IIED Wildlife and Development Series No. 15, June 2003

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

Su m m a r y of the Proceedings of the East African Regional Conference on Ecotourism Or ganised by The African Conservation Centre, PO Box 15289, Langata, 00509 Kenya 19-23 March 2002 Na i r obi, Kenya

John R. Watkin 2 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Titles in this series This publication No.1 Mu r p h r ee M (1995): The Lesson from Mahenye: Published by: International Institute for Environ m e n t Rural Poverty , Democracy and Wildlife Conser- and Development (IIED), 3 Endsleigh Street, London, va t i o n . WC1H 0DD, UK. No.2 Thomas S (1995): S h a re and Share Alike? Copyright: IIED, London, UK. Equity in CAMPFIRE. Citation: Watkin, J. R. (2003) The Evolution of Eco- No.3 Nabane N (1995): A Gender-Sensitive Analysis tourism in East Africa: From and Idea to an Industry. of CAMPFIRE in Masoka Vil l a g e . Wildlife and Development Series No.15. Interna t i o n a l No.4 Thomas S (1995): The Legacy of Dualism in De- Institute for Environment and Development, London. cision-Making within CAMPFIRE. ISBN: 1 84369 431 0 No.5 Bi r d C and Metcalf S (1995): Two Views from ISSN: 1361 8628 CAMPFIRE in Zimbabwe’s Hurungwe District: Edited by Lizzie Wil d e r Training and Motivation. Who benefits and who Illustrations by Jared Crawford do e s n ’t ? Designed by Andy Smith No.6 Bi r d C, Clark J, Moyo J, Moyo JM, Nyakuna P Printed by Oldacres, London and Thomas S (1995): Access to Timber in Zim- ba b w e ’ s Communal Area s . Note: The views expressed in this publication are those No.7 Hasler R (1995): The Multi-Tie r ed Co-Manage- of the authors and workshop participants and do not ment of Zimbabwean Wildlife Resource s . necessarily rep r esent those of IIED. No.8 Taylor R (1995): From Liability to Asset: Wildlife in the Omay Communal Land of Zim- ba b w e . No.9 Le a d e r- W illiams N, Kayera JA and Overton GL (eds.) (1996): Mining in Protected Areas in Tan - za n i a . No.10 Roe D, Leader-W illiams N and Dalal-Clayton B (1997): Take Only Photographs, Leave Only Footprints: The Environmental Impacts of Wildlife Tou r i s m . No.11 Ashley C and Roe D (1998): Enhancing Com- munity Involvement in Wildlife Tourism: Issues and Challenges. No.12 Goodwin H, Kent I, Parker K and Walpole M (1998): Tourism, Conservation and Sustainable Development: Case Studies from Asia and Af r i c a . No.13 Dalal-Clayton B and Child B (2001): L e s s o n s fr om 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. The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 3

African Conservation Centre Ac k n o w l e d g e m e n t s The African Conservation Centre is a regionally focused This publication is based upon the proceedings of the co n s e r vation organisation based in Nairobi. Throu g h East Africa Regional Conference on Ecotourism, held constant interaction with people who live with wildlife in March 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya. The author would like in areas outside parks, the African Conservation Centre to express thanks for the support received for this con- has come to understand and appreciate the critical rol e f e rence from The African Conservation Centre, The of these communities in the conservation of wildlife and Community Development Trust Fund – Biodiversity other natural re s o u rces. The African Conserv a t i o n Co n s e r vation Programme, Conservation Interna t i o n a l , Ce n t r e aims to link science to conservation and conser- E c o - re s o rts, Ecotourism Society of Kenya, The Ford vation to people through its multi-disciplinary approa c h Foundation, Rainforest Alliance, The International Eco- to conservation. In order to achieve these ends, the or- tourism Society and United Nations Environment Pro- ganisation has set for itself three main goals as follows: gramme. Thanks also to Wan j i r u Macharia, Anne Loehr • To provide the sound scientific information which is and Neel Inamdar, who organised and staged the con- ne c e s s a r y for implementing sustainable conserva t i o n fe r ence and the volunteers who provided invaluable as- pro g r a m s . si s t a n c e . • To work with rural communities and local landowners The case studies have been drawn from rep o r ts by to enhance the conservation of wildlife and natural re- a number of consultants who visited the various proj - so u r ces for the mutual benefit of both people and an- ects. Thanks to Richard Hatfield, Agrippinah Namara imals and to provide communities with the skills and Reena Shah. Dr Matthew Walpole of the Durrel l ne c e s s a r y for the management of wildlife and wildlife- Institute for Conservation Ecology, University of Can- based enterprises through links with the private sector te r b u r y, UK, reviewed an earlier version of the manu- and donors. script and made many positive changes. • To support the development of human and institu- The Ford Foundation provided funds to support the tional capacity for applied conservation re s e a rc h writing-up of the East African Regional Conference on within the reg i o n . Ecotourism and the drafting of this manuscript, for The African Conservation Centre maintains a multi- which the African Conservation Centre is extre m e l y di s c i p l i n a r y team of professional scientists and support gr a t e f u l . st a f f. Professional staff members are attached to specific F i n a l l y, thanks to all the African Conserv a t i o n pr ograms or support activities and include prof e s s i o n a l s Ce n t r e staff for their support and hard work which en- in ecology and conservation, fores t r y, natural res o u rc e ables the organisation to strive to “link science, conser- economics, sociology, program development and com- vation and people”. puter science. 4 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Table of Con t e n t s Pref a c e Ac k n o w l e d g e m e n t s ...... 2 Ecotourism has been dismissed as a fad, a marketing Pre f a c e ...... 4 tool, even travel industry greenwashing. Yet despite the In t ro d u c t i o n ...... 5 pundits, ecotourism has begun to affect the entire tourist The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa...... 5 in d u s t r y for the better. The unexpected success of eco- Sectors Involved in Ecotourism ...... 7 tourism can be explained by its conservation ro o t s , Communities and landowners ...... 8 changing tourist mores and community involvement. Donors and non-government orga n i s a t i o n s...... 9 Far from being a new force for conserv a t i o n , Private investors ...... 9 tourism was the main reason for the creation of national Go v e rn m e n t...... 9 parks in the late 1800s. In Africa, tourists and conser- Diversifying the Ecotourism Sector ...... 1 0 vationists were thrown together by a common interest in En v i r onmental interest grou p s...... 1 0 wildlife. The upshot was the pres e r vation of vast tracts Ad v e n t u r e seekers ...... 1 0 of natural land ranging from Kruger to Serengeti. Cultural activities...... 1 0 Over the last century a booming tourist industry Domestic tourism ...... 1 1 ar ound the world has done more to conserve natural area s Pr os and Cons of Ecotourism ...... 1 1 than any other industry. Put simply, the ‘tourist’ stem of Respects local culture ...... 1 1 the word ‘ecotourism’ is the main cause of its success. Its Involves travel to natural area s ...... 1 2 du r a b i l i t y , on the other hand, comes down to the ‘eco’ Minimizes impact ...... 1 2 pr efix and the shortcomings of conventional tourism. Builds environmental awaren e s s ...... 1 2 B u rgeoning wildlife tourism and a ‘laissez faire ’ Pr ovides direct financial benefits for co m m e r cialisation pose a threat to wildlife and, indi- co n s e rv a t i o n ...... 1 3 rec t l y , to tourists’ enjoyment. Yosemite Valley filled with Pr ovides financial benefits and shopping malls and Amboseli cheetahs cowering from em p o w e r ment for local people ...... 1 3 fleets of minibuses is bad for the wilds and tourists alike. Su p p o r ts human rights and democratic The park manager’s response was more roads, harde n e d mo v e m e n t s...... 1 3 trails and tougher regulations. That helped, but at the ex- Management of Ecotourism Enterprises...... 1 4 pense of nature and visitor freedom. A few discerni n g Key Restrictions on Ecotourism Enterprise ...... 1 5 visitors began to go elsewhere to enjoy the wilds and to Pr omoting Ecotourism ...... 1 5 help pres e r ve them. Marketing Ecotourism Enterprises...... 1 5 The ‘eco’ in ecotourism took on a deeper meaning Time – The Essential Ingred i e n t...... 1 6 when conservationists saw sense in these discern i n g Financing Ecotourism...... 1 6 tourists’ visiting threatened areas outside parks and in Role of Governm e n t...... 1 6 pr omoting their environmental sensibilities as an exem- Role of government at regional and plar of responsible tourism. By the late 1970s, a small in t e r national scale ...... 1 7 sector of the wildlife industry in East Africa was ‘eco- Co n c l u s i o n ...... 1 8 tourism’ in all but name. Statement From The Conferen c e ...... 1 8 T h e re was, however, one vital ingredient of eco- Re f e re n c e s ...... 1 9 tourism still lacking: social res p o n s i b i l i t y . No park is eco- Pa r ticipants List ...... 1 9 logically self-sufficient. Each is hewn from the lands owned by a local community, and theref o r e the ecology is strongly linked to this community. Various conserva - tionists began promoting policies that made local com- munities the beneficiaries of conservation on their lands, and theref o r e partners in conservation, rather than ad- ve r s a r i e s . Tod a y , dozens of communities around the world are actively encouraging visitors because they see tangible The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 5

benefits from nature conservation. Ecotourism is at the The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa co r e of these new initiatives. A welter of workshops, “Time had come for a new approach, an approa c h co n s e r vation programs and academic treaties has eval- resting on fairness and local involvement rather than uated the successes and shortcomings of ecotourism. on alienation and enforcement. Why should local Od d l y , none of them brings together the communities communities not become the principal beneficiaries to ask what it will take for them to become a driving and ultimate custodians of wildlife, as they had fo r ce in ecotourism. always been, without sacrificing the larger interests of The African Conservation Centre ’s workshop on so c i e t y ? ” Wes t e r n 1997. ‘Ecotourism in East Africa: Walking the Eco-Path’ fills These were Dr David Wes t e rn ’ s thoughts reg a rd i n g a critical gap by bringing local communities together the Amboseli Basin in Kenya in the late 1960s, as de- with the tourist industry, wildlife agencies and conser- tailed in his book ‘In the dust of Kilimanjaro’. His views vationists to discuss how to make ecotourism an endur- rep r esented the early ideas emerging in the 1960s about ing part of the rural landscape. what is now known as ‘ecotourism’. In East Africa the As outlined in these proceedings, the task will not colonial legacy of protected areas for the elite did not be easy. Conducive national policies must be combined meet the growing demands of the local population. The with savvy business skills, social responsibility and disparity between the wealthy tourists admiring wildlife sound conservation practices, all in a way that encour- and rural Africans who suffe r ed at the hands of the same ages rather than smothers responsible tourism. had to be reconciled for these areas to exist in the long- David Wes t e r n, 31st March 2003 te rm . Th r ee reasons led to the divergence in the tourism In t ro d u c t i o n market between the three countries that comprise the This publication is based upon the proceedings of the East African region. In 1977 the common border be- East African Regional International Year of Ecotourism tween Kenya and Tanzania was closed. At the same C o n f e rence, held in Nairobi between 19–23 Marc h time, Kenya instigated a ban on trophy hunting which 2002. Over two hundred people participated in this con- shut down the sport hunting industry. These factors, fe r ence. More than half of the participants were com- combined with the civil conflict in Uganda under the munity re p resentatives from established ecotourism Amin rule, propelled Kenya’s tourism industry along a ve n t u r es throughout the region and beyond. The con- di ff e r ent path to that of the surrounding area. clusions from this conference and other regional con- Photographic wildlife safaris and coastal holidays fe r ences contributed to the World Ecotourism Summit became the mainstay of the Kenyan mass tourism sector. as well as preparing for the World Summit on Sustain- At the same time ‘ecotourism’ was emerging. Whilst able Development and the Cairns Ecotourism Confer- mass tourism catered for the majority of visitors to ence scheduled for October 2002 in Australia. Kenya, small-scale environmentally sound lodges began to be established on private land where a savannah wildlife community still survived. These destinations of- fe r ed a glimpse of ‘traditional’ Africa, and broke away fr om the normal vehicle-bound safari, offering a number of alternative activities such as walking safaris, camel and horseback treks. Whilst tourists and the tourist industry were quick to adopt ‘responsible tourism’ pertaining to the envi- ronment and conservation, the idea of tourism prov i d - ing benefits to local communities was more difficult to pr omote. Achieving benefits for the community – a vital component of an ecotourism enterprise – has consis- tently been a stumbling block of this sector of the in- du s t r y. 6 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Box 1: Ecotourism as a development tool In 1996, the Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, located in Laikipia District, Kenya, adopted a new land diversification strategy: wildlife tourism. The main goal of this endeavour was to develop an additional source of income for the group ranch members to complement their normal pastoral livelihoods. Key to the adoption of wildlife as a livelihood was the encouragement and example of their neighbour, Lewa Downs. This private ranch successfully converted from cattle ranching to wildlife conservation and tourism as its main income, and continues to 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, the co n s t r uction of an ‘eco-friendly’ lodge using local materials to create a unique design. The lodge is managed and staffed by the local community, who act as guides to visitors both at the lodge and on bush walks. The main activities include walking, game driving, camel riding and cultural visits. The project has achieved widespread recognition, winning international travel awards , and is a successful pioneer effo r t in community conserva t i o n . The community consists of some 400 households re p resenting 3,000 people on 16,000 hectares, while. The Il Ngwesi Co n s e r vancy and Lodge is run by a board of directors comprising four elected community members and three external members who re p o rt to the Group Ranch Management Committee. In addition to the lodge manager and lodge staff, who are all community 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, of which approximately one third is paid to employed individuals in salaries, one third covers ecotourism operating expenses, and one third is available as benefits to the community in the form of community projects identified by the group ranch committee and approved by members. The highest priority is the provision of schools (so far three schools have been improved), followed by school bursaries and provision of health facilities. Funds are also used for road building and providing transport, as well as building cattle dips. ● Ri c h a r d Hatfield

Despite initial problems, ecotourism has, during the pe o p l e . ” The International Ecotourism Society last decade, become the fastest growing sector of the This definition was expanded by Honey (1999) to tourism industry. The ideas surrounding this area of the include seven aspects, as follows: in d u s t r y have evolved gradually throughout its develop- • Respects local culture. ment, and a definition of ecotourism is now necessary. • Involves travel to natural area s . A widely accepted definition is: • Minimizes impact. “Responsible travel to natural areas that conser ve s • Builds environmental awaren e s s . the environment and sustains the well-being of local • Pr ovides direct financial benefits for conserva t i o n . • Pr ovides financial benefits and empowerment for local Ac t u a l l y , I’m off to pe o p l e . Well, we are off to experience bush life Africa and our 5 Star in an eco lodge • Su p p o r ts human rights and democratic movements. lu x u r y hotel Ec o ? The essential ingredients of ecotourism have been described above. Genuine ecotourism should strive to combine these elements. Ecotourism is a re s p o n s i b l e business opport u n i t y, resulting in environmental and community benefits. These aims can be achieved in a number of ways depending upon the landscape, local cul- tu r e and economy, and conservation needs in the locality. Ecotourism does not simply consist of environ m e n - tally sound ecolodges: it provides a means for ru r a l people to benefit from the wildlife and environment of which they have traditionally been custodians. It also re- qu i r ed a change from foreign owned mass tourism fa- cilities to community-based ecotourism. In i t i a l l y , pioneers in the ecotourism sector were re- ga r ded with suspicion. They were introducing a radical Ecotourism is for the traveller who wants a diffe r ent experience idea that was often beyond the comprehension of local The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 7

Mass Responsible Nature Community-based Ecotourism Tourism tourism tourism ecotourism

communities. These individuals realised that, without C o n s e rvation Company in Tanzania and community the support of local communities, the natural res o u rc e c a m p g rounds around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in base would continue to be eroded to the detriment of all Uganda (see box 3). These early attempts have shown that, co n c e r ned. despite initial apprehension, ecotourism can be achieved. In Kenya the earliest ecotourism ventures were ini- Ho w e v e r , the evolution from nature tourism, through eco- tiated around National Reserves such as Amboseli, tourism and on to the more inclusive community-based Masai Mara and on private ranches. Pre d o m i n a n t l y, tourism is a long-term and complicated proc e s s . white Kenyans and expatriates, with a broad perce p t i o n of the future of the tourism industry and the potential of Sectors Involved in Ecotourism ecotourism, took these initial steps towards ecotourism. During the conference the participants agreed that to be Marketing the idea to communities was not with- successful, ecotourism endeavours must be approa c h e d out problems. Essentially, communities did not under- fr om a business perspective with a “for profit” ethos. stand the need to offer a diffe r ent product to the tourist This method is dependent on the development of a busi- market, and harboured res e r vations about the capacity ness plan that includes an assessment of the potential of ecotourism to generate sustainable benefits. market, the commercial viability, and the potential con- Not only did the communities’ perception have to se r vation and economic benefits. change before implementation of the ideas: a massive This business plan must state the roles of individual shift in thinking and regulation of the tourist industry pa r tners and the extent of their involvement. It must was also req u i r ed. This shift would be along a spectrum also make clear the management system that is res p o n - as illustrated above. sible for the organization of the enterprise. All partn e r s , A classic example of ecotourism is Il Ngwesi in including communities, must be fully involved in each Laikipia District, Kenya, a community owned and man- stage of the development. This involvement will improv e aged ecolodge and conservancy (see box 1). Many other the communities’ understanding of the aims of the proj - ecotourism ventures have been established building on the ect and ensure that their expectations are rea l i s t i c . lessons learned in Il Ngwesi, such as the Shompole Lodge The management system is responsible for disburs- above lake Magadi in Kenya (see box 2), the Tar a n g i r e ing funds in an equitable and transparent manner to all

Box 2: On Shompole As pastoralist communities seek to diversify their livelihood strategies, and as the international ecotourism market continues to gro w , communities stand a greater chance of receiving benefits from wilderness and wildlife. A recent example is the Shompole Gr oup Ranch near Lake Magadi: an area of spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife where local Maasai pursuing a traditional lifestyle decided to develop their own conservation proj e c t . The group ranch established three goals of the conservation project: to realize benefits from wildlife use, to develop benefits fr om other natural res o u r ce use e.g. landscape, raw materials, bird shooting, bee-keeping, and to pres e r ve their culture and way of life. The community specifically did not wish any business enterprise to impact land issues, which are protected by the forma l ag r eement. The community’s concerns that they many be alienated from res o u r ces within the conservation area were countered by a clause allowing grazing during times of drought. In order to enhance the overall transparency of the project, the Proj e c t Management Committee holds public meetings in each sub-location to inform about new developments, benefits accruing, and the 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 proj e c t ’ s design. Ho w e v e r , one issue still be agreed upon is the distribution of benefits. Thus far, no formula exists for determining distribution of revenue, but discussions are taking place within the community, through the GRC. The approach currently favoured is to divide the revenue equally among the ranch sub-locations, to be spent on community projects such as schools and clinics. Proj e c t priority and fund disbursement would be decided at the sub-location level. ● Ri c h a r d Hatfield 8 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Box 3: Buhoma Rest Camp, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda Buhoma Rest Camp, located near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, was established in 1993. This community camp pr ovides accommodation, food, entertainment and sale of local handcrafts to tourists, and uses the income to fund community i 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 tourist operators. Aside from the revenue generated from tourism there were few alternative sources of income, partly because the community 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 unfortu n a t e incident, the community had acquired a pick-up vehicle by hire/ p u r chase after some part-payment. However, when tourist numbers slumped, they failed to raise money to complete the payments. The owner threatened to sue them for non-payment and 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, back packers, 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 of tr a n s p o r t has prevented them from establishing a shop in a more strategic location to access more customers. ● Agrippinah Namara pa r tners. The benefits accrued from ecotourism must be st ru c t u r e. The steps also help promote accountability focused on improving livelihoods as well as conservi n g and establishment of a system of monitoring and evalu- b i o d i v e r s i t y. A process of monitoring and evaluation ation as well as the legal agreements that hold the en- should be incorporated into the business plan to assess terprise together. changes in environmental factors and conservation goals Individual partners do have specific roles to under- in relation to other emerging factors and conditions. take within the ten steps highlighted above. These have Within the monitoring programme, controls and base- been broken down as follows. line data on social and economic standards and envi- ronmental aspects should be integrated to allow Communities and landowners comparisons to be drawn. Communities or landowners must initially decide Ecotourism has several distinct features. The com- whether ecotourism is the best landuse option. Eco- munity must be involved as partners in the ecotourism tourism is only one of a number of ways to generate ben- enterprise, as opposed to superimposing a tourism en- efits from natural re s o u rce management, and other terprise upon them. With the expansion of this sector options should be quantified and compared with antic- of the tourism industry, and the recognition of its po- ipated ret u r ns from ecotourism. It must also be accepted tential positive impact on community development, this fr om the start that ecotourism is a long-term and alter- community involvement has become an increasingly im- native land-use, which may challenge their established po r tant aspect of successful ecotourism initiatives. pe r ception. Only by making this commitment at the start Other potential partners can combine to underta k e will the enterprise ret u r n benefits. an ecotourism enterprise, including: It is virtually impossible to ensure that any devel- • Communities and landowners. opment satisfies the needs of all members of the com- • Business community. mu n i t y . A committee or community-based orga n i s a t i o n , • Private individuals. that re p resents the aspirations of the majority of the • Development agencies. members of the community, must be established to act • Do n o r s . on behalf of the community as a whole. There are po- • In d u s t r y. tential problems with such a community-based orga n i - • Go v e rn m e n t . sation, such as corruption, and systems must be During the conference, ten steps that help ensure established to manage these problems at the community ef fective implementation of an ecotourism enterprise le v e l . we r e developed (Table 1). Each step is the res p o n s i b i l - The community-based organisation should act as ity of one or more of the partners involved in an eco- the community rep r esentative to external partners as tourism enterprise, and contributes to the development well as to rep o r ting prog r ess back to the larger commu- of the business and land-use plan and the management ni t y . For ecotourism enterprise to be successful is it vital The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 9

Table 1: Ten steps for the successful implementation of ecotourism St e p De s c r i p t i o n Pa r ties res p o n s i b l e 1 Identification of prod u c t Investors and Community 2 Feasibility study (including analysis of prel i m i n a r y market In v e s t o r demand, capital req u i r ed at Environmental Impact Assessment 3 Identification of stakeholders/potential partnership Action Plan In v e s t o r , Community and Other Stakeholders 4 Sensitisation and mobilization of stakeholders In v e s t o r , Community Leaders, Community (community focused) 5 En v i r onmental Impact Assessment Investor is responsible. Involvement of the Community Leaders and Experts is also req u i re d . 6 Fo r malise partnerships and legal req u i re m e n t s In v e s t o r , Government, Community Leaders and Other St a k e h o l d e r s 7 Implementation and mobilization of res o u rc e s Investor is responsible but Ex p e r ts, Community Leaders Community and Other Stakeholders are involved 8 Ma r k e t i n g Investor has primary res p o n s i b i l i t y Ex p e r ts, Travel Agents, Ecotourism servi c e s , Community Leaders, Community and Other St a k e h o l d e r s 9 Reaping the frui t s 10 Living up to your agreements/contract that the community appreciates the interests of the pri- p a rtnerships with the private sector they will be ex- vate sector partners, and informs the rest of the com- ploited. To overcome this, investors must be transpar- munity about developments. ent and accountable and explain or interpret the a g reements or contracts that the communities enter Donors and non-government orga n i s a t i o n s into. They must also adhere to established agree m e n t s Although other partners, especially communities, often and contracts. perceive these two types of organisations as acting in tandem, there are distinct diff e rences that should be Go v e rn m e n t clarified at an early stage. However, there are basic T h e re is a dichotomy between the tourist industry, principals that apply to both of these org a n i s a t i o n s . which wishes to regulate ecotourism intern a l l y, and Fi r s t l y , donors and non-government organisations need the other partners and the government who would to to maintain a neutral stance between the partners that see an independent body to oversee the development come together to undertake an ecotourism enterprise. and maintenance of environmental standards and Their actions must be complementary, rather than p r a c t i c e s . contradictory. The govern m e n t ’s role in the development of the Se c o n d l y , because of the perceptions above, the ac- ecotourism sector is detailed further on page 16. Es- tivities of donors and non-government org a n i s a t i o n s s e n t i a l l y, governmental support is vital to the devel- must be transparent and accountable throughout the opment of the ecotourism sector. Governments should pr ocess of developing an ecotourism enterprise. These strive to create an institutional framework policy, laws activities must focus on outcomes and results that will and pro c e d u res that encourage ecotourism as a means en s u r e the sustainability of the project before their in- of rural development. This includes: tax and other fi- volvement comes to an end. nancial incentives; promoting conservation and liveli- hood objectives of ecotourism; and ensuring safety Private Investors and security. As partners in an ecotourism enterprise, the private Fi n a l l y , governments must develop and implement sector must consider the goals of the community to- a system that regulates and controls ecotourism en- gether with the communities’ existing attitude towards terprise and ensures suitable re t u rns for the part n e r s ecotourism. Communities often fear that on entering i n v o l v e d . 10 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Diversifying the Ecotourism Sector communities living outside the protected area can offe r A typical ecotourism venture in East Africa comprises a a range of activities to guests staying locally. Such activ- l u x u ry lodge that targets small numbers of high-end ities should aim to educate or improve the understand- tourists. Whilst this ensures the maximum ret u r n with ing of the local culture. the minimum impact, it is an exclusive and finite market. Al t e r native sources of revenue generation and con- En v i r onmental interest grou p s tingency plans should be established to ensure that the Clients interested in nature and environment benefit business plan is sustainable. f rom exploring an unspoilt wilderness, which often As the rew a r ds of ecotourism become increa s i n g l y holds rare and endangered species in a variety of land- realised there is also a need for the sector to diversify in scapes. Local guides can enhance their understanding or der to benefit from all potential sectors of the market. of the traditional importance of the elements that make Th e r e are two main areas that can be broadened. up the landscape. • The sectors of the tourist market targeted by the facil- ities aim. Ad v e n t u r e seekers • The activities offe r ed to clients as excursions from es- They are dependant on the landscape, but potentially tablished lodges and hotels. ecotourism can provide a range of thrilling experiences As well as the high-end clients, there are several f rom rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking and other echelons within the tourist market. As ecotourism snorkelling to camel trekking and bush craft. Hunting becomes more broadly understood and demanded by and fishing may also be considered suitable activities to tourists, less exclusive clients will also choose facilities of fer guests. that satisfy the re q u i rements of ecotourism, and fall within their price range. Cultural activities Th e r e is also a perception that ecotourism must in- Tourists looking to know more about diffe r ent cultures volve constructing an eco-lodge. However, many of the gain a great deal through ecotourism as they have an au- objectives of ecotourism can be achieved by offering al- thentic and honest exchange with local people. They also te r native activities to tourists. This is especially true of have opportunities that are not often available to mass communities neighbouring protected areas. tourists such as experiencing traditional customs at close Although within protected areas activities are lim- hand. Clients also benefit from knowing that their pro- ited, often extending only to game drives and bird walks, ceeds are being ret u r ned to the community.

Table 2: A list of pros and cons of ecotourism developed during the regional conference on ecotourism in East Africa Pro s Co n s Ec o n o m i c Revenue generation Uneven benefit sharing between partn e r s Em p l o y m e n t Low percentage of community employment Pr omotion of local micro enterprise Risk of failure in small businesses En v i ro n m e n t a l Low environmental impact Risk of environmental degradation De v e l o p m e n t a l Pr ovision for the development of the community Fa i l u r e to meet the community’s perception of development Capacity building within the community Advantages open to abuse by community members Pr ovision for health and family planning Co n t r oversy about the motivation of such pro g r a m m e s Co n s e rv a t i o n Enhancement of conservation objectives Disturbance to habitats and species Monitoring of habitat and species Th r eats posed by dangerous animals Cultural aspects Awa r eness of the local cultures Mi s re p r esentation and degradation of cultures Low cultural impact Ed u c a t i o n Awa r eness increase, both for the community Er osion of traditional values and for the guests The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 11

I hardl y Hello there! The ever dance snorkelling was exquisite! at home! Might there be any other activities available?

Ecotourism offers an opportunity for cultural exchange but Successful ecotourism offers a diverse range of activities communities must decide which parts of their culture they wish to share

Cultural activities could include ethno-botanical les- degrades the local culture. This is a double-edged sword. sons, tool making and use, traditional crafts and jew- Many tourists may well have inappropriate perce p t i o n s e l l e ry, hunting techniques, preparation of food and of individual cultures based upon media interpret a t i o n s . co n s t r uction of traditional dwellings. Ho w e v e r , communities can use tourism as a means to pr omote their culture and explain aspects that engender Domestic tourism understanding and sympathy. The local market should be considered as a viable alter- Raising awareness of the local cultures by prov i d i n g native to international tourism, especially during low op p o r tunities to explain the traditions and practices to season when incentives or resident rates encourage busi- visitors can form a major part of an ecotourism experi- ness. ence. Education about the local culture should start b e f o re the guests arrive in the ecolodge so that both Pr os and Cons of Ecotourism sides understand as much as possible about each other Th e r e are obvious conflicts with the ecotourism devel- be f o r e they meet. The main threat to this aspect of eco- opment project that were identified during the East tourism is the potential for such exchanges to become African Regional International Year of Ecotourism Con- voyeuristic or invasive. fe r ence. These are highlighted in Table 2 and pertain to In order to offset this, communities must decide economic aspects, impacts on culture, environ m e n t a l which aspects of their culture they are willing to share co n c e r ns and development. This chapter expands upon and explain, and what specific tourist behaviours they these issues and attempts to suggest ways and means to will not accept. Just as agreements relating to the use mitigate the potential conflicts. of the available landscape can be established to avoid To address these benefits, threats and means to al- offence through disregard of cultural icons and sancti- leviate conflicts, the categories established by Honey fied areas, so can their culture be “mapped” to avoid (1999) are used. conflicts stemming from tourists’ disrespect. Commu- nity based organisations can act to protect the com- Respects local culture munity and cultural practices that are considered most Communities often claim that the presence of tourists sacred. 12 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Involves travel to natural area s quainted with cultural and environmental aspects of For ecotourists, having the opportunity to experience the location. The ecolodge itself should pre p a re and remote, unspoilt locations and learn more about the distribute materials and a recommended list of suit- people who live there is the primary reason for choosing able publications that guests can access prior to de- an ecotourism destination. Witnessing and enjoying pris- parture for the holiday. tine wilderness areas in the knowledge that their stay Likewise, business partners should attempt to learn will be beneficial rather than detrimental is the main m o re about the environment and culture with which motivation behind ecotourism. they are involved. By improving their understanding and To maintain the area set aside for ecotourism in a asking for clarification of issues, business partners will healthy state, partners in ecotourism must agree upon be able to pre-empt many potential problems. This in- and implement a land-use management plan. This cludes aspects such as the harvesting of plants and ani- should include a system of controls, and monitoring and mals in the area for traditional medicinal or rel i g i o u s evaluation proc e d u r es to ensure that both tourist activ- purposes, which may be interpreted as violation of the ities and the management practices are achieving the es- land-use plan. tablished goals. Fi n a l l y , communities should also be assisted to im- pr ove their understanding the environment from a con- Minimizes impact s e rvation perspective. Fre q u e n t l y, these ideas and The environmental standards of an ecolodge must be of practices are not sufficiently well explained and lead to the highest calibre for it to qualify as environ m e n t a l l y conflicts between the parti e s . sound. This includes: • Ef fective treatment of sewage. Pr ovides direct financial benefits for conserva t i o n • Reusing and recycling waste and water. Th e r e are many ways that ecotourism benefits conser- • Using renewable energy for heating and lighting. vation both directly and indirec t l y . Setting aside area s • Ensuring activities have minimal impact on the envi- as ‘conservancies’, which are managed for conserva t i o n , ron m e n t . benefits biodiversity and provides natural areas for Th e r e are increasing numbers of environ m e n t a l l y tourists to see wildlife. friendly methods and practices to achieve these ends. These areas need appropriate management, En v i r onmental responsibilities should also be in- which re q u i res financial investment. Ecotourism is corporated into the activities offe r ed to clients. Off- ro a d f requently promoted as a means to assure the exis- driving has been shown to have long lasting impacts on tence of dispersal areas outside established pro t e c t e d grasslands, leading to erosion. Tourist behaviour whilst a reas. This effectively increases the conservation are a game viewing should also not have adverse effects on and, there f o re, the costs of ensuring management and the animals being observed. Safety measures should be s e c u r i t y. put in place to minimise these impacts. The protection and ultimately the increase of A monitoring and evaluation programme can pro- wildlife numbers in areas set aside for ecotourism can vide data to quantify environmental impact. This pro- also result in greater human-wildlife conflict, which will gramme should be included in the land-use plan and be un d e r mine the effo r ts of ecotourism. Again, contingen- acceptable to all parti e s . cies need to be built into the business plan to alleviate such prob l e m s . Builds environmental awaren e s s Ecotourism enterprises can share revenue with Awa r eness and education of all aspects of ecotourism is wildlife and protected area authorities to improve their not simply a priority for the tourists visiting an ecolodge: eff i c a c y , whilst providing funds for training and equip- this issue applies equally to the business partners and ping community scouts to improve security of the area community members themselves. for both people and wildlife. Protection of wildlife by Development of clients’ awareness of these issues the community themselves rep r esents a major positive should start before they arrive at the ecolodge. To u r change in attitudes of communities towards wildlife and operators should encourage clients to become ac- the environment. The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 13

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

Ee e h ? …

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

Pr ovides financial benefits and empowerment for • Uneven benefit sharing between partners, leading to local people je a l o u s y , Ecotourism should act as a vehicle to enhance the com- • Small percentage of the community being employed. munities’ capacity through training, education and • Risk of failure of micro enterprises. aw a r eness to improve the human res o u r ce base. Other • Exploitation of community members. tangible benefits from ecotourism include: Just as communities have to realise and accept that • Employment of individuals from the community. ecotourism is a long-term process, so do the other part- • Development of market for selling artefacts prod u c e d ners. There is a ‘snowballing’ effect as communities by the community. gradually develop capacity to understand, and want to • Sh a r e of the profits from revenues generated rec e i v e d be more involved in the day-to-day management of the by the community. ecolodge. The communities’ expectations and anticipa- • Generation of revenue for community development: tions of benefits will shift through time. An attempt education, health care and family planning. should be made to predict these changes that accom- Some communities believe that ecotourism rep r e- pany increasingly education and capacity and these sents an alternative means to achieve rural development changes should be accommodated in the business plan. and economic gain. However, unless it is explained from the outset, many communities misinterpret the philoso- Su p p o r ts human rights and democratic phy underpinning ecotourism which leads to concerns mo v e m e n t s over the true motivation of the venture. Th e r e are many interpretations and misconceptions of Other threats to ecotourism being perceived as an how people live throughout the world. A situation that ap p r opriate means to achieve its aims include: allows discourse and an opportunity to experience other 14 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

cu l t u r es can lead to improved understanding between Individual partners present distinct skills and ca- di ff e r ent cultures and comprehension of issues they face. pacities, which can be harnessed for the benefit of the This aspect is largely indefinable in the short term, ecotourism development. These can all be described as and cannot be forced, but results from a slow and steady inputs, whether on a practical or financial level, and rep - exchange between the host community and guests. resent an investment in the initiative. Such investments include the contribution of the land on which the Management of Ecotourism Enterprises ecolodge is based as well as providing labour and al- The management of ecotourism enterprises have had to lowing access to materials re q u i red to construct the evolve alternative approaches to meet the special re- ec o l o d g e . qu i r ements of community involvement in the initiative. Pa r tners can also offer technical expertise in area s For ecotourism ventures to be successful the first such as planning and developing policies. Highly skilled step is understanding of the communities’ current level ar eas such as marketing of the facility often fall under of development. This will determine the extent to which the jurisdiction of one partn e r , but in many areas con- specific areas req u i r e focus to create a sense of owner- tributions from all partners can ensure the over-all suc- ship of the initiative. Understanding the initial starti n g cess of the ecotourism initiative. point will determine priorities for capacity building A decision-making process that is acceptable to all within the community. pa r tners must be developed to allow effective exchange As communities become increasingly aware of the and the transfer of knowledge and skills between all par- potential that ecotourism has to improve their liveli- ties. Exchanges between other ecotourism projects can hoods they have demanded a greater level of involve- pr ovide lessons on decision-making processes. Once es- ment in the overall conception, design and management tablished, this management system should be used in of the ecolodge. planning and priority setting throughout the initiative, Full involvement of all partners in ecotourism can including appropriate mechanisms for monitoring and only be achieved with complete transparency on all ev a l u a t i o n . sides. To ensure this is it essential that a common lan- Cu r ren t l y , many of the existing ecotourism enter- guage is used in all dealings. Communities freq u e n t l y prises in East Africa are located in arid or semi arid pas- say that they feel excluded from discussions and deci- toral areas. These are the existing models for ecotourism sion-making because the lingua franca used to debate and consequently impose a bias on the conference dis- issues is not their mother tongue. The level of forma l cussions. education amongst communities is often very limited, Management of the landscape is a joint res p o n s i b i l - which further compounds the situation. In contrast, ity of the partners in an ecotourism enterprise. Fire is business partners cite the problems of trying to com- an efficient tool which many cultures have used fire for pr ehend aspects of local culture and beliefs. hu n d r eds of years to promote or improve the quality of Co m p r omises in the management of an ecotourism grasslands for grazing. This dictates the composition of enterprise must be made so that none of the parties de- the wildlife community that can exist within the land- velop a feeling of isolation and disenfranchisement. In scape. Cattle grazing can also be used to manage area s , practise, this means that minutes of meetings and agree - changing the composition of grasslands. ments must be translated into an agreed language that The land-use plan should include agreements upon can, if req u i r ed, be read out to the community to ensure the use of fire and grazing to achieve desired res u l t s . that all parties understand developments. The plan should be dynamic, responding to enviro n- Such an inclusive approach is vital, especially when mental fluctuations and including mechanisms to cope developing the business plan, defining land-use man- with environmental extremes such as periods of agement issues and forming legal agreements between dr ought. The land-use plan should also define conse- all parties involved. The respective contributions by all quences for infractions of the established plan by both pa r tners involved have to be fully understood and agree d sides. This would include malicious burning and grazing upon for the ecotourism venture to work in the long- of domestic stock and compensating individuals for te rm . damage caused by wildlife. As ecotourism expands to The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 15

include other habitats and landscapes the land-use plan pr oving the marketing of the endeavour. should evolve to be appropriate to the respective F i r s t l y, communities have to agree that the eco- ha b i t a t . tourism is a business venture that they are prep a r ed to Ecotourism developments req u i r e a secure funding endeavour to make successful. This includes assessing, base to develop the infrastruc t u r e req u i r ed. Infrastruc - at the community level, whether ecotourism is the best tu r e development should be environmentally sound and land-use practice for their demands that they are pre- use local materials where possible. pa r ed to accommodate the compromises req u i r ed. Com- All of the above req u i r e a significant amount of time munities must also accept that investment in ecotourism for completion, as well as readiness of the community to is long-term and that benefits – both tangible and in- be part of an ecotourism initiative. Government poli- tangible – can take a considerable time to accrue . cies, political stability and security all contribute to the As with all partners, communities have a vital rol e development of the ecotourism sector. to play in the successful implementation of an eco- tourism initiative: they should not be bystanders in eco- Key Restrictions on Ecotourism Enterprise tourism development. One means to achieve this is to Community involvement in the development and im- include the community as an equal partner in all stages plementation of the initiative is of primary importa n c e . of ‘conception’, ‘design’ and ‘implementation’ of the ini- All genders, age groups and hierarchies must be in- tiative. Communities need to become fully inform e d volved in some way. about the ethos behind ecotourism in order to under- The second thrust of the ecotourism activity must stand the motivation of both the investors in ecotourism be to support conservation. Much of this can be initiatives, and why tourists wish to visit a particular lo- achieved through instigating appropriate planning and cation. management proc e d u r es. These need to encompass en- Likewise, investors need to develop a full under- v i ronmental aspects such as assessments as well as standing of the reasons why communities are willing to defining monitoring and evaluation proc e d u re s . “open up” to host tourists and tourists themselves must Education, capacity building and training opportu - become more informed about the area and culture that nities for community members should also be included they wish to visit before they arrive in order to fully ap- in the development of ecotourism. All of these can be pr eciate the location and culture they will be immersed in. co n s i d e r ed as benefits of the communities’ involvement in ecotourism. Marketing Ecotourism Enterprises Guidelines for ecotourism establishments, tourists The participants agreed that marketing ecotourism is a and communities should be established so that all par- specialist niche requiring professional input, and that ties have a clear idea of the aims of the facility. These marketing must be undertaken simultaneously with the guidelines should also define the mechanics of benefit development of the product in order that the tourism sharing and carrying capacity of the initiative, explaining in d u s t r y and clients are aware of the new destination that these conditions try to achieve the optimum bal- and activities. This should be based upon a feasibility ance to ensure sustainability. study that includes a prel i m i n a r y analysis of the market The conditions above should all have a legal basis as and the demand for the product, as well as the capital re- well as provision for the resolution of any conflicts that qu i r ed. ar i s e . Such professional input could focus on the devel- opment of broc h u r es, e-cards, complimentary trips for Pr omoting Ecotourism jo u r nalists and alternative media, and opportunities to As a young sector within the tourism industry, awaren e s s generate publicity about the destination and activities about ecotourism must be raised to ensure that the value available. Communities and other partners do have a of this sector is understood. Promoting this sector is not role in facilitating the marketing of the enterprise with simply a one-way process, targeted at tourists, but must obtaining the correct material. This includes allowing include all partners in an ecotourism development in jo u r nalists and photographers unhindered opportu n i t i e s or der to gain acceptance. This will eventually lead to im- to best promote the initiative. 16 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Our new ecotourism proj e c t Won d e r ful, but you’ll will give us many source s have to show the same to understand that an ecotourism enterprise has to de- of income! Just you wait! patience and commitment velop gradually into a sustainable business, will fund that you have with me pr oposals that would not be considered by banks and other financial institutions. This includes support i n g pr oposals that promise unrealistic ret u r ns to communi- ties leading to the partners involved becoming disen- chanted with the development.

Role of governm e n t For the ecotourism sector to fulfil its potential and make a significant contribution to rural development, it must have governmental support. At present, in the East African region, governm e n t s appear to have been paying only cursory attention to Ecotourism req u i r es long term commitment ecotourism. There are few – if any – policies that focus on ecotourism as a major sector of the tourism industry. Time – The Essential Ingred i e n t Again, this is largely due to the lack of understanding of Above all, during the conference, the one aspect that ecotourism and the specialised needs of this sector of was cited frequently was the need for all partners to re- the industry. alise that communities would re q u i re a significant Ecotourism also challenges traditional systems of amount of time to understand, at a society level, the phi- central natural re s o u rce management by the govern- losophy underpinning ecotourism. This time allows ment. Governments have stated that they agree in theory communities to change their attitudes and incorporate with devolving management of natural re s o u rces to ecotourism into their traditional land-use. communities. However, this presents obvious threats to the government such as decreased income and loss of Financing Ecotourism co n t r ol over these areas. The level of investment req u i r ed to establish a success- Ten u r e of all natural res o u r ces, not just land, must ful ecotourism enterprise and the long-term nature of be reviewed, and policies developed in consultation with such a venture means that the conditions surrou n d i n g communities that address issues pertaining to the com- co m m e r cial loans from banks are out-of-reach to all but munity ownership and use of forests, wildlife and cul- a minority. Many ecotourism enterprises simply cannot tural icons. meet the repayments req u i r ed by such loans. Essentially, At a national level, an institutional framework needs banks do not have the patience to accommodate eco- to be established to define ecotourism and support to tourism as a viable option. the sector as a whole. To achieve sustainability, this na- However ecotourism, which combines community tional framework would include legal and policy aspects ret u r ns, enterprise development and environmental ben- of ecotourism and support for the development of these efits, is an activity that many international donor or- a reas. This may well re q u i re a review of the existing ganisations support. Many of the high-end ecolodges wildlife acts. and ecotourism destinations have been established and Go v e r nments should provide technical assistance su p p o r ted by international donors prior to becoming in- and advice to ecotourism ventures in order to achieve dependent. Without the support of such donors, eco- these changes. Relevant issues include: tourism is not sustainable due to the specialist • Definition of the partners in ecotourism. investment req u i r ed to ensure that ecolodges are envi- • Description of benefit-sharing mechanisms. ronmentally sound. • Pr oposal of infrastruc t u r e development. Yet there are still shortfalls. Many donor time-lines, • Development of an outline of landscape management. which are typically up to three years, are too short for This will provide guidelines for standards within the ecotourism to achieve its full potential. Donors, failing ecotourism sector as well as means for an independent The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 17

What about And water ar eas for su p p l y wi l d l i f e ?

When planning for ecotourism, we should And rights to consider access to And for plants for grazing area s wo o d tr a d i t i o n a l co l l e c t i o n me d i c i n e

And cultural si t e s

Ten u r e of ALL natural res o u r ces should be considered. Not just land. assessment of the efficacy of individual ecotourism tourism nationally and reg i o n a l l y . ve n t u re s . With respect to funding, governments can show The traditional dictatorial approach by governm e n t s their commitment to the ecotourism sector by prov i d i n g was highlighted as inappropriate, particularly in devel- tax incentives that would encourage the expansion of oping capacity at implement ecotourism at the commu- ecotourism. Governments can also support alterna t i v e nity level. This can be overcome if governments prom o t e funding arrangements, such as through charities and a “bottom-up” approach and involve communities as fo u n d a t i o n s . equal partners in discussions relevant to ecotourism. In or der to achieve this, governments should support an Role of Government at Regional and Interna t i o n a l ad v i s o r y body to coordinate the development of eco- Sc a l e tourism, which could provide assistance on land-use The nature and location of many ecotourism facilities planning, legal arrangements and monitoring and eval- means that cros s - b o r der wildlife movements are impor- uation proc e d u r es. tant to ensure wildlife presence. As a minimum re- This body should also raise awareness within gov- q u i rement, wildlife corridors must be identified and er nment about ecotourism, and foster understanding of their existence promoted. Ecotourism is a means to the distinction between ecotourism and general tourism. achieve this goal. However, governments need to im- The body must lobby for support of ecotourism throu g h p rove infrastru c t u re and security to ensure that eco- policy re v i e w, and be responsible for marketing eco- tourism remains a viable option for rural development. 18 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Fi n a l l y , cros s - b o r der agreements supported by Re- Accounting for the gional and International conventions that promote co- many aspects of ecotourism must be operation must be honoured . complete and tr a n s p a re n t Co n c l u s i o n Ecotourism is at a cros s r oads in East Africa. This docu- ment illustrates that the growth of the ecotourism sector will be subject to demand and supply. If current tren d s continue increasing numbers of tourists will demand tr ue ecotourism as opposed to “responsible” and “nature tourism”. This will, in turn, re q u i re the ecotourism sector to diversify the range of products and the type of locations available. For this to occur, all partners in ecotourism will be req u i r ed to assess their involvement in the development of ecotourism caref u l l y . This can be summarised in five po i n t s : • Go v e r nments must understand how ecotourism dif- fers from mass tourism, and implement policy incen- Statement from the East African Regional tives that encourage the development of ecotourism. Co n f e r ence To the World Ecotourism Summit • Donors and other investors in ecotourism must be re- The 200 participants, mostly from Kenya, Tanzania and alistic about the long-term nature of an ecotourism en- Uganda, who attended the East African regional con- terprise and ensure that expected ret u r ns are met. fe r ence considered the five themes to be addressed by • Co m m e r cial operators must honour the community the International Year of Ecotourism and have prop o s e d benefits and environmental ret u r ns that define eco- the following statement to be considered at the Wor l d tourism to ensure the success of the development. Ecotourism Summit. • Communities must realise that ecotourism is not a In t e r national, Regional and National Policies need panacea to their aspirations and have realistic expec- to be developed to address issues affecting the develop- tations of the inputs req u i r ed to ensure success. ment of ecotourism. These policies must harmonise leg- • Tourists have an obligation to gain an understanding islation within the various sectors, which can be of the culture and environment they are visiting. co n t r a d i c t o r y. Most importa n t l y , such policies must ad- If the five points above are addressed, ecotourism dr ess issues of tenure of all natural res o u r ces, not simply will be practised and match the – often theoretical – def- land. initions. Ultimately, this will ensure that the people who These policies should include the guidelines, codes have traditionally managed the reg i o n ’ s wild-lands re- of conduct and best practices that define ecotourism. ceive just rew a r ds for their stewards h i p . Policies must address the conservation of biodiversity and environmental sustainability through ecotourism and should also include monitoring and evaluation pr ocesses of ecotourism developments. Governments in the region should offer support and financial incentives in developing the ecotourism sector as well as improv - ing communities’ access to funds. Ho w e v e r , ecotourism initiatives need to be managed in line with business and market principles, as well as considering social and environmental obligations for su 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 The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 19

mechanisms of transparency and accountability from all Ref e re n c e s sides, ensuring equitability. Where necessary, ecotourism Ho n e y , M. (1999) Ecotourism and Sustainable Devel- pa r tners should work together to improve awaren e s s opment. Who Owns Paradise? Island Press. Was h i n g t o n and education of all parties including training in busi- D.C., Covelo Californi a . ness skills needed for ecotourism. Watkin, J.R., Macharia, W. & Panopoulos, L. (2002) Most importa n t l y , to be successful, all of the aspects Pr oceedings from the East African International Year of above must be developed with the full involvement of Ecotourism Conferen c e . ACC rep o rt . the community. Adopting this “bottom-up” approa c h Wes t e r n, D. (1997) In the Dust of Kilimanjaro. Island cr eates awareness, enhances skills and engenders a sense Pre s s / S h e a r water Books. Washington D.C., Covelo Cal- of ownership amongst the community toward eco- if o rn i a . tourism. Ultimately, this will ensure that the people who have traditionally managed the reg i o n ’ s wild-lands re- ceive just rew a r ds for their stewards h i p . Aside from the statements above there were some specific points within each theme that also need to be em p h a s i s e d . Theme I – Ecotourism Planning in Protected and Natural Area s : Ar eas targeted for ecotourism develop- ments should be zoned, taking into consideration the needs of the ecotourism partners and should be envi- ronmentally sound. Theme II – Community Involvement and Com- munity Based Ecotourism: Communities have specific st r engths and should be allocated responsibilities within ecotourism developments. Ecotourism should also pro- mote respect for the local culture and indigenous knowl- ed g e . Theme III – Ecotourism as a Business Activity: De - velopment agencies should act as brokers in ecotourism developments between communities and the business se c t o r . They should emphasise the long-term nature of such initiatives and that benefits will be accrued both di r ectly and indirectly to partners in Ecotourism devel- op m e n t s . Theme IV – Ecotourism Policies at the National Le 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 t or ganisations, business sector, government and Donors) and their responsibilities. Theme V – Ecotourism Policies at the Regional and International Levels: National and Regional Eco- tourism policies must be integrated across countries. Policies should also be dynamic and able to respond to the findings of monitoring and evaluation proc e d u re s . 20 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

So gentlemen, how was your African ad v e n t u re ?

Fa b u l o u s ! Ecotours are the way to go!

Ok a y , I guess…

Due to the overall quality of the product, ecotourism is the fastest growing part of the tourism industry The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 21

Pa r ticipants List

Sh a r on Safran Josh Aguicoh Ma r y Belsoi Da r cy Duncan Ecotourism Coordinator Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary Kenya Tourism Development Peace Corps Volunteer Co n s e r vation Interna t i o n a l P.O.Box 609 Co r p o r a t i o n Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary Private Bag 132 Na i r obi 00606 P.O.Box 42013 P.O.Box 167 Ma u n Ke n y a Na i ro b i Kw a l e Bo t s w a n a Tel #: 57 8 2 7 1 Ke n y a Ke n y a Tel #: 267 660017 Fax #: 57 0 7 7 5 Tel #: 22 9 7 5 1 E- m a i l : Fax #: 267 661798 E- m a i l : jo s h @ p a c t k e . o r g Fax #: 22 7 8 1 5 me s @ s w i f t m o m b a s a . c o m E- m a i l : ci e c o t o u r i s m @ i n f o . b w E- m a i l : kt d c @ f o rm - n e t . c o m Do r othy Amwata Racheal Gachanja Kebigile Tsh i b a s e Ecotourism Society of Kenya Najib Bendahou KE N V O Brikakhwe Cultural P.O.Box 29053 UN E P P.O.Box 199 Co n s e r vation Trus t Na i ro b i Gi g i r i / I R O A Ma t a t h i a Private 111 Ke n y a Na i ro b i Ke n y a Ma u n Tel #: 63 1 2 2 5 Ke n y a Tel #: 72 2 2 3 0 5 3 5 Ga b o ro n e Fax #: 63 1 2 2 6 Bo t s w a n a E- m a i l : da m w a t a @ y a h o o . c o m Tel #: 62 4 0 4 4 Cl i ff o r d Gikunda Tel #: 66 0 0 1 7 E- m a i l : Biosafety News Ba k a r y Annuary na j i b . b e n d a h o u @ u n e p . o r g P.O.Box 49030 Million Belay Kisauni Youth for Development Na i ro b i Co o r dinator P.O.Box 97989 Francis Bundi Ke n y a Fo r um for Environ m e n t Mo m b a s a Wer u Animals and Fores t s Tel #: 23 3 5 4 3 P.O. Box 20345 Ke n y a Co n s e r vation Proj e c t E- m a i l : cn t u r i b i @ y a h o o . c o m Code 1000 Addis Ababa P.O.Box 180 Et h i o p i a Asad Answar Ki b i r i c h i a Felix Githaka Tel #: 25 1 - 1 - 7 1 1 4 0 5 Ad v e n t u r e Africa Safaris Me r u Lewa Wildlife Conserva n c y E- m a i l : P.O.Box 42628 Ke n y a Private Bag mi l l i o n b e l a y @ y a h o o . c o m Na i r obi 00100 Is i o l o Ke n y a Anthony Chege Ke n y a Wesley Massey Tel #: 0733 707120 Vol u n t e e r Tel #: 01 6 4 - 3 1 4 0 5 Associate Ecotourism Fax #: 34 0 1 4 9 Ke n y a Fax #: 01 6 4 - 3 1 4 0 5 Consultant Tourism Prog r a m m e E- m a i l : as a d @ a l p h a n e t . c o . k e E- m a i l : le w a @ s w i f t k e n y a . c o m United Nations Environ m e n t Sacha Cook Pro g r a m m e / U N E S C O Solomon Atswenja African Conservation Centre Wanjiku Githinji Tour Mirabeau Kakamega Fores t P.O.Box 14949 Volunteer 39-43 Quai Andre Citreo n KE E P / K A B I C O T A Na i ro b i African Conservation Centre 75739 Paris - Cedex 15 P.O.Box 36 Ke n y a P.O.Box 15289 Fr a n c e Ka k a m e g a Tel #: 07 3 3 - 9 6 9 1 7 3 Na i r obi 00509 Tel #: 01 4 4 3 7 7 6 3 6 via Kakamega E- m a i l : sa c h a l u c y @ a o l . c o m Ke n y a E- m a i l : we s l e y. m a s s e y @ u n e p . f r Ke n y a Tel #: 74 9 9 5 7 Paul Cowles Anne Gitonga Vivien Bediako Pa c t / C o n s e r vation of Resource s Volunteer Co n s e r vation Interna t i o n a l Khamis Bahatisha th r ough Enterprise African Conservation Centre P.O.Box KA 30426 Teacher Na i ro b i P.O.Box 15289 Ac c r a Mida Creek Conserva t i o n Ke n y a Na i r obi 00509 Gh a n a Co m m i t t e e E- m a i l : pa u l @ p a c t k e . o r g Ke n y a Tel #: 23 3 - 2 1 - 7 7 3 8 9 3 c/o Kenya Wildlife Servi c e E- m a i l : ci a o o @ g h a n a . c o m P.O.Box 333 Alan Dixson John Gitonga Wat a m u Managing Director Phoenix Safaris Dex Agourides Ke n y a Le t ’ s Go Tra v e l P.O.Box 1141 Advisor - NAO/Trea s u r y P.O.Box 60342 Na i ro b i Eu r opean Union Isaac Bekalo Na i ro b i Ke n y a P.O.Box 45119 Development Worker Ke n y a Tel #: 52 3 3 5 4 Na i ro b i In t e r national Institute of Rural Tel #: 44 7 1 5 1 E- m a i l : in f o @ p h o e n i x - s a f a r i s . d e Ke n y a Re c o n s t ru c t i o n E- m a i l : in f o @ l e t s g o s a f a r i . c o m Tel #: 71 3 0 2 0 P.O.Box 66873 Jake Grieves-Cook Fax #: 71 6 4 8 1 Na i ro b i Managing Director E- m a i l : Ke n y a Porini Ecotourism ke n y a @ d e l k e n . c e c . e u . i n t Tel #: 44 2 6 1 0 Na i ro b i Fax #: 44 8 1 4 8 Ke n y a E- m a i l : ja k e @ w a n a n c h i . c o m 22 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Christine Guchu-Katee Ralph Johnstone Rungano Karimanzira Sammy Kilukei Senior Projects Offi c e r Ec o - re s o rt s United Nations Environ m e n t Naibuga Conserva t i o n Co n s e r vation of Resource s P.O.Box 15210 Pro g r a m m e P.O.Box 16 th r ough Enterprise Na i ro b i Regional Office for Africa Do l d o l African Wildlife Foundation Ke n y a P.O. Box 47074 Ke n y a P.O.Box 48177 Tel #: 88 4 0 1 8 Na i ro b i Na i ro b i E- m a i l : Ke n y a Daniel Kimalel Ke n y a ma r s @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e Tel #: 62 4 6 1 6 Se c re t a r y Tel #: 71 0 3 6 4 Fax #: 62 3 8 2 9 Kurikuri Group Ranch E- m a i l : cg u c h u - Ja i r o Jura E- m a i l : P.O.Box 5 ka t e e @ a u f k e . o r g Biosafety News run g a n o k a r i m a n z i r a @ m e p . o r g Do l d o l P.O.Box 70445 Ke n y a Wolfgang Huetzen Na i ro b i Joseph Kathiwa Technical Advisor Ke n y a Ecotourism Society of Kenya Eric Kimani Ge r man Development Servi c e Tel #: 25 3 5 4 3 P.O.Box 10146 African Conservation Centre P.O.Box 47136 Fax #: 31 6 7 9 5 Na i ro b i P.O.Box 15289 Na i ro b i E- m a i l : ju r a 1 2 0 0 1 @ y a h o o . c o m Ke n y a Na i r obi 00509 Ke n y a E- m a i l : ka t h i w a @ y a h o o . c o m Ke n y a Tel #: 07 3 3 - 5 4 0 9 1 5 Augusta Kabunyi Fax #: 03 0 5 - 2 2 2 6 9 Ra p p o r teur Pippa Keith Stephanie Kinyanjui E- m a i l : wh u e t z e n @ y a h o o . c o m Co n f e re n c e Travel News Assistant Coordinator East P.O.Box 45 P.O. Box 30725 African Regional Conferen c e Neel Inamdar Li m u r u Na i ro b i African Conservation Centre Di r ector Ke n y a Ke n y a P.O.Box 15289 African Conservation Centre Tel #: 0154 71401/72007 Tel #: 74 9 6 3 7 Na i r obi 00509 P.O.Box 15289 E- m a i l : Fax #: 74 9 6 3 7 Ke n y a Na i r obi 00509 au g u s t a k a b u n y i @ y a h o o . c o m E- m a i l : pi p p a @ t r i a d . c o . k e Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Ke n y a Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Francis Kahindi Judy Kepher-G o n a E- m a i l : ec o t o u r i s m @ a c c . o r. k e Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 Uyombo Fishermen Sea Fron t National Liaison Officer E- m a i l : ne e l @ a c c . o r. k e Co n s e r vation Grou p Ecotourism Society of Kenya Ma r y Kirambui P.O.Box 964 P.O.Box 48461 Na i r obi National Park Anne Indimuli Ki l i f i Na i ro b i Kenya Wildlife Servi c e Ra p p o r teur Ke n y a Ke n y a P.O.Box 40241 Co n f e re n c e E- m a i l : in f o @ e s o k . c o m Na i ro b i P.O.Box 56815 John Kahindi Ke n y a Na i ro b i Uyombo Fishing Youth Grou p Boniface Kididing Tel #: 50 1 0 8 1 Ke n y a P.O. Box 964 Koija Group Ranch E- m a i l : kw s @ k w s . o r g Tel #: 76 5 4 5 5 Ki l i f i P.O.Box 1348 E- m a i l : Ke n y a Na n y u k i Joachim Kiratu an n i n d i m u l i @ y a h o o . c o m Ke n y a Cultural Center Ali Kaka Laikipia Wildlife Forum Leah Isaac Executive Director Anthony Kihara P.O.Box 180 Ch a i r man Dupoto Wom e n ’ s East African Wildlife Society Volunteer Na n y u k i Gro u p P.O.Box 20110 African Conservation Centre Ke n y a African Conservation Centre Na i ro b i P.O. Box 62844 P.O.Box 24 Ke n y a Na i ro b i Agnes Rigiri Kiugu Ka j i a d o Tel #: 57 4 1 4 5 Ke n y a Wer u Animals and Fores t s Ke n y a Fax #: 57 1 3 3 5 Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Co n s e r vation Proj e c t Tel #: 07 2 3 6 0 6 9 0 E- m a i l : ea w l s @ k e n y a w e b . c o m Fax #: 54 0 9 3 9 P.O. Box 180 E- m a i l : Ki b i r i c h i a Elizabeth Jilani Moses Kanene ka n t o n y 1 9 7 7 @ y a h o o . c o m Me r u Arabuko Sokoke Fores t Manager Conservation of Ke n y a P.O.Box 383 Re s o u r ces through Enterprise Joshua Kilitia Wat a m u African Wildlife Foundation Imbirikani Group Ranch Ted Majaliwa Kombo Ke n y a P.O.Box 48177 P.O.Box 84 Pr oject Coordinator Tel #: 01 2 2 - 3 2 4 6 2 Na i ro b i Lo i t o k t o k Tsunza Conservation and E- m a i l : Ke n y a Ke n y a Development Prog r a m m e so k o k e @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e Tel #: 71 0 3 6 7 / 8 Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 P.O.Box 99983 Fax #: 71 0 3 7 2 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 Mo m b a s a E- m a i l : mk a n e n e @ a w f k e . o r g Ke n y a Moses Kilowua Tel #: 72 4 1 5 4 9 5 Imbirikani Group Ranch E- m a i l : P.O. Box 84 ts u n z a @ s w i f t m o m b a s a . c o m Lo i t o k t o k Ke n y a The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 23

Charity Konana Ratik Paul ole Kuyana David Lesaloi Samuel Maina Ce n t r e for the Advancement of Trekking War rior Expeditions Siana Trus t African Conservation Centre the Media Industry (CAMI) Kimentet Group Ranch P.O.Box 353 P.O.Box 15289 P.O.Box 10146 Ke n y a Na ro k Na i r obi 00509 Na i r obi 00100 Ke n y a Ke n y a Ke n y a Daniel Lago Tel #: 07 2 - 5 1 2 5 8 3 Scholar Magazine Daniel Letures h Charity Kiteto Maingi E- m a i l : Maoni Network Member Amboseli Cultural Member ch a r i t y k o n a n a @ l y c s . c o m P.O.Box 66247 Ce n t r e Association Saghe Wom e n ’ s Grou p Na i ro b i Olgulului Group Ranch P.O.Box 25484 Cynthia Konana Ke n y a P.O.Box 388 Na i ro b i Volunteer Tel #: 25 3 1 0 9 Lo i t o k t o k Ke n y a African Conservation Centre E- m a i l : Ke n y a Tel #: 07 2 2 - 7 0 0 7 5 0 P.O.Box 15289 la g o k o m o @ h o t m a i l . c o m Tel #: 0302 22087 Na i r obi 00509 E- m a i l : dl e t u re s h @ y a h o o . c o m Grace Wakesho Maingi Ke n y a David Leboo Saghe Wom e n ’ s Grou p A.E.C. Foundation - Narok Lars Lindkuist P.O.Box 25484 Loise Konana P.O. Box 661 Ec o T ravel / BaseCamp Explorer Na i ro b i Ce n t r e for the Advancement of Na ro k P.O. Box 43369 Ke n y a the Media Industry (CAMI) Ke n y a Na i ro b i Tel #: 72 2 3 7 9 5 7 5 P.O.Box 41222 Tel #: 072 248262 Ke n y a E- m a i l : Na i ro b i Tel #: 57 2 1 3 9 gr a c e m a i n g i @ y a h o o . c o m Ke n y a James Sumaro Lechakole E- m a i l : dre a m 1 @ b u s h m a i l . n e t E- m a i l : lk o n a n a @ e x c i t e . c o m Kiltamay Community Dan Majanja Ngituk Ngiron Group Ranch Anne Loehr East Africa Wildlife Society Ca r ol Korschen P.O.Box 54667 Di r ector Eco. Resorts P.O.Box 20434 Peponi Hotel Na i ro b i Ec o - re s o rt s Na i ro b i La m u Ke n y a P.O.Box 120 Ke n y a Ke n y a Wat a m u Tel #: 57 4 1 4 5 Michael Legei Ke n y a E- m a i l : dm a j a n j a @ y a h o o . c o m Sheila Kositany Ku r i k u r i Tel #: 01 2 2 - 3 2 1 6 1 Nation Media Grou p Ke n y a Fax #: 01 2 2 - 3 2 1 9 1 Boniface Makau P.O.Box 49010 E- m a i l : an n e @ e c o - re s o rt s . c o m Private Consultant Na i ro b i Tarayia Lekanayia P.O.Box 74176 Ke n y a Eselenkei Group Ranch Ma rg a r et Loktano Na i r obi 00200 Tel #: 22 9 9 4 0 P.O.Box 119 Cultural Center Ke n y a Fax #: 24 7 5 0 5 Lo i t o k t o k Laikipia Wildlife Forum Tel #: 48 5 8 4 Ke n y a P.O. Box 949 Fax #: 48 5 5 7 Esther Kotoine Tel #: 72 2 8 2 1 7 3 0 Na n y u k i E- m a i l : ma k a u @ w a n a n c h i . c o m Trea s u r er Dupoto Wom e n ’ s E- m a i l : il e k a n a y i a @ y a h o o . c o m Ke n y a Gro u p Denis Mako African Conservation Centre Chief Lekorer e Daniel Lomoe Manager P.O.Box 24 Ka r a s h i r a Community Liaison Offi c e r Oliopa Wildlife Association Ka j i a d o Laikipia Wildlife Forum Wes t e r n Unit P.O. Box 691 Ke n y a P.O.Box 180 Laikipia Wildlife Forum Na ro k Na n y u k i P.O.Box 164 Ke n y a Santamu Yoakim Kuraru Ke n y a Ny a h u ru r u Tel #: 30 5 7 2 2 7 7 1 The Ereri Multicultural Vil l a g e Ke n y a Fax #: 22 6 3 0 P.O.Box 1400 Thomas Leletur Na n y u k i Westgate Conservation Limited Ed w a r d M. Sadisa Stephen Manegene Ke n y a Lewa Wildlife Conserva n c y Nk o i re r o Forest and Wil d l i f e Head of Planning P.O.Box 49918 As s o c i a t i o n Kenya Wildlife Servi c e Stephen Kuraru Na i ro b i Ke n y a P.O.Box 40241 The Ereri Multicultural Vil l a g e Ke n y a Tel #: 03 0 5 - 2 2 4 9 7 Na i ro b i P.O. Box 1400 Tel #: 01 7 6 - 3 2 0 7 1 Fax #: 03 0 5 - 2 2 2 6 9 Ke n y a Na n y u k i Tel #: 60 4 2 4 5 Ke n y a Paul Leringato Wan j i r u Macharia E- m a i l : ma n e g e n e @ k w s . o r g Namunyak Wil d l i f e Marketing Consultant East Renee Kuriyan Co n s e r vation Trus t African Regional Conferen c e Sally Mann Elephant Watch Safaris P.O.Box 88 African Conservation Centre P.O.Box 24464 P.O.Box 54667 Wam b a P.O.Box 15289 Na i ro b i Na i ro b i Ke n y a Na i r obi 00509 Ke n y a Ke n y a Ke n y a Tel #: 88 2 7 5 3 Tel #: 89 1 6 7 3 Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 E- m a i l : Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 rk u r i y a n @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e E- m a i l : sh i ru @ a c c . o r. k e 24 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Kennedy Manyala Joseph Miaron Joel Munka Ben Mwongela Kenya Tourist Board Pr ogramme Manager Koyiaki Lemek Wildlife Trus t Enterprise Officer P.O.Box 30630 Am b o s e l i - T savo Group Ranch Ol o s i ru a African Wildlife Foundation Na i ro b i Co n s e r vation Association P.O.Box 738 P.O.Box 48177 Ke n y a P.O.Box 254 Na ro k Na i ro b i Tel #: 71 9 9 2 4 Lo i t o k t o k Ke n y a Ke n y a Fax #: 71 9 9 2 5 Ke n y a Tel #: 71 0 3 6 7 E- m a i l : Tel #: 0302 22165 Ma r y Musasia E- m a i l : bm w o n g e l a @ a w f k e . o r g ke n m a n y a l l a @ k e n y a t o u r i s m . o r g Fax #: 0302 22339 Kenya News Agency E- m a i l : at g rc a @ g t . c o . k e P.O.Box 42368 James Nabaalah Stephen Marananga Na i ro b i Koyiaki Lemek Wildlife Trus t Cultural Center He z r on Mogaka Ke n y a Ol o s i ru a Laikipia Wildlife Forum Biodiversity Conserva t i o n Tel #: 21 8 4 7 3 P.O.Box 738 P.O.Box 180 Pr ogramme Manager E- m a i l : Na ro k Na n y u k i Community Development Trus t kn a 1 @ i n s i g h t k e n y a . c o m Ke n y a Ke n y a Fu n d Tel #: 03 0 5 - 2 2 6 3 0 - 1 P.O.Box 62199 Ri c h a r d Mwabili Chris Marshall Na i ro b i Ch a i r man Samuel Naikada Fr eelance Consultant Ke n y a LUMO Community Wil d l i f e Dupoto Forest and Wil d l i f e P.O.Box 24262 Tel #: 72 7 7 9 9 Trus t As s o c i a t i o n Na i r obi 00502 Fax #: 72 1 3 8 2 P.O . M w a k i t a u P.O.Box 262 Ke n y a E- m a i l : Via Voi Ki l g o r i s Tel #: 88 3 0 8 0 hm o g a k a @ i n s i g h t k e n y a . c o m Ke n y a Tra n s m a r a E- m a i l : ch a r i s m a @ e a s t a f r i c a . c o m Tel #: 01 4 7 - 2 2 3 4 Ke n y a Maulid Mohammed Tel #: 03 0 5 - 2 2 4 9 7 David Masere Mida Creek Conservation Grou p Juma Mwadudu Fax #: 03 0 5 - 2 2 2 6 9 Community Liaison Offi c e r c/o Kenya Wildlife Servi c e Trainee Manager Laikipia Wildlife Forum P.O.Box 333 Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary Thomas Naiputari Il Ngwesi Group Ranch Wat a m u P.O.Box 167 Koija Group Ranch P.O.Box 177 Ke n y a Kw a l e P.O.Box 1348 Tim a u Ke n y a Na n y u k i Na n y u k i Gre g o r y Monson Tel #: 01 2 7 - 4 1 2 1 Ke n y a Ke n y a Kicheche Mara Camp E- m a i l : P.O.Box 15243 me s @ s w i f t m o m b a s a . c o m Charles Nampaso Go d f r ey Masinde Na i ro b i Ch a i r man African Conservation Centre Ke n y a James Mwakaya Oliopa Wildlife Conserva t i o n P.O.Box 15289 Tel #: 89 0 5 4 1 Trea s u r er P.O.Box 691 Na i r obi 00509 E- m a i l : sa l e s @ k i c h e c h e . c o m Mida Creek Conserva t i o n Na ro k Ke n y a c/o Kenya Wildlife Servi c e Ke n y a Tel #: 89 1 3 6 Ro b e r t Muhoho P.O.Box 333 Tel #: 03 0 5 - 2 2 6 3 0 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 East Africann Wildlife Society Wat a m u E- m a i l : ma s i n d e @ a c c . o r. k e P.O.Box 20110 Ke n y a Dominic Nchoe Na i ro b i Koyiaki Lemek Wildlife Trus t Kimalel Matunge Ke n y a Wisdom Mwalukware Ol o s i ru a Teacher E- m a i l : ea w l s @ k e n y a w e b . c o m LUMO Community Wil d l i f e P.O. Box 738 Naiputaki Cooperative Society Trus t Na ro k P.O.Box 5 Ge o ff r ey Mumia P.O.Box 34636 Ke n y a Do l d o l Jo u r nalist Na i ro b i Tel #: 03 0 5 2 2 6 3 0 / 1 Ke n y a IR I S Ke n y a Fax #: 30 5 2 2 6 3 0 P.O.Box 10017 Tel #: 22 8 2 8 6 Ag g r ey Maumo Na i r obi 00100 Fax #: 21 1 7 0 9 Zacchaeus Ndirima Ecotourism Society of Kenya Ke n y a Ecotourism Society of Kenya P.O.Box 10146 Tel #: 60 3 5 7 2 Al b e r t Mwangi P.O.Box 29053 Na i ro b i Fax #: 60 3 5 7 4 National Programme Manager Na i ro b i Ke n y a E- m a i l : go s a g i : y a h o o . c o m United Nations Development Ke n y a Tel #: 72 4 4 0 3 Pro g r a m m e Tel #: 44 0 9 4 1 E- m a i l : in f o @ e s o k . c o m Joseph Munge National Environ m e n t Fax #: 44 0 9 4 2 Field Assistant Shompole Se c re t a r i a t E- m a i l : nd i r i m a @ y a h o o . c o m Daniel Moile Meteur Shompole Group Ranch P.O.Box 67839 Elangata Wuas Ecosystem P.O.Box 15289 Na i ro b i Hemed Ndongah Management Prog r a m m e Na i r obi 00509 Ke n y a Ch a i r man P.O. Box 221 Ke n y a Tel #: 24 8 3 3 9 Mida Creek Conserva t i o n Ka j i a d o Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Fax #: 24 8 8 5 1 c/o Kenya Wildlife Servi c e Ke n y a Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 E- m a i l : am w a n g i @ n e s . g o . k e P.O.Box 333 Tel #: 75 1 3 1 9 E- m a i l : ac c @ a c c . o r. k e Wat a m u Fax #: 75 1 3 1 9 Ke n y a The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 25

James Ndung’u Ter esa Njeri Joel Lemanta Nyika Ter vil Okoko Natural Resource Management African Conservation Centre Elangata Wuas Group Ranch Panafrican News Agency African Conservation Centre P.O.Box 15289 P.O. Box 17 P.O.Box 2745 P.O.Box 15289 Na i r obi 00509 Ka j i a d o Na i r obi 00200 Na i r obi 00509 Ke n y a Ke n y a Ke n y a Ke n y a Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Tel #: 072 608285 E- m a i l : Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 E- m a i l : ny i k a j o e l @ h o t m a i l . c o m te rv i l . o k o k o @ p a n a p re s s . c o m Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 E- m a i l : am b o s e l i @ a c c . o r. k e E- m a i l : jn d u n g u @ a c c . o r. k e Belter Nzilani Eric Okoth Julie Njeru Analyst Nation Media Grou p He n r y Neondo Kenya Tourist Board African Conservation Centre P.O.Box 49010 All Africa News Agency P.O.Box 30630 P.O.Box 15289 Na i ro b i P.O.Box 2141 Na i ro b i Na i r obi 00509 Ke n y a Na i r obi 00100 Ke n y a Ke n y a Tel #: 24 7 4 6 4 Ke n y a Tel #: 71 9 9 3 1 Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Fax #: 24 7 5 0 5 Tel #: 07 3 3 - 8 4 7 9 9 1 Fax #: 71 9 9 2 5 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 E- m a i l : er i c o n s @ y a h o o . c o m Fax #: 31 2 0 6 0 E- m a i l : ju l i e @ k e n y a t o u r i s m . o r g E- m a i l : ba b o o n @ a c c . o r. k e E- m a i l : ne o n d o @ h o t m a i l . c o m Joe Okudo Nancy Njuguna Ge o r ge Obanyi Head: Community Commerce Gerald Ngaruy i a Administrator In t e r national Institute of Rural Co n s e r vation of Resource s Ecotourism Society of Kenya African Conservation Centre Re c o n s t ru c t i o n th r ough Enterprise P.O.Box 46870 P.O.Box 15289 P.O.Box 66873 African Conservation Centre Na i r obi 00100 Na i r obi 00509 Na i ro b i P.O.Box 15289 Ke n y a Ke n y a Ke n y a Na i r obi 00509 Tel #: 22 1 0 4 6 Tel #: 44 2 6 1 0 Ke n y a Joshua Nkarun g a Fax #: 44 1 8 4 8 Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 James Ngethe Imbirikani Group Ranch E- m a i l : ge o rg e @ i i r r-a f r i c a . o r g Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 Kikuyu Escarpment P.O.Box 84 E- m a i l : jo k u d o @ a c c . o r. k e Co n s e r vation Grou p Lo i t o k t o k Bob Richards Odaa-Oguya c/o Solomon Mwangi Ke n y a Se r ena Lodges and Hotels Sam Okungu Na t u r e Kenya Li m i t e d Assistant Director of Tourism Ke n y a Sarah Nkatha P.O.Box 48690 Mi n i s t r y of Tourism and Radio Citizen Na i ro b i In f o rm a t i o n Debbie Nightingale Na i ro b i Ke n y a P.O. Box 30027 Fellow Ke n y a Tel #: 71 0 5 1 1 Na i ro b i En v i r onmental Management Tel #: 24 9 1 2 2 Ke n y a Ad v i s o r s Kezia Odembo Tel #: 31 3 0 1 0 P.O.Box 700 Francis Nkoitoi Mi n i s t r y of Tourism and Fax #: 21 7 6 0 4 Sarit Centre Trea s u r er In f o rm a t i o n E- m a i l : to u r i s m @ n b n n e t . c o . k e Na i r obi 00606 Koyiaki Lemek Wildlife Trus t P.O.Box 54666 Ke n y a P.O.Box 223 Na i ro b i Millicent Odhiambo Olal Tel #: 44 5 0 0 4 Na ro k Ke n y a Hyacinth Crafts E- m a i l : Ke n y a E- m a i l : P.O. Box 234 ni g h t i n g a l e @ n e t 2 0 0 0 k e . c o m Tel #: 22 3 9 8 ki 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 Ki s u m u Ke n y a Marie Ellen Njambi Livinstone Ntutu Francis Omondi Ogango Tel #: 35 2 2 4 9 8 African Conservation Centre Ol c h o r ro Oirowua Association Lake Victoria Sunset Birde r s Fax #: 035 22498 P.O.Box 15289 P.O.Box 164 P.O. Box 4201 E- m a i l : Na i r obi 00509 Na ro k Ki s u m u hy c r a f t 2 0 0 1 @ y a h o o . c o m Ke n y a Ke n y a Ke n y a Tel #: 22 2 8 2 Tel #: 03 5 - 4 2 9 5 2 Jackson Ole Kaasha Eunice Njau Fax #: 35 4 2 9 5 2 Maa Integrated Ecotourism Vol u n t e e r Mi l a g r e Nuvunga E- m a i l : fo g a n g o @ h o t m a i l . c o m En t e r p r i s e s Ke n y a Pr ogramme Director Olerai Camping Fo r d Foundation Ochieng Ogodo P.O.Box 98 James L. Njepi P.O.Box 41081 St a n d a r d Newspaper Ki t e n g e l a Il Polei: Ol Maalo Conserva n c y Na i ro b i P.O. Box 30080 Ke n y a P.O.Box 51 Ke n y a Na i ro b i Tel #: 07 3 3 - 7 7 4 9 3 7 Do l d o l Tel #: 71 0 4 4 4 Ke n y a E- m a i l : Na n y u k i Fax #: 71 2 2 0 3 Tel #: 33 2 6 5 8 ma a e c o t o u r i s m @ n e t s c a p e . n e t Ke n y a E- m a i l : Fax #: 33 7 6 9 7 m. n u v u n g a @ f o rd f o u n d . o r g E- m a i l : og o d o 1 6 @ y a h o o . c o m 26 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Leboo Ole Kilusu Julius Ole Silakan Lisa Panopoulos Thomas Naiputari Sukuya AEC Foundation Community Liaison Offi c e r Volunteer Koija Group Ranch P.O.Box 661 Central Unit P.O.Box 45119 P.O. Box 1348 Na ro k Laikipia Wildlife Forum Na i ro b i Na n y u k i Ke n y a P.O.Box 180 Ke n y a Ke n y a Tel #: 07 2 - 2 4 8 2 6 2 Na n y u k i Tel #: 88 2 6 8 1 Ke n y a E- m a i l : li p a n o p @ h o t m a i l . c o m Lemayian Tai k o Simon Nduru Ole Kinyaga Tel #: 01 7 6 - 3 2 4 8 5 Elangata Wuas Ecosystem Il Ngwesi II Group Ranch Lepakin Pokisa Management Prog r a m m e P.O. Box 137 Kenyatta Oloitiptip Naipotaki Cooperative Society P.O.Box 180 Ki s i m a Se c re t a r y P.O.Box 5 Ka j i a d o Na n y u k i Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary Do l d o l Ke n y a Ke n y a P.O. Box 362 Ke n y a Tel #: 12 6 1 7 9 9 8 Lo i t o k t o k Fax #: 27 5 1 3 1 9 Peter Ole Nabaala Ke n y a Jonathan ole Rana E- m a i l : lt a i k o @ h o t m a i l . c o m Ol c h o r o Oirowua Wildlife Trus t Tel #: 0302 - 22350 Il Polei Cultural Manatta P.O. Box 632 P.O. Box 51 Solomon Tom p e Na ro k Ri c h a r d Tipape Oloitiptip Do l d o l Imbirikani Group Ranch Ke n y a Amboseli Oloitiptip Ranch Ke n y a P.O. Box 84 Tel #: 22 5 2 0 P.O. Box 1 Lo i t o k t o k Na m a n g a Ed w a r d Momposhi Sadira Ke n y a Daniel Ole Naimado Ke n y a Nk o i re r o Wildlife Association Il Polei Cultural Manatta Tel #: 072 258844 P.O.Box 730 Rose Mukami Wai g a n j o P.O. Box 51 Na ro k African Conservation Centre Do l d o l Charles Oluchina Ke n y a P.O.Box 15289 Na n y u k i US A I D Na i r obi 00509 Ke n y a P.O.Box 30261 Dominic Sankei Ke n y a Na i r obi 00100 Oliopa Wildlife Association Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Sylvester Ole Ntutu Ke n y a P.O. Box 691 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 Executive Director Tel #: 86 2 4 0 0 Na ro k E- m a i l : ba b o o n @ a c c . o r. k e Ol c h o r ro Oirowua Association E- m a i l : ol u c h i n a @ u s a i d . g o v Ke n y a P.O. Box 164 Tel #: 22 9 3 5 John Wai t h a k a Na ro k Mo r ris Omollo Head: Programs & Ecology Ke n y a Fo r ester John Scully African Conservation Centre Tel #: 22 2 8 2 Transmara Development Ec o - F o ru m P.O.Box 15289 Fax #: 22 5 3 2 Pro g r a m m e Na i ro b i Na i r obi 00509 P.O. Box 114 Ke n y a Ke n y a Yusuf Ole Petenya Ki l g o r i s E- m a i l : jw a i t h a k a @ a c c . o r. k e Se c re t a r y Shompole Grou p Ke n y a Kasaine Seleka Ranch Eco-toursim Tel #: 0306 22076 Olgulului Group Ranch Go d f r ey Wak a b a Development Proj e c t Fax #: 30 5 2 2 2 6 9 P.O.Box 156 War den Shompole Group Ranch Na m a n g a Kenya Wildlife Servi c e P.O. Box 6 Emmanuel Onetu Ke n y a P.O. Box 333 Ma g a d i Eselenkei Group Ranch Tel #: 0302 22037 Wat a m u Ke n y a Eselenkei Conservation Area Ke n y a P.O. Box 263 Ge o r ge Sikoyo Tel #: 0122 32393 Kenneth Ole Saei Sultan Hamud Re s e a r ch Fellow Tra n s b o u n d a r y Olgulului Group Ranch Le n s i k e m Natural Resource Management Eliud Wan a k u t a P.O. Box 156 Ke n y a African Centre for Tec h n o l o g y African Conservation Centre Na m a n g a Tel #: 03 0 2 - 2 2 5 4 5 St u d i e s P.O. Box 62844 Ke n y a P.O.Box 45917 Na i r obi 00200 Tel #: 072 245499 Silvanos George Otieno Na i ro b i Ke n y a E- m a i l : Volunteer Ke n y a Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 ke n n e t h s a e i @ y a h o o . c o m Ecotourism Society of Kenya Tel #: 52 4 7 1 4 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 P.O. Box 63071 Fax #: 52 4 7 0 1 E- m a i l : ew a n a k u t a @ a c c . o r. k e Douglas Ole Sikawa Na i ro b i E- m a i l : m. s i k o y o @ c g i a r. o r g Senior War den Ke n y a Enock War i n d a Transmara County Council Tel #: 63 0 7 7 1 Johnson Sipitiek African Conservation Centre P.O.Box 11 E- m a i l : African Conservation Centre P.O. Box 62844 Ki l g o r i s si l v a n o s o t i e n o @ y a h o o . c o m P.O. Box 62844 Na i r obi 00200 Ke n y a Na i ro b i Ke n y a Tel #: 03 0 6 - 2 2 1 5 0 Ke n y a Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Fax #: 22 0 7 8 Tel #: 62 8 4 4 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 E- m a i l : en o c k @ a c c . o r. k e The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry ● 27

Lucy Waru i n g i Ma r got Jones Raphael Ole Mako Ro b e r t Bigirimana Manager: IT and GIS Ndarakwai Ranch Community Conserva t i o n Uganda Community Tou r i s m African Conservation Centre Tanganyika Film and Safari Se r vice Centre As s o c i a t i o n P.O.Box 15289 Ou t f i t t e r s African Wildlife Foundation P.O.Box 112 Na i r obi 00509 P.O.Box 49 P.O.Box 2658 Ki s o r o Ke n y a Aru s h a Aru s h a Ug a n d a Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 Tan z a n i a Tan z a n i a Tel #: 07 7 - 4 9 9 4 7 1 Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 Tel #: 25 0 - 2 7 1 3 Tel #: 96 1 6 / 7 E- m a i l : E- m a i l : lw a ru i n g i @ a c c . o r. k e Fax #: 25 0 - 8 5 4 7 Fax #: 44 5 3 uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g E- m a i l : jo n e s @ h a b a r i . c o . t z E- m a i l : rol e m a k o @ a w f - t z . o r g John Wat k i n William Chemnoin African Conservation Centre Peter Jones Tom Ole Sikar Cr ows Nest Campsite P.O. Box 15289 Ndarakwai Ranch Tanzanian Cultural Tou r i s m Sipi Kapchorwa Na i r obi 00509 Tanganyika Film and Safari Pro g r a m m e P.O.Box 124 Ke n y a Ou t f i t t e r s P.O. Box 10455 Ka p c h o rw a Tel #: 89 0 2 0 9 P.O.Box 49 Aru s h a Ug a n d a Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 Aru s h a Tan z a n i a Tel #: 07 7 - 8 0 0 7 0 5 E- m a i l : jw a t k i n @ a c c . o r. k e Tan z a n i a Tel #: 02 5 5 - 0 2 7 - 2 5 0 7 5 1 5 E- m a i l : E- m a i l : ma rg o t k j @ h a b a r i . c o . t z Fax #: 02 5 5 - 2 7 - 2 5 0 7 5 1 5 th e c ro w s n e t s @ y a h o o . c o m An d r ew Waw e r u E- m a i l : Friends of Kinangop Plateau Joseph Kitia to m @ t o u r i s m t a n z a n i a . o r g Pontious Ezuma P.O. Box 265 H & A Unique Safaris 2000 Uganda Wildlife Authority Na i v a s h a Li m i t e d Mohamed Yas i n P.O. Box 3530 Ke n y a P.O. Box 2189 Tou rc a r e Tanzania TeV Ka m p a l a Aru s h a P.O.Box 22787 Ug a n d a David Wes t e r n Tan z a n i a Da r- e s - S a l a a m Tel #: 256 468 30098 Ch a i r man Tel #: 74 4 2 8 2 1 1 5 Tan z a n i a Fax #: 077 649886 African Conservation Centre un i q u e s a f @ c y b e rn e t . c o . t z Tel #: 07 4 4 - 6 6 1 1 6 6 P.O.Box 15289 Fax #: 21 1 2 7 5 2 Naome Gidudu Na i r obi 00509 Peter Lindstrom E- m a i l : Bu g i m u n y e Ke n y a Hoopoe Adventure Tou r s to u rc a re t a n z a n i a @ a o l . c o m c/o Masaba 99 Tel #: 89 1 3 6 0 (T anzania Ltd) P.O.Box 953 Mbale Fax #: 89 1 7 5 1 P.O. Box 2047 Solomon Atsweye Ka m p a l a E- m a i l : Aru s h a Uganda Community Tou r i s m Ug a n d a dw e s t e rn @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . k e Tan z a n i a As s o c i a t i o n Tel #: 25 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 Tel #: 07 4 4 - 7 8 2 8 8 8 P.O.Box 27159 E- m a i l : Kristofer Zachrisson E- m a i l : Ka m p a l a uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g Dr eam Travel Africa ho 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 Ug a n d a P.O.Box 43369 Tel #: 25 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 Ro b e r t Gimunye Na i ro b i Ma r tin Loibooki E- m a i l : Di r ector Ke n y a Tanzania National Parks uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g Uganda Community Tou r i s m Tel #: 57 7 4 9 0 P.O.Box 3134 As s o c i a t i o n Fax #: 57 7 4 8 9 Aru s h a Grace Aulo P.O.Box 27159 E- m a i l : Tan z a n i a Mi n i s t r y of Tourism Trade and Ka m p a l a kr i s t o f e r @ d re a m t r a v e l . c o . k e Tel #: 25 5 - 2 7 - 2 5 0 8 0 9 In d u s t r y Ug a n d a Fax #: 25 5 - 2 7 - 2 5 4 8 2 1 6 P.O. Box 7103 Tel #: 07 5 - 6 1 3 6 6 4 Cl a i r e Foottit E- m a i l : ml o i @ a v u . o r g Ka m p a l a E- m a i l : uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g Travel Writer & Photographer Ug a n d a Author to Bradt Guide to Kenya Severa Masawe Tel #: 34 3 9 4 7 Sheba Hanyurwa Foottit by Design TTB - Ministry of Natural Fax #: 34 1 2 4 7 Ch a i r man 17 Dublin Stree t Re s o u r ces and Tou r i s m E- m a i l : pa m s u @ p a m s u . o r g Uganda Community Tou r i s m Ed i n b u r gh EH1 3PG P.O.Box 2485 As s o c i a t i o n Sc o t l a n d Da r- e s - S a l a a m Azoli Bahati P.O.Box 280 Tel #: 44 - 1 3 1 - 4 7 8 - 7 0 2 0 Tan z a n i a Uganda Community Tou r i s m Ki s o r o E- m a i l : c. f o o t t i t @ f b d . s o l . c o . u k Tel #: 25 5 5 2 1 1 1 2 4 4 As s o c i a t i o n Ug a n d a Fax #: 255 22 2127156 P.O.Box 27159 Tel #: 25 6 - 7 7 - 4 3 5 1 4 8 Eleanor Carte r E- m a i l : sa f a r i @ u d . c o . t z Ka m p a l a E- m a i l : am a k u ru @ i m u l . c o m Manager Ug a n d a Chumbe Island Coral Park Tel #: 25 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 Je r ome Kabahisya Li m i t e d E- m a i l : Uganda Community Tou r i s m P.O.Box 3203 uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g As s o c i a t i o n Za n z i b a r P.O.Box 27159 Tan z a n i a Ka m p a l a Tel #: 25 5 2 4 2 2 3 1 0 4 0 Ug a n d a E- m a i l : ch u m b e @ z i t e c . o r g Tel #: 25 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 E- m a i l : uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g 28 ● IIED Wildlife and Development Series no 15

Hussein Kato Sam Mauso Sirali Fe r gus Maclaren Private Sector Development Economist Di r ector International Year of Pro g r a m Mi n i s t r y of Tourism Trade and Ec o t o u r i s m United Nations Development In d u s t r y The International Ecotourism Pro g r a m m e Ka m p a l a So c i e t y Mb a l e Ug a n d a 28 Pine Stree t Ug a n d a Tel #: 071 424866 Burlington 05402 Tel #: 25 6 - 4 5 - 3 4 8 9 2 E- m a i l : Verm o n t Fax #: 25 6 - 4 5 - 3 5 3 9 6 ma u s o _ s i r a l i @ y a h o o . c o m US A E-mail: teiro@ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g E- m a i l : fe rg u s @ e c o t o u r i s m . o r g Gongo Tib e s i g w a Tol b e r t Kiiza Buhoma Community Rest Camp Uganda Community Tou r i s m Uganda Community Tou r i s m As s o c i a t i o n As s o c i a t i o n P.O.Box 27159 P.O. Box 992 Ka m p a l a Ka b a l e Ug a n d a Ka m p a l a Tel #: 04 1 - 2 3 0 8 0 3 Ug a n d a E- 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 Tel #: 25 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 E- m a i l : Ma rg a r et Kiron d e uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g Uganda Community Tou r i s m As s o c i a t i o n John Tin k a P.O.Box 27159 Field Manager Ka m p a l a Uganda Community Tou r i s m Ug a n d a As s o c i a t i o n Tel #: 25 6 0 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 P.O.Box 27159 E- m a i l : uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g Ka m p a l a Ug a n d a Shaun Mann Tel #: 25 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 Tourism Development Advisor E- m a i l : Eu r opean Union he r i t a g e @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g P.O.Box 7211 Ka m p a l a Judith Voe rm a n s Ug a n d a Uganda Community Tou r i s m Tel #: 34 2 1 9 6 / 7 As s o c i a t i o n Fax #: 34 2 1 5 4 P.O. Box 27159 E- m a i l : Ka m p a l a sh a u n . m a n n @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g Ug a n d a Tel #: 041 230805 Paul Mugisa E- m a i l : Uganda Community Tou r i s m uc o t a @ a f r i c a o n l i n e . c o . u g As s o c i a t i o n P.O.Box 27159 Costas Christ Ka m p a l a Co n s e r vation Interna t i o n a l Ug a n d a 1919 M Street, NW Tel #: 25 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 Washington, DC 20036 E-mail: [email protected] US A E- m a i l : Thomas Namanya c. c h r i s t @ c o n s e rv a t i o n . o r g Uganda Community Tou r i s m As s o c i a t i o n Eileen Gutierrez P.O.Box 27159 Manager - Africa Region Ka m p a l a Ecotourism Departm e n t Ug a n d a Co n s e r vation Interna t i o n a l Tel #: 25 6 4 1 2 3 0 8 0 5 1919 M Street, NW E-mail: [email protected] Washington, DC 20036 US A Anthony Ratter Tel #: 20 2 - 9 1 2 - 1 7 2 9 P.O.Box 25694 Fax #: 20 2 - 9 1 2 - 0 7 6 5 Ka m p a l a E- m a i l : Ug a n d a eg u t t i e r rez @ c o n s e rv a t i o n . o r g Tel #: 041 267864 Fax #: 041 267864 E- m a i l : ra t t e r @ i n f o c o m . c o . u g The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an idea to an industry

The Wildlife and Development Series is published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) to highlight key topic in the field of sustainable wildlife use. The series is aimed at policy-makers, re s e a rchers, planners and extension workers in government and non-govern m e n t or ganisations world-wide. The series arises from two sources. First, by invitation of IIED to others working in this field, and second, from IIED’s own work.

Tourism is the world’s largest industry, and, in both developed and developing countries, ecotourism is now the fastest growing sector of this industry. Being such a powerful economic force, particularly in developing countries with little other industry, ecotourism has been able to prevent enviro n m e n t a l de s t r uction and, when managed correc t l y , promote community development and empowerme n t .

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

This rep o r t is based on the proceedings of the East Africa Regional Conference on Ecotourism, held in M a rch 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya and organised by The African Conservation Centre. The confere n c e e x p l o red possible ways to ensure that all parties involved in an ecotourism enterprise benefit, and concluded that, through communication, sensitivity, transparency and realism, such an enterprise can become sustainable.

The African Conservation Centre is a regionally focused conservation organisation based in Nairob i . Th r ough constant interaction with people who live with wildlife in areas outside parks, the African Co n s e r vation Centre has come to understand and appreciate the critical role of these communities in the co n s e r vation of wildlife and other natural res o u r ces. The African Conservation Centre aims to link science to conservation and conservation to people through its multi-disciplinary approach to conservation. In or der 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 co n s e r vation prog r a m s . • To work with rural communities and local landowners to enhance the conservation of wildlife and natural res o u r ces for the mutual benefit of both people and animals and to provide communities with the skills necessary for the management of wildlife and wildlife-based enterprises through links with the private sector and donors. • To support the development of human and institutional capacity for applied conservation res e a rc h within the reg i o n . The African Conservation Centre maintains a multi-disciplinary team of professional in ecology and c o n s e rvation, fore s t ry, natural re s o u rce economics, sociology, program development and computer sc i e n c e .

John Watkin was born in Zambia and raised both there and in Vanuatu. Since 1992 he has been working as an ecologist and conservation project manager in East and Central Africa. He currently provides field su p p o r t to conservation activities in Garamba National Park, Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Vir unga National Park – 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 Wil d e r . Cover design by Andy Smith. Cover illustrations by Jared Crawford.

In t e r national Institute for Environment and Development 3 Endsleigh Street, London WC1H 0DD Tel: +44 (0) 207 388 2117 Fax: +44 (0) 207 388 2826 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.i i e d . o rg /