Assessment of Local Peoples’ Attitudes towards Conservation of Natural Tourism Resources among Communities Residing Adjacent to Arusha National Park

Macha, Elson Elichilia (2015) Assessment of Local Peoples’ Attitudes towards Conservation of Natural Tourism Resources among Communities Residing Adjacent to Arusha National Park. Masters thesis, The Open University Of Tanzania.

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Abstract

Attitudes of local people residing in or near conservation areas are decisive in determining conservation success of natural tourism resources. This is because local people are the custodians of resources found near or within the areas they live. The important thing is that, peoples’ attitudes determine their behaviors. For that matter, local people are held responsible for conservation of natural tourism resources. Positive attitudes promote conservation while negative attitudes associate with behaviors that are detrimental to the same. This study assessed local peoples’ attitudes towards conservation among communities residing adjacent to the Arusha national park in northern Tanzania. The study design was a case study. The sample size included 112 local people, 6 local leaders and 6 park staff. Systematic and purposive sampling techniques were used to identify samples. Data collection methods were questionnaires, interviews and direct observation. SPSS and Ms Excel analyzed quantitative data while content analysis analyzed qualitative data. Findings revealed that local people in the study area have both positive and negative attitudes towards conservation. Reasons for positive attitudes include presence of the park and related roles and opportunities for park employment, among others. Reasons for negative attitudes include protracted human - wildlife conflicts and restrictions on public road usage, among others. This study recommends that existing policies should be effectively implemented and local people should be provided with environmental conservation education, among other recommendations.

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