have been paying only cursory attention toecotourism. There are few – if any – policies that focuson ecotourism as a major sector of the tourism industry.Again, this is largely due to the lack of understanding ofecotourism and the specialised needs of this sector ofthe industry.

Ecotourism also challenges traditional systems ofcentral natural re s o u rce management by the govern-ment. Governments have stated that they agree in theorywith devolving management of natural re s o u rces tocommunities. However, this presents obvious threats tothe government such as decreased income and loss ofc o n t rol over these areas.

Te n u re of all natural re s o u rces, not just land, mustbe reviewed, and policies developed in consultation withcommunities that address issues pertaining to the com-munity ownership and use of forests, wildlife and cul-tural icons.

At a national level, an institutional framework needsto be established to define ecotourism and support tothe sector as a whole. To achieve sustainability, this na-tional framework would include legal and policy aspectsof ecotourism and support for the development of thesea reas. This may well re q u i re a review of the existingwildlife acts.

G o v e rnments should provide technical assistanceand advice to ecotourism ventures in order to achievethese changes. Relevant issues include:• Definition of the partners in ecotourism.• Description of benefit-sharing mechanisms.• P roposal of infrastru c t u re development.• Development of an outline of landscape management.

This will provide guidelines for standards within theecotourism sector as well as means for an independent


Our new ecotourism pro j e c twill give us many sourc e sof income! Just you wait!

Wo n d e rful, but you’llhave to show the same

patience and commitmentthat you have with me

Ecotourism re q u i res long term commitment

assessment of the efficacy of individual ecotourism v e n t u re s .

The traditional dictatorial approach by govern m e n t swas highlighted as inappropriate, particularly in devel-oping capacity at implement ecotourism at the commu-nity level. This can be overcome if governments pro m o t ea “bottom-up” approach and involve communities asequal partners in discussions relevant to ecotourism. Ino rder to achieve this, governments should support ana d v i s o ry body to coordinate the development of eco-tourism, which could provide assistance on land-useplanning, legal arrangements and monitoring and eval-uation pro c e d u res.

This body should also raise awareness within gov-e rnment about ecotourism, and foster understanding ofthe distinction between ecotourism and general tourism.The body must lobby for support of ecotourism thro u g hpolicy re v i e w, and be responsible for marketing eco-

tourism nationally and re g i o n a l l y.With respect to funding, governments can show

their commitment to the ecotourism sector by pro v i d i n gtax incentives that would encourage the expansion ofecotourism. Governments can also support altern a t i v efunding arrangements, such as through charities andf o u n d a t i o n s .

Role of Government at Regional and Intern a t i o n a lS c a l eThe nature and location of many ecotourism facilitiesmeans that cro s s - b o rder wildlife movements are impor-tant to ensure wildlife presence. As a minimum re-q u i rement, wildlife corridors must be identified andtheir existence promoted. Ecotourism is a means toachieve this goal. However, governments need to im-p rove infrastru c t u re and security to ensure that eco-tourism remains a viable option for rural development.


When planning forecotourism, we should

consider access tograzing are a s

And forw o o d

c o l l e c t i o n

And waters u p p l y

What abouta reas forw i l d l i f e ?

And rights toplants fort r a d i t i o n a lm e d i c i n e

And culturals i t e s

Te n u re of ALL natural re s o u rces should be considered. Not just land.

F i n a l l y, cro s s - b o rder agreements supported by Re-gional and International conventions that promote co-operation must be honoure d .

C o n c l u s i o nEcotourism is at a cro s s roads in East Africa. This docu-ment illustrates that the growth of the ecotourism sectorwill be subject to demand and supply. If current tre n d scontinue increasing numbers of tourists will demandt rue ecotourism as opposed to “responsible” and “naturetourism”. This will, in turn, re q u i re the ecotourismsector to diversify the range of products and the type oflocations available.

For this to occur, all partners in ecotourism will bere q u i red to assess their involvement in the developmentof ecotourism care f u l l y. This can be summarised in fivep o i n t s :• G o v e rnments must understand how ecotourism dif-

fers from mass tourism, and implement policy incen-tives that encourage the development of ecotourism.

• Donors and other investors in ecotourism must be re-alistic about the long-term nature of an ecotourism en-terprise and ensure that expected re t u rns are met.

• C o m m e rcial operators must honour the communitybenefits and environmental re t u rns that define eco-tourism to ensure the success of the development.

• Communities must realise that ecotourism is not apanacea to their aspirations and have realistic expec-tations of the inputs re q u i red to ensure success.

• Tourists have an obligation to gain an understandingof the culture and environment they are visiting.

If the five points above are addressed, ecotourismwill be practised and match the – often theoretical – def-initions. Ultimately, this will ensure that the people whohave traditionally managed the re g i o n ’s wild-lands re-ceive just re w a rds for their steward s h i p .

Statement from the East African RegionalC o n f e rence To the World Ecotourism SummitThe 200 participants, mostly from Kenya, Tanzania andUganda, who attended the East African regional con-f e rence considered the five themes to be addressed bythe International Year of Ecotourism and have pro p o s e dthe following statement to be considered at the Wo r l dEcotourism Summit.

I n t e rnational, Regional and National Policies needto be developed to address issues affecting the develop-ment of ecotourism. These policies must harmonise leg-islation within the various sectors, which can bec o n t r a d i c t o ry. Most import a n t l y, such policies must ad-d ress issues of tenure of all natural re s o u rces, not simplyland.

These policies should include the guidelines, codesof conduct and best practices that define ecotourism.Policies must address the conservation of biodiversityand environmental sustainability through ecotourismand should also include monitoring and evaluationp rocesses of ecotourism developments. Governments inthe region should offer support and financial incentivesin developing the ecotourism sector as well as impro v-ing communities’ access to funds.

H o w e v e r, ecotourism initiatives need to be managedin line with business and market principles, as well asconsidering social and environmental obligations fors u s t a i n a b i l i t y. Contracts between the partners in eco-tourism initiatives must be legally sound and outline


Accounting for themany aspects of

ecotourism must becomplete andt r a n s p a re n t

mechanisms of transparency and accountability from allsides, ensuring equitability. Where necessary, ecotourismp a rtners should work together to improve aware n e s sand education of all parties including training in busi-ness skills needed for ecotourism.

Most import a n t l y, to be successful, all of the aspectsabove must be developed with the full involvement ofthe community. Adopting this “bottom-up” appro a c hc reates awareness, enhances skills and engenders a senseof ownership amongst the community toward eco-tourism. Ultimately, this will ensure that the people whohave traditionally managed the re g i o n ’s wild-lands re-ceive just re w a rds for their steward s h i p .

Aside from the statements above there were somespecific points within each theme that also need to bee m p h a s i s e d .

Theme I – Ecotourism Planning in Protected andNatural Are a s : A reas targeted for ecotourism develop-ments should be zoned, taking into consideration theneeds of the ecotourism partners and should be envi-ronmentally sound.

Theme II – Community Involvement and Com-munity Based Ecotourism: Communities have specifics t rengths and should be allocated responsibilities withinecotourism developments. Ecotourism should also pro-mote respect for the local culture and indigenous knowl-e d g e .

Theme III – Ecotourism as a Business Activity: D e-velopment agencies should act as brokers in ecotourismdevelopments between communities and the businesss e c t o r. They should emphasise the long-term nature ofsuch initiatives and that benefits will be accrued bothd i rectly and indirectly to partners in Ecotourism devel-o p m e n t s .

Theme IV – Ecotourism Policies at the NationalL e v e l : National Policies need to define the roles and re-lationships of Ecotourism partners (Communities, com-munity based organisations, non-govern m e n to rganisations, business sector, government and Donors)and their responsibilities.

Theme V – Ecotourism Policies at the Regionaland International Levels: National and Regional Eco-tourism policies must be integrated across countries.Policies should also be dynamic and able to respond tothe findings of monitoring and evaluation pro c e d u re s .

Re f e re n c e sH o n e y, M. (1999) Ecotourism and Sustainable Devel-opment. Who Owns Paradise? Island Press. Wa s h i n g t o nD.C., Covelo Californ i a .Watkin, J.R., Macharia, W. & Panopoulos, L. (2002)P roceedings from the East African International Year ofEcotourism Confere n c e. ACC re p o rt .We s t e rn, D. (1997) In the Dust of Kilimanjaro. IslandP re s s / S h e a rwater Books. Washington D.C., Covelo Cal-i f o rn i a .



So gentlemen, howwas your African

a d v e n t u re ?

O k a y, I guess…

F a b u l o u s !Ecotours are

the way to go!

Due to the overall quality of the product, ecotourism is the fastest growing part of the tourism industry


S h a ron SafranEcotourism Coordinator C o n s e rvation Intern a t i o n a lPrivate Bag 132M a u nB o t s w a n aTel #: 267 660017Fax #: 267 661798E - m a i l : c i e c o t o u r i s m @ i n f o . b w

Kebigile Ts h i b a s eBrikakhwe CulturalC o n s e rvation Tru s tPrivate 111M a u nG a b o ro n eB o t s w a n aTel #: 6 6 0 0 1 7

Million BelayC o o rdinator F o rum for Enviro n m e n tP.O. Box 20345Code 1000 Addis AbabaE t h i o p i aTel #: 2 5 1 - 1 - 7 1 1 4 0 5E - m a i l :m i l l i o n b e l a y @ y a h o o . c o m

Wesley MasseyAssociate EcotourismConsultant Tourism Pro g r a m m eUnited Nations Enviro n m e n tP ro g r a m m e / U N E S C OTour Mirabeau39-43 Quai Andre Citre o n75739 Paris - Cedex 15F r a n c eTel #: 0 1 4 4 3 7 7 6 3 6E - m a i l : w e s l e y. m a s s e y @ u n e p . f r

Vivien BediakoC o n s e rvation Intern a t i o n a lP.O.Box KA 30426A c c r aG h a n aTel #: 2 3 3 - 2 1 - 7 7 3 8 9 3E - m a i l : c i a o o @ g h a n a . c o m

Dex AgouridesAdvisor - NAO/Tre a s u ry E u ropean UnionP.O.Box 45119N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 1 3 0 2 0Fax #: 7 1 6 4 8 1E - m a i l :k e n y a @ d e l k e n . c e c . e u . i n t

Josh AguicohMwaluganje Elephant SanctuaryP.O.Box 609N a i robi 00606K e n y aTel #: 5 7 8 2 7 1Fax #: 5 7 0 7 7 5E - m a i l : j o s h @ p a c t k e . o rg

D o rothy AmwataEcotourism Society of KenyaP.O.Box 29053N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 6 3 1 2 2 5Fax #: 6 3 1 2 2 6E - m a i l : d a m w a t a @ y a h o o . c o m

B a k a ry AnnuaryKisauni Youth for DevelopmentP.O.Box 97989M o m b a s aK e n y a

Asad AnswarA d v e n t u re Africa SafarisP.O.Box 42628N a i robi 00100K e n y aTel #: 0733 707120Fax #: 3 4 0 1 4 9E - m a i l : a s a d @ a l p h a n e t . c o . k e

Solomon AtswenjaKakamega Fore s tK E E P / K A B I C O TAP.O.Box 36K a k a m e g avia KakamegaK e n y aTel #: 7 4 9 9 5 7

Khamis BahatishaTeacher Mida Creek Conserv a t i o nC o m m i t t e ec/o Kenya Wildlife Serv i c eP.O.Box 333Wa t a m uK e n y a

Isaac BekaloDevelopment Worker I n t e rnational Institute of RuralR e c o n s t ru c t i o nP.O.Box 66873N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 4 4 2 6 1 0Fax #: 4 4 8 1 4 8

M a ry BelsoiKenya Tourism DevelopmentC o r p o r a t i o nP.O.Box 42013N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 2 9 7 5 1Fax #: 2 2 7 8 1 5E - m a i l : k t d c @ f o rm - n e t . c o m

Najib BendahouU N E PG i g i r i / I R O AN a i ro b iK e n y a

Tel #: 6 2 4 0 4 4E - m a i l :n a j i b . b e n d a h o u @ u n e p . o rg

Francis BundiWe ru Animals and Fore s t sC o n s e rvation Pro j e c tP.O.Box 180K i b i r i c h i aM e ruK e n y a

Anthony ChegeVo l u n t e e rK e n y a

Sacha CookAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 14949N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 0 7 3 3 - 9 6 9 1 7 3E - m a i l : s a c h a l u c y @ a o l . c o m

Paul CowlesP a c t / C o n s e rvation of Resourc e st h rough EnterpriseN a i ro b iK e n y aE - m a i l : p a u l @ p a c t k e . o rg

Alan DixsonManaging Director L e t ’s Go Tr a v e lP.O.Box 60342N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 4 4 7 1 5 1E - m a i l : i n f o @ l e t s g o s a f a r i . c o m

D a rcy DuncanPeace Corps Volunteer Mwaluganje Elephant SanctuaryP.O.Box 167K w a l eK e n y aE - m a i l :m e s @ s w i f t m o m b a s a . c o m

Racheal GachanjaK E N V OP.O.Box 199M a t a t h i aK e n y aTel #: 7 2 2 2 3 0 5 3 5

C l i ff o rd GikundaBiosafety NewsP.O.Box 49030N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 3 3 5 4 3E - m a i l : c n t u r i b i @ y a h o o . c o m

Felix GithakaLewa Wildlife Conserv a n c yPrivate BagI s i o l oK e n y aTel #: 0 1 6 4 - 3 1 4 0 5Fax #: 0 1 6 4 - 3 1 4 0 5E - m a i l : l e w a @ s w i f t k e n y a . c o m

Wanjiku GithinjiVolunteer African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y a

Anne GitongaVolunteer African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y a

John GitongaPhoenix SafarisP.O.Box 1141N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 5 2 3 3 5 4E - m a i l : i n f o @ p h o e n i x - s a f a r i s . d e

Jake Grieves-CookManaging Director Porini EcotourismN a i ro b iK e n y aE - m a i l : j a k e @ w a n a n c h i . c o m

P a rticipants List

Christine Guchu-KateeSenior Projects Off i c e rC o n s e rvation of Resourc e st h rough EnterpriseAfrican Wildlife FoundationP.O.Box 48177N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 1 0 3 6 4E - m a i l : c g u c h u -k a t e e @ a u f k e . o rg

Wolfgang HuetzenTechnical Advisor G e rman Development Serv i c eP.O.Box 47136N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 0 7 3 3 - 5 4 0 9 1 5Fax #: 0 3 0 5 - 2 2 2 6 9E - m a i l : w h u e t z e n @ y a h o o . c o m

Neel InamdarD i rector African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : n e e l @ a c c . o r. k e

Anne IndimuliR a p p o rteur C o n f e re n c eP.O.Box 56815N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 6 5 4 5 5E - m a i l :a n n i n d i m u l i @ y a h o o . c o m

Leah IsaacC h a i rman Dupoto Wo m e n ’sG ro u pAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 24K a j i a d oK e n y aTel #: 0 7 2 3 6 0 6 9 0

Elizabeth JilaniArabuko Sokoke Fore s tP.O.Box 383Wa t a m uK e n y aTel #: 0 1 2 2 - 3 2 4 6 2E - m a i l :s o k o k e @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e

Ralph JohnstoneE c o - re s o rt sP.O.Box 15210N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 8 8 4 0 1 8E - m a i l :m a r s @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e

J a i ro JuraBiosafety NewsP.O.Box 70445N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 5 3 5 4 3Fax #: 3 1 6 7 9 5E - m a i l : j u r a 1 2 0 0 1 @ y a h o o . c o m

Augusta KabunyiR a p p o rteur C o n f e re n c eP.O.Box 45L i m u ruK e n y aTel #: 0154 71401/72007E - m a i l :a u g u s t a k a b u n y i @ y a h o o . c o m

Francis KahindiUyombo Fishermen Sea Fro n tC o n s e rvation Gro u pP.O.Box 964K i l i f iK e n y a

John KahindiUyombo Fishing Youth Gro u pP.O. Box 964K i l i f iK e n y a

Ali KakaExecutive Director East African Wildlife SocietyP.O.Box 20110N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 5 7 4 1 4 5Fax #: 5 7 1 3 3 5E - m a i l : e a w l s @ k e n y a w e b . c o m

Moses KaneneManager Conservation ofR e s o u rces through EnterpriseAfrican Wildlife FoundationP.O.Box 48177N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 1 0 3 6 7 / 8Fax #: 7 1 0 3 7 2E - m a i l : m k a n e n e @ a w f k e . o rg

Rungano KarimanziraUnited Nations Enviro n m e n tP ro g r a m m eRegional Office for AfricaP.O. Box 47074N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 6 2 4 6 1 6Fax #: 6 2 3 8 2 9E - m a i l :ru n g a n o k a r i m a n z i r a @ m e p . o rg

Joseph KathiwaEcotourism Society of KenyaP.O.Box 10146N a i ro b iK e n y aE - m a i l : k a t h i w a @ y a h o o . c o m

Pippa KeithTravel NewsP.O. Box 30725N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 4 9 6 3 7Fax #: 7 4 9 6 3 7E - m a i l : p i p p a @ t r i a d . c o . k e

Judy Kepher- G o n aNational Liaison Officer Ecotourism Society of KenyaP.O.Box 48461N a i ro b iK e n y aE - m a i l : i n f o @ e s o k . c o m

Boniface KididingKoija Group RanchP.O.Box 1348N a n y u k iK e n y a

Anthony KiharaVolunteer African Conservation CentreP.O. Box 62844N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 5 4 0 9 3 9E - m a i l :k a n t o n y 1 9 7 7 @ y a h o o . c o m

Joshua KilitiaImbirikani Group RanchP.O.Box 84L o i t o k t o kK e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1

Moses KilowuaImbirikani Group RanchP.O. Box 84L o i t o k t o kK e n y a

Sammy KilukeiNaibuga Conserv a t i o nP.O.Box 16D o l d o lK e n y a

Daniel KimalelS e c re t a ry Kurikuri Group RanchP.O.Box 5D o l d o lK e n y a

Eric KimaniAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y a

Stephanie KinyanjuiAssistant Coordinator EastAfrican Regional Confere n c eAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : e c o t o u r i s m @ a c c . o r. k e

M a ry KirambuiN a i robi National ParkKenya Wildlife Serv i c eP.O.Box 40241N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 5 0 1 0 8 1E - m a i l : k w s @ k w s . o rg

Joachim KiratuCultural CenterLaikipia Wildlife Foru mP.O.Box 180N a n y u k iK e n y a

Agnes Rigiri KiuguWe ru Animals and Fore s t sC o n s e rvation Pro j e c tP.O. Box 180K i b i r i c h i aM e ruK e n y a

Ted Majaliwa KomboP roject Coordinator Tsunza Conservation andDevelopment Pro g r a m m eP.O.Box 99983M o m b a s aK e n y aTel #: 7 2 4 1 5 4 9 5E - m a i l :t s u n z a @ s w i f t m o m b a s a . c o m



Charity KonanaC e n t re for the Advancement ofthe Media Industry (CAMI)P.O.Box 10146N a i robi 00100K e n y aTel #: 0 7 2 - 5 1 2 5 8 3E - m a i l :c h a r i t y k o n a n a @ l y c s . c o m

Cynthia KonanaVolunteer African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y a

Loise KonanaC e n t re for the Advancement ofthe Media Industry (CAMI)P.O.Box 41222N a i ro b iK e n y aE - m a i l : l k o n a n a @ e x c i t e . c o m

C a rol KorschenPeponi HotelL a m uK e n y a

Sheila KositanyNation Media Gro u pP.O.Box 49010N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 2 9 9 4 0Fax #: 2 4 7 5 0 5

Esther KotoineTre a s u rer Dupoto Wo m e n ’sG ro u pAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 24K a j i a d oK e n y a

Santamu Yoakim KuraruThe Ereri Multicultural Vi l l a g eP.O.Box 1400N a n y u k iK e n y a

Stephen KuraruThe Ereri Multicultural Vi l l a g eP.O. Box 1400N a n y u k iK e n y a

Renee KuriyanElephant Watch SafarisP.O.Box 54667N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 6 7 3E - m a i l :r k u r i y a n @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e

Ratik Paul ole KuyanaTrekking Wa rrior ExpeditionsKimentet Group RanchK e n y a

Daniel LagoScholar MagazineMaoni NetworkP.O.Box 66247N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 5 3 1 0 9E - m a i l :l a g o k o m o @ h o t m a i l . c o m

David LebooA.E.C. Foundation - Naro kP.O. Box 661N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 072 248262

James Sumaro LechakoleKiltamay CommunityNgituk Ngiron Group RanchP.O.Box 54667N a i ro b iK e n y a

Michael LegeiK u r i k u r iK e n y a

Tarayia LekanayiaEselenkei Group RanchP.O.Box 119L o i t o k t o kK e n y aTel #: 7 2 2 8 2 1 7 3 0E - m a i l : i l e k a n a y i a @ y a h o o . c o m

Chief Lekore reK a r a s h i r aLaikipia Wildlife Foru mP.O.Box 180N a n y u k iK e n y a

Thomas LeleturWestgate Conservation LimitedLewa Wildlife Conserv a n c yP.O.Box 49918N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 0 1 7 6 - 3 2 0 7 1

Paul LeringatoNamunyak Wi l d l i f eC o n s e rvation Tru s tP.O.Box 88Wa m b aK e n y a

David LesaloiSiana Tru s tP.O.Box 353N a ro kK e n y a

Daniel Leture s hMember Amboseli CulturalC e n t re AssociationOlgulului Group RanchP.O.Box 388L o i t o k t o kK e n y aTel #: 0302 22087E - m a i l : d l e t u re s h @ y a h o o . c o m

Lars LindkuistE c o Travel / BaseCamp Explore rP.O. Box 43369N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 5 7 2 1 3 9E - m a i l : d re a m 1 @ b u s h m a i l . n e t

Anne LoehrD i rector Eco. Resort sE c o - re s o rt sP.O.Box 120Wa t a m uK e n y aTel #: 0 1 2 2 - 3 2 1 6 1Fax #: 0 1 2 2 - 3 2 1 9 1E - m a i l : a n n e @ e c o - re s o rt s . c o m

M a rg a ret LoktanoCultural CenterLaikipia Wildlife Foru mP.O. Box 949N a n y u k iK e n y a

Daniel LomoeCommunity Liaison Off i c e rWe s t e rn UnitLaikipia Wildlife Foru mP.O.Box 164N y a h u ru ruK e n y a

E d w a rd M. SadisaN k o i re ro Forest and Wi l d l i f eA s s o c i a t i o nK e n y aTel #: 0 3 0 5 - 2 2 4 9 7Fax #: 0 3 0 5 - 2 2 2 6 9

Wa n j i ru MachariaMarketing Consultant EastAfrican Regional Confere n c eAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : s h i ru @ a c c . o r. k e

Samuel MainaAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y a

Charity Kiteto MaingiMember Saghe Wo m e n ’s Gro u pP.O.Box 25484N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 0 7 2 2 - 7 0 0 7 5 0

Grace Wakesho MaingiSaghe Wo m e n ’s Gro u pP.O.Box 25484N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 2 2 3 7 9 5 7 5E - m a i l :g r a c e m a i n g i @ y a h o o . c o m

Dan MajanjaEast Africa Wildlife SocietyP.O.Box 20434N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 5 7 4 1 4 5E - m a i l : d m a j a n j a @ y a h o o . c o m

Boniface MakauPrivate Consultant P.O.Box 74176N a i robi 00200K e n y aTel #: 4 8 5 8 4Fax #: 4 8 5 5 7E - m a i l : m a k a u @ w a n a n c h i . c o m

Denis MakoManager Oliopa Wildlife AssociationP.O. Box 691N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 3 0 5 7 2 2 7 7 1Fax #: 2 2 6 3 0

Stephen ManegeneHead of Planning Kenya Wildlife Serv i c eP.O.Box 40241N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 6 0 4 2 4 5E - m a i l : m a n e g e n e @ k w s . o rg

Sally MannP.O.Box 24464N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 8 8 2 7 5 3

Kennedy ManyalaKenya Tourist BoardP.O.Box 30630N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 1 9 9 2 4Fax #: 7 1 9 9 2 5E - m a i l :k e n m a n y a l l a @ k e n y a t o u r i s m . o rg

Stephen MaranangaCultural CenterLaikipia Wildlife Foru mP.O.Box 180N a n y u k iK e n y a

Chris MarshallF reelance Consultant P.O.Box 24262N a i robi 00502K e n y aTel #: 8 8 3 0 8 0E - m a i l : c h a r i s m a @ e a s t a f r i c a . c o m

David MasereCommunity Liaison Off i c e rLaikipia Wildlife Foru mIl Ngwesi Group RanchP.O.Box 177Ti m a uN a n y u k iK e n y a

G o d f rey MasindeAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : m a s i n d e @ a c c . o r. k e

Kimalel MatungeTeacher Naiputaki Cooperative SocietyP.O.Box 5D o l d o lK e n y a

A g g rey MaumoEcotourism Society of KenyaP.O.Box 10146N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 2 4 4 0 3E - m a i l : i n f o @ e s o k . c o m

Daniel Moile MeteurElangata Wuas EcosystemManagement Pro g r a m m eP.O. Box 221K a j i a d oK e n y aTel #: 7 5 1 3 1 9Fax #: 7 5 1 3 1 9

Joseph Miaro nP rogramme Manager A m b o s e l i - Tsavo Group RanchC o n s e rvation AssociationP.O.Box 254L o i t o k t o kK e n y aTel #: 0302 22165Fax #: 0302 22339E - m a i l : a t g rc a @ g t . c o . k e

H e z ron MogakaBiodiversity Conserv a t i o nP rogramme Manager Community Development Tru s tF u n dP.O.Box 62199N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 2 7 7 9 9Fax #: 7 2 1 3 8 2E - m a i l :h m o g a k a @ i n s i g h t k e n y a . c o m

Maulid MohammedMida Creek Conservation Gro u pc/o Kenya Wildlife Serv i c eP.O.Box 333Wa t a m uK e n y a

G re g o ry MonsonKicheche Mara CampP.O.Box 15243N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 8 9 0 5 4 1E - m a i l : s a l e s @ k i c h e c h e . c o m

R o b e rt MuhohoEast Africann Wildlife SocietyP.O.Box 20110N a i ro b iK e n y aE - m a i l : e a w l s @ k e n y a w e b . c o m

G e o ff rey MumiaJ o u rnalist I R I SP.O.Box 10017N a i robi 00100K e n y aTel #: 6 0 3 5 7 2Fax #: 6 0 3 5 7 4E - m a i l : g o s a g i : y a h o o . c o m

Joseph MungeField Assistant ShompoleShompole Group RanchP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : a c c @ a c c . o r. k e

Joel MunkaKoyiaki Lemek Wildlife Tru s tO l o s i ru aP.O.Box 738N a ro kK e n y a

M a ry MusasiaKenya News AgencyP.O.Box 42368N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 1 8 4 7 3E - m a i l :k n a 1 @ i n s i g h t k e n y a . c o m

R i c h a rd MwabiliC h a i rman LUMO Community Wi l d l i f eTru s tP. O . M w a k i t a uVia Vo iK e n y aTel #: 0 1 4 7 - 2 2 3 4

Juma MwaduduTrainee Manager Mwaluganje Elephant SanctuaryP.O.Box 167K w a l eK e n y aTel #: 0 1 2 7 - 4 1 2 1E - m a i l :m e s @ s w i f t m o m b a s a . c o m

James MwakayaTre a s u rer Mida Creek Conserv a t i o nc/o Kenya Wildlife Serv i c eP.O.Box 333Wa t a m uK e n y a

Wisdom MwalukwareLUMO Community Wi l d l i f eTru s tP.O.Box 34636N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 2 8 2 8 6Fax #: 2 1 1 7 0 9

A l b e rt MwangiNational Programme ManagerUnited Nations DevelopmentP ro g r a m m eNational Enviro n m e n tS e c re t a r i a tP.O.Box 67839N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 4 8 3 3 9Fax #: 2 4 8 8 5 1E - m a i l : a m w a n g i @ n e s . g o . k e

Ben MwongelaEnterprise Officer African Wildlife FoundationP.O.Box 48177N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 1 0 3 6 7E - m a i l : b m w o n g e l a @ a w f k e . o rg

James NabaalahKoyiaki Lemek Wildlife Tru s tO l o s i ru aP.O.Box 738N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 0 3 0 5 - 2 2 6 3 0 - 1

Samuel NaikadaDupoto Forest and Wi l d l i f eA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 262K i l g o r i sTr a n s m a r aK e n y aTel #: 0 3 0 5 - 2 2 4 9 7Fax #: 0 3 0 5 - 2 2 2 6 9

Thomas NaiputariKoija Group RanchP.O.Box 1348N a n y u k iK e n y a

Charles NampasoC h a i rman Oliopa Wildlife Conserv a t i o nP.O.Box 691N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 0 3 0 5 - 2 2 6 3 0

Dominic NchoeKoyiaki Lemek Wildlife Tru s tO l o s i ru aP.O. Box 738N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 0 3 0 5 2 2 6 3 0 / 1Fax #: 3 0 5 2 2 6 3 0

Zacchaeus NdirimaEcotourism Society of KenyaP.O.Box 29053N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 4 4 0 9 4 1Fax #: 4 4 0 9 4 2E - m a i l : n d i r i m a @ y a h o o . c o m

Hemed NdongahC h a i rman Mida Creek Conserv a t i o nc/o Kenya Wildlife Serv i c eP.O.Box 333Wa t a m uK e n y a



James Ndung’uNatural Resource ManagementAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : j n d u n g u @ a c c . o r. k e

H e n ry NeondoAll Africa News AgencyP.O.Box 2141N a i robi 00100K e n y aTel #: 0 7 3 3 - 8 4 7 9 9 1Fax #: 3 1 2 0 6 0E - m a i l : n e o n d o @ h o t m a i l . c o m

Gerald Ngaru y i aEcotourism Society of KenyaP.O.Box 46870N a i robi 00100K e n y aTel #: 2 2 1 0 4 6

James NgetheKikuyu EscarpmentC o n s e rvation Gro u pc/o Solomon MwangiN a t u re KenyaK e n y a

Debbie NightingaleFellow E n v i ronmental ManagementA d v i s o r sP.O.Box 700Sarit CentreN a i robi 00606K e n y aTel #: 4 4 5 0 0 4E - m a i l :n i g h t i n g a l e @ n e t 2 0 0 0 k e . c o m

Marie Ellen NjambiAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y a

Eunice NjauVo l u n t e e rK e n y a

James L. NjepiIl Polei: Ol Maalo Conserv a n c yP.O.Box 51D o l d o lN a n y u k iK e n y a

Te resa NjeriAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : a m b o s e l i @ a c c . o r. k e

Julie NjeruKenya Tourist BoardP.O.Box 30630N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 1 9 9 3 1Fax #: 7 1 9 9 2 5E - m a i l : j u l i e @ k e n y a t o u r i s m . o rg

Nancy NjugunaAdministrator African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y a

Joshua Nkaru n g aImbirikani Group RanchP.O.Box 84L o i t o k t o kK e n y a

Sarah NkathaRadio CitizenN a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 4 9 1 2 2

Francis NkoitoiTre a s u rer Koyiaki Lemek Wildlife Tru s tP.O.Box 223N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 2 2 3 9 8

Livinstone NtutuO l c h o rro Oirowua AssociationP.O.Box 164N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 2 2 2 8 2

M i l a g re NuvungaP rogramme Director F o rd FoundationP.O.Box 41081N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 1 0 4 4 4Fax #: 7 1 2 2 0 3E - m a i l :m . n u v u n g a @ f o rd f o u n d . o rg

Joel Lemanta NyikaElangata Wuas Group RanchP.O. Box 17K a j i a d oK e n y aTel #: 072 608285E - m a i l : n y i k a j o e l @ h o t m a i l . c o m

Belter NzilaniAnalyst African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : b a b o o n @ a c c . o r. k e

G e o rge ObanyiI n t e rnational Institute of RuralR e c o n s t ru c t i o nP.O.Box 66873N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 4 4 2 6 1 0Fax #: 4 4 1 8 4 8E - m a i l : g e o rg e @ i i rr- a f r i c a . o rg

Bob Richards Odaa-OguyaS e rena Lodges and HotelsL i m i t e dP.O.Box 48690N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 7 1 0 5 1 1

Kezia OdemboM i n i s t ry of Tourism andI n f o rm a t i o nP.O.Box 54666N a i ro b iK e n y aE - m a i l :k i z z y @ f i g c o m m . a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e

Francis Omondi OgangoLake Victoria Sunset Bird e r sP.O. Box 4201K i s u m uK e n y aTel #: 0 3 5 - 4 2 9 5 2Fax #: 3 5 4 2 9 5 2E - m a i l : f o g a n g o @ h o t m a i l . c o m

Ochieng OgodoS t a n d a rd NewspaperP.O. Box 30080N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 3 3 2 6 5 8Fax #: 3 3 7 6 9 7E - m a i l : o g o d o 1 6 @ y a h o o . c o m

Te rvil OkokoPanafrican News AgencyP.O.Box 2745N a i robi 00200K e n y aE - m a i l :t e rv i l . o k o k o @ p a n a p re s s . c o m

Eric OkothNation Media Gro u pP.O.Box 49010N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 2 4 7 4 6 4Fax #: 2 4 7 5 0 5E - m a i l : e r i c o n s @ y a h o o . c o m

Joe OkudoHead: Community Commerc eC o n s e rvation of Resourc e st h rough EnterpriseAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : j o k u d o @ a c c . o r. k e

Sam OkunguAssistant Director of Tourism M i n i s t ry of Tourism andI n f o rm a t i o nP.O. Box 30027N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 3 1 3 0 1 0Fax #: 2 1 7 6 0 4E - m a i l : t o u r i s m @ n b n n e t . c o . k e

Millicent Odhiambo OlalHyacinth CraftsP.O. Box 234K i s u m uK e n y aTel #: 3 5 2 2 4 9 8Fax #: 035 22498E - m a i l :h y c r a f t 2 0 0 1 @ y a h o o . c o m

Jackson Ole KaashaMaa Integrated EcotourismE n t e r p r i s e sOlerai CampingP.O.Box 98K i t e n g e l aK e n y aTel #: 0 7 3 3 - 7 7 4 9 3 7E - m a i l :m a a e c o t o u r i s m @ n e t s c a p e . n e t

Leboo Ole KilusuAEC FoundationP.O.Box 661N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 0 7 2 - 2 4 8 2 6 2

Simon Nduru Ole KinyagaIl Ngwesi II Group RanchP.O. Box 137K i s i m aN a n y u k iK e n y a

Peter Ole NabaalaO l c h o ro Oirowua Wildlife Tru s tP.O. Box 632N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 2 2 5 2 0

Daniel Ole NaimadoIl Polei Cultural ManattaP.O. Box 51D o l d o lN a n y u k iK e n y a

Sylvester Ole NtutuExecutive Director O l c h o rro Oirowua AssociationP.O. Box 164N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 2 2 2 8 2Fax #: 2 2 5 3 2

Yusuf Ole PetenyaS e c re t a ry Shompole Gro u pRanch Eco-toursimDevelopment Pro j e c tShompole Group RanchP.O. Box 6M a g a d iK e n y a

Kenneth Ole SaeiOlgulului Group RanchP.O. Box 156N a m a n g aK e n y aTel #: 072 245499E - m a i l :k e n n e t h s a e i @ y a h o o . c o m

Douglas Ole SikawaSenior Wa rden Transmara County CouncilP.O.Box 11K i l g o r i sK e n y aTel #: 0 3 0 6 - 2 2 1 5 0Fax #: 2 2 0 7 8

Julius Ole SilakanCommunity Liaison Off i c e rCentral UnitLaikipia Wildlife Foru mP.O.Box 180N a n y u k iK e n y aTel #: 0 1 7 6 - 3 2 4 8 5

Kenyatta OloitiptipS e c re t a ry Kimana Wildlife SanctuaryP.O. Box 362L o i t o k t o kK e n y aTel #: 0302 - 22350

R i c h a rd Tipape OloitiptipAmboseli Oloitiptip RanchP.O. Box 1N a m a n g aK e n y aTel #: 072 258844

Charles OluchinaU S A I DP.O.Box 30261N a i robi 00100K e n y aTel #: 8 6 2 4 0 0E - m a i l : o l u c h i n a @ u s a i d . g o v

M o rris OmolloF o rester Transmara DevelopmentP ro g r a m m eP.O. Box 114K i l g o r i sK e n y aTel #: 0306 22076Fax #: 3 0 5 2 2 2 6 9

Emmanuel OnetuEselenkei Group RanchEselenkei Conservation Are aP.O. Box 263Sultan HamudL e n s i k e mK e n y aTel #: 0 3 0 2 - 2 2 5 4 5

Silvanos George OtienoVolunteer Ecotourism Society of KenyaP.O. Box 63071N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 6 3 0 7 7 1E - m a i l :s i l v a n o s o t i e n o @ y a h o o . c o m

Lisa PanopoulosVolunteer P.O.Box 45119N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 8 8 2 6 8 1E - m a i l : l i p a n o p @ h o t m a i l . c o m

Lepakin PokisaNaipotaki Cooperative SocietyP.O.Box 5D o l d o lK e n y a

Jonathan ole RanaIl Polei Cultural ManattaP.O. Box 51D o l d o lK e n y a

E d w a rd Momposhi SadiraN k o i re ro Wildlife AssociationP.O.Box 730N a ro kK e n y a

Dominic SankeiOliopa Wildlife AssociationP.O. Box 691N a ro kK e n y aTel #: 2 2 9 3 5

John ScullyE c o - F o ru mN a i ro b iK e n y a

Kasaine SelekaOlgulului Group RanchP.O.Box 156N a m a n g aK e n y aTel #: 0302 22037

G e o rge SikoyoR e s e a rch Fellow Tr a n s b o u n d a ryNatural Resource ManagementAfrican Centre for Te c h n o l o g yS t u d i e sP.O.Box 45917N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 5 2 4 7 1 4Fax #: 5 2 4 7 0 1E - m a i l : m . s i k o y o @ c g i a r. o rg

Johnson SipitiekAfrican Conservation CentreP.O. Box 62844N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 6 2 8 4 4Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1

Thomas Naiputari SukuyaKoija Group RanchP.O. Box 1348N a n y u k iK e n y a

Lemayian Ta i k oElangata Wuas EcosystemManagement Pro g r a m m eP.O.Box 180K a j i a d oK e n y aTel #: 1 2 6 1 7 9 9 8Fax #: 2 7 5 1 3 1 9E - m a i l : l t a i k o @ h o t m a i l . c o m

Solomon To m p eImbirikani Group RanchP.O. Box 84L o i t o k t o kK e n y a

Rose Mukami Wa i g a n j oAfrican Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : b a b o o n @ a c c . o r. k e

John Wa i t h a k aHead: Programs & Ecology African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aE - m a i l : j w a i t h a k a @ a c c . o r. k e

G o d f rey Wa k a b aWa rden Kenya Wildlife Serv i c eP.O. Box 333Wa t a m uK e n y aTel #: 0122 32393

Eliud Wa n a k u t aAfrican Conservation CentreP.O. Box 62844N a i robi 00200K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : e w a n a k u t a @ a c c . o r. k e

Enock Wa r i n d aAfrican Conservation CentreP.O. Box 62844N a i robi 00200K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : e n o c k @ a c c . o r. k e



Lucy Wa ru i n g iManager: IT and GIS African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : l w a ru i n g i @ a c c . o r. k e

John Wa t k i nAfrican Conservation CentreP.O. Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 0 2 0 9Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l : j w a t k i n @ a c c . o r. k e

A n d rew Wa w e ruFriends of Kinangop PlateauP.O. Box 265N a i v a s h aK e n y a

David We s t e rnC h a i rman African Conservation CentreP.O.Box 15289N a i robi 00509K e n y aTel #: 8 9 1 3 6 0Fax #: 8 9 1 7 5 1E - m a i l :d w e s t e rn @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e

Kristofer ZachrissonD ream Travel AfricaP.O.Box 43369N a i ro b iK e n y aTel #: 5 7 7 4 9 0Fax #: 5 7 7 4 8 9E - m a i l :k r i s t o f e r @ d re a m t r a v e l . c o . k e

C l a i re FoottitTravel Writer & PhotographerAuthor to Bradt Guide to KenyaFoottit by Design17 Dublin Stre e tE d i n b u rgh EH1 3PGS c o t l a n dTel #: 4 4 - 1 3 1 - 4 7 8 - 7 0 2 0E - m a i l : c . f o o t t i t @ f b d . s o l . c o . u k

Eleanor Cart e rManager Chumbe Island Coral ParkL i m i t e dP.O.Box 3203Z a n z i b a rTa n z a n i aTel #: 2 5 5 2 4 2 2 3 1 0 4 0E - m a i l : c h u m b e @ z i t e c . o rg

M a rgot JonesNdarakwai RanchTanganyika Film and SafariO u t f i t t e r sP.O.Box 49A ru s h aTa n z a n i aTel #: 2 5 0 - 2 7 1 3Fax #: 2 5 0 - 8 5 4 7E - m a i l : j o n e s @ h a b a r i . c o . t z

Peter JonesNdarakwai RanchTanganyika Film and SafariO u t f i t t e r sP.O.Box 49A ru s h aTa n z a n i aE - m a i l : m a rg o t k j @ h a b a r i . c o . t z

Joseph KitiaH & A Unique Safaris 2000L i m i t e dP.O. Box 2189A ru s h aTa n z a n i aTel #: 7 4 4 2 8 2 1 1 5u n i q u e s a f @ c y b e rn e t . c o . t z

Peter Lindstro mHoopoe Adventure To u r s( Tanzania Ltd)P.O. Box 2047A ru s h aTa n z a n i aTel #: 0 7 4 4 - 7 8 2 8 8 8E - m a i l :h o o p o e s a f a r i @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . t z

M a rtin LoibookiTanzania National ParksP.O.Box 3134A ru s h aTa n z a n i aTel #: 2 5 5 - 2 7 - 2 5 0 8 0 9Fax #: 2 5 5 - 2 7 - 2 5 4 8 2 1 6E - m a i l : m l o i @ a v u . o rg

Severa MasaweTTB - Ministry of NaturalR e s o u rces and To u r i s mP.O.Box 2485D a r- e s - S a l a a mTa n z a n i aTel #: 2 5 5 5 2 1 1 1 2 4 4Fax #: 255 22 2127156E - m a i l : s a f a r i @ u d . c o . t z

Raphael Ole MakoCommunity Conserv a t i o nS e rvice CentreAfrican Wildlife FoundationP.O.Box 2658A ru s h aTa n z a n i aTel #: 9 6 1 6 / 7Fax #: 4 4 5 3E - m a i l : ro l e m a k o @ a w f - t z . o rg

Tom Ole SikarTanzanian Cultural To u r i s mP ro g r a m m eP.O. Box 10455A ru s h aTa n z a n i aTel #: 0 2 5 5 - 0 2 7 - 2 5 0 7 5 1 5Fax #: 0 2 5 5 - 2 7 - 2 5 0 7 5 1 5E - m a i l :t o m @ t o u r i s m t a n z a n i a . o rg

Mohamed Ya s i nTo u rc a re Tanzania Te VP.O.Box 22787D a r- e s - S a l a a mTa n z a n i aTel #: 0 7 4 4 - 6 6 1 1 6 6Fax #: 2 1 1 2 7 5 2E - m a i l :t o u rc a re t a n z a n i a @ a o l . c o m

Solomon AtsweyeUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E - m a i l :u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

Grace AuloM i n i s t ry of Tourism Trade andI n d u s t ryP.O. Box 7103K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 3 4 3 9 4 7Fax #: 3 4 1 2 4 7E - m a i l : p a m s u @ p a m s u . o rg

Azoli BahatiUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E - m a i l :u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

R o b e rt BigirimanaUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 112K i s o roU g a n d aTel #: 0 7 7 - 4 9 9 4 7 1E - m a i l :u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

William ChemnoinC rows Nest CampsiteSipi Kapchorw aP.O.Box 124K a p c h o rw aU g a n d aTel #: 0 7 7 - 8 0 0 7 0 5E - m a i l :t h e c ro w s n e t s @ y a h o o . c o m

Pontious EzumaUganda Wildlife AuthorityP.O. Box 3530K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 256 468 30098Fax #: 077 649886

Naome GiduduB u g i m u n y ec/o Masaba 99P.O.Box 953 MbaleK a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E - m a i l :u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

R o b e rt GimunyeD i rector Uganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 0 7 5 - 6 1 3 6 6 4E - m a i l : u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

Sheba Hanyurw aC h a i rman Uganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 280K i s o roU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 - 7 7 - 4 3 5 1 4 8E - m a i l : a m a k u ru @ i m u l . c o m

J e rome KabahisyaUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E - m a i l : u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

Hussein KatoPrivate Sector DevelopmentP ro g r a mUnited Nations DevelopmentP ro g r a m m eM b a l eU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 - 4 5 - 3 4 8 9 2Fax #: 2 5 6 - 4 5 - 3 5 3 9 6E-mail: teiro @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

To l b e rt KiizaUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 0 4 1 - 2 3 0 8 0 3E - m a i l : u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

M a rg a ret Kiro n d eUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 0 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E - m a i l: u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

Shaun MannTourism Development Advisor E u ropean UnionP.O.Box 7211K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 3 4 2 1 9 6 / 7Fax #: 3 4 2 1 5 4E - m a i l :s h a u n . m a n n @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

Paul MugisaUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E-mail: [email protected]

Thomas NamanyaUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E-mail: [email protected]

Anthony RatterP.O.Box 25694K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 041 267864Fax #: 041 267864E - m a i l : r a t t e r @ i n f o c o m . c o . u g

Sam Mauso SiraliEconomist M i n i s t ry of Tourism Trade andI n d u s t ryK a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 071 424866E - m a i l :m a u s o _ s i r a l i @ y a h o o . c o m

Gongo Ti b e s i g w aBuhoma Community Rest CampUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O. Box 992K a b a l eK a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E - m a i l :u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

John Ti n k aField Manager Uganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O.Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 2 5 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5E - m a i l :h e r i t a g e @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

Judith Vo e rm a n sUganda Community To u r i s mA s s o c i a t i o nP.O. Box 27159K a m p a l aU g a n d aTel #: 041 230805E - m a i l :u c o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g

Costas ChristC o n s e rvation Intern a t i o n a l1919 M Street, NWWashington, DC 20036U S AE - m a i l :c . c h r i s t @ c o n s e rv a t i o n . o rg

Eileen Gutierre zManager - Africa RegionEcotourism Depart m e n tC o n s e rvation Intern a t i o n a l1919 M Street, NWWashington, DC 20036U S ATel #: 2 0 2 - 9 1 2 - 1 7 2 9Fax #: 2 0 2 - 9 1 2 - 0 7 6 5E - m a i l :e g u t t i e rre z @ c o n s e rv a t i o n . o rg

F e rgus Maclare nD i rector International Year ofE c o t o u r i s mThe International EcotourismS o c i e t y28 Pine Stre e tBurlington 05402Ve rm o n tU S AE - m a i l : f e rg u s @ e c o t o u r i s m . o rg


The Evolution of Ecotourismin East Africa: From an idea to an industry

The Wildlife and Development Series is published by the International Institute for Environment andDevelopment (IIED) to highlight key topic in the field of sustainable wildlife use. The series is aimed atpolicy-makers, re s e a rchers, planners and extension workers in government and non-govern m e n to rganisations world-wide. The series arises from two sources. First, by invitation of IIED to others workingin this field, and second, from IIED’s own work.

Tourism is the world’s largest industry, and, in both developed and developing countries, ecotourism isnow the fastest growing sector of this industry. Being such a powerful economic force, particularly indeveloping countries with little other industry, ecotourism has been able to prevent enviro n m e n t a ld e s t ruction and, when managed corre c t l y, promote community development and empowerm e n t .

H o w e v e r, development of an ecotourism enterprise is complicated and involves many distinct parties, allof whom aspire to gain from the process. All parties involved must collaborate to ensure that not only arethe wildlife and habitat protected, but that the venture is beneficial to the local communities whotraditionally manage the wild-lands.

This re p o rt is based on the proceedings of the East Africa Regional Conference on Ecotourism, held inM a rch 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya and organised by The African Conservation Centre. The confere n c ee x p l o red possible ways to ensure that all parties involved in an ecotourism enterprise benefit, andconcluded that, through communication, sensitivity, transparency and realism, such an enterprise canbecome sustainable.

The African Conservation Centre is a regionally focused conservation organisation based in Nairo b i .T h rough constant interaction with people who live with wildlife in areas outside parks, the AfricanC o n s e rvation Centre has come to understand and appreciate the critical role of these communities in thec o n s e rvation of wildlife and other natural re s o u rces. The African Conservation Centre aims to link scienceto conservation and conservation to people through its multi-disciplinary approach to conservation. Ino rder to achieve these ends, the organisation has set for itself three main goals as follows:• To provide the sound scientific information which is necessary for implementing sustainable

c o n s e rvation pro g r a m s .• To work with rural communities and local landowners to enhance the conservation of wildlife and

natural re s o u rces for the mutual benefit of both people and animals and to provide communities withthe skills necessary for the management of wildlife and wildlife-based enterprises through links with theprivate sector and donors.

• To support the development of human and institutional capacity for applied conservation re s e a rc hwithin the re g i o n .

The African Conservation Centre maintains a multi-disciplinary team of professional in ecology andc o n s e rvation, fore s t ry, natural re s o u rce economics, sociology, program development and computers c i e n c e .

John Watkin was born in Zambia and raised both there and in Vanuatu. Since 1992 he has been workingas an ecologist and conservation project manager in East and Central Africa. He currently provides fields u p p o rt to conservation activities in Garamba National Park, Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Vi runga NationalPark – North in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

ISBN 1 84369 431 0. ISSN 1361 8628. Printed by Oldacres Ltd, London EC1. Printing funded by IIED.Edited by Lizzie Wi l d e r. Cover design by Andy Smith. Cover illustrations by Jared Crawford .

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the evolution of ecotourism in east africa: from an idea ... · ecotourism has been dismissed as a...

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