Tourism is a significant sector in the development of low income countries and poor communities within them (UN, 2001; UNWTO & SNV, 2010; Zhao & Ritchie, 2007). The industry brings consumers to the producers at the destination, places a great focus on naturally-occurring assets, is relatively labour intensive, requires relatively low skills and investment capital, and exhibits an extensive economic multiplier effect (Ashley, Boyd, & Goodwin, 2000; Ashley, Roe, & Goodwin, 2001; Roe & Khanya, 2001; UNWTO, 2004; UNWTO & SNV, 2010). Consequently, tourism provides employment and business opportunities to disadvantaged groups as women, young people and ethnic minority through its diversified supply chain (Ashley et al., 2000; Blake, Arbache, Sinclair, & Teles, 2008). A number of challenges limit tourism potential to economically empower the poor in low income countries. The sector is characterised by among others, high seasonal nature of demand that makes it unable to provide a sufficient year-round source of livelihood. In addition, weak engagement of the local communities in tourism trade results in economic leakages while the remaining gains mainly benefit the elite in the society (Akama, 1999; Jamieson, Goodwin, & Edmunds, 2004; UNWTO & SNV, 2010). Further, participation of the local community is constrained by a number of factors including lack of skills and competencies, lack of financial capital, poor organisation, exclusion by organised formal sector interests, lack of market power resulting from lack of ownership or control over resources of market value, low bargaining power, regulations and red tapes including exclusion from registered and promoted categories of tourism facilities and services, and government support that is mainly targeted to the formal sector among other factors (Ashley et al., 2001; Barasa, 2010). Consequently, generating economic gains for host communities calls for measures focused on both the structure of the industry itself, and overcoming the limitations that curtail their participation in the industry.