| dc.description.abstract | 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. | en_US |
