Tourismification and Integration of Buganda's Culture in Community Socio-Economic Activities for Poverty Reduction and Sustain

Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering A 6 (2017) 98-109 doi:10.17265/2162-5298/2017.02.006 D DAVID PUBLISHING Tourismification and Integration of Buganda’s Culture in Community Socio-economic Activities for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development Jockey Baker Department of Forestry Biodiversity and Tourism, School of Forestry, Environment and Geographical Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda Abstract: Buganda, one of oldest kingdoms in Uganda, has got a rich tangible and non-tangible cultural heritage which can be developed into cultural tourism products and integrated in the community socio-economic activities for national sustainable development. The paper highlights the major cultural heritage of Buganda, its development for tourism, integration in the daily socio-economic activities of the communities and contribution to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Buganda’s culture include: the Kings (Kabakas) burial grounds, Kabaka’s lake and trail, music, dance, drama, handicrafts, traditions and food which provide an authentic cultural tourism product which compliments Uganda’s nature tourism. Community participation and provide employment opportunities to the youth and women there by returning the tourism dollar to the community and this is important for sustainable development. The tourismification of Buganda’s culture shall not only diversify Uganda’s tourism industry but contribute to national sustainable development. Key words: Tourismification, integration, culture, sustainability, tourism development. 1. Introduction or cultural tourists. Tourist expenditure contributed US 979 million to GDP compared to Kenya $5.3 Tourism is believed to be the fastest growing billion, Tanzania $4.8 billion, Rwanda $0.7 billion industry globally [1, 2], with favorable developmental and South Africa 33.4 billion and Africa’s average impacts on the economy, society, environment at local $85.4 billion [8]. It contributes 38% of export revenue and national level [3]. However, it could also have and 0.5% of Government taxes. “…US $1 of negative impacts on the society and this duality is expenditure by a foreign tourist generates, on average, referred to as ‘tourism first’ and ‘development first’ of GDP US $2.5” [9]. This is higher than the US $2.3 [4-6]. generated by US $1 of traditional exports. Tourism is It is the world’s largest employer directly and significant because of the impact (direct and indirect) indirectly employing 120 and 125 million people it has on the communities and destinations as the respectively contributing US $6 trillion (9% GDP) to anticipated benefits of its development often lead to the world economy [7]. Tourism in Uganda is expansion of infrastructure, tourist facilities and inter dominantly nature based carried out in national parks, sector growth linkages and is therefore intimately game reserves and protected areas. However, cultural connected with sustainable development. tourism is growing steadily and of the 1,206,334 Buganda kingdom, one of the oldest and largest tourists registered in 2013, 188,000 were either leisure kingdoms in Uganda located in the South Central Region of the country has a diverse cultural heritage Corresponding author: Nyakaana Jockey Baker, Ph.D., centered on Kasubi Hill one of the hills which make professor, research field: sustainable and cultural tourism development. up Kampala city. On the hill top is the former palace Tourismification and Integration of Buganda’s Culture in Community Socio-economic Activities for 99 Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development of Kabaka (King) Muteesa 1 (the 31st Kabaka) built in valued tool for local social and economic development 1882 and converted into the royal burial ground in and could contribute to better livelihoods for the 1884. The main house (Muzibu Azaala Mpanga) community hence sustainable development. Tourism which was dome shaped and believed to have been the development strategies aim at maximizing tourism largest grass thatched house in the world got burnt on benefits for improvement in human capital, 16th March 2010. Being an old kingdom (12th employment, provision of public utilities and services, Century to date), Buganda has accumulated and reducing the negative impacts and connection to the sustained a diverse and territorial coherent culture Millennium Development Goals, to fight hunger and based on music and dance, spiritual healing, magic poverty [19, 20]. However, sustainable tourism and ritual objects, cloth (olubugo), sacred sites and development depends on community participation and objects, handicrafts, palaces, foods and drinks. Despite empowerment as this raises the standard of living of being the most developed and urbanized region of the community, infrastructure development, and Uganda, Buganda has maintained its cultural heritage. provision of tourist facilities and inters sector growth It is therefore important to utilize this rich culture for linkages at the destination [14]. Socio-economic the socio-economic welfare of the communities and linkages between the community and the tourism this can be achieved through tourism. sector through supplies of products and services are a good stimulus for the communities and structural 2. Literature Review transformation of regions which are linked to SDGs World over, there is now a trend to redefine the (Sustainable Development Goals). cultural identity of regions with a new emphasis on Tourism is an important economic activity that can territorial expression of history, habitat and heritage promote regional development, redistribute wealth and by constructing representation of destinations for utilize resources that are not viable for other economic marketing purposes [10-12]. Culture can be used for activities like manufacturing and agriculture [21]. tourism development as ‘back-up’ facilities for other Tourism expenditure could be direct, indirect or forms of tourism, for example cultural tourism induced and is an export between countries providing excursion possibilities to visitors who are in (international) and regions (domestic). transit to other tourist areas [13]. 3. Results and Discussion Cultural tourism attractions include heritage, arts, 3.1 Cultural and Historical Sites creative, experiential and indigenous tourism. It could be rural or urban, natural or manmade [14]. Cultural Cultural resources (Fig. 1) are dynamic and the first resources can be driving forces of a nation or region objective of this paper was to “identify the major and tourism dynamics [15], creation of new forms of cultural and historical sites/activities in Buganda”. holidays, tourists and ‘post modernist’ cultural forms Buganda’s cultural heritage is diverse, tangible (built) [16]. To achieve this, they need to be explored in a and intangible (unbuilt) and was meant to serve the Trans disciplinary approach as perceived mutual cultural purposes of the Baganda. “Buganda our benefits drive the stakeholders towards common beloved kingdom has plenty of outstanding traditional economic goals. Cultural tourism offers the places worth seeing and learning all about them so as opportunity to generate income for the community to have the courage of preserving them and respecting while simultaneously supporting the preservation of them” [22]. culture through the ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’ worlds of Buganda’s cultural and historical sites are located objects and phenomenon [17, 18]. It is seen as a both in the rural and urban areas (Map 1). The 100 Tourismification and Integration of Buganda’s Culture in Community Socio-economic Activities for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development Sites associated with Modern popular culture Traditional foods historic events and Film locations and drinks famous people TV locations Heritage attractions: Themed trails Special interest Museums and heritage centers and itineraries holidays Ancient monuments Historic gardens Historic landscapes Sport and leisure activities: Historic villages and townscapes CULTURAL participant TOURISM Festival and special events: Spectator RESOURCES Folklore Traditional games and sports Performing arts Sporting Special interest Traditional crafts Religious studies: Shrines Industry and commerce: churches Arts: Workplace visits cathedrals Theatres Farm attractions Art galleries Famous shops Markets Language: Indigenous dominant language Leisure shopping companies Types of Minority and regional languages architecture Language schools Fig. 1 Cultural tourism resources. Source: Ref. [15]. tourismification process should be mindful of the former glory. On the compound there were other grass daily socio-economic activities of the communities to thatched structures used for different purposes. avoid conflicts and to make the whole process ‘Bujjabukula’ is the security house and entrance to the sustainable. compound. ‘Ndogoobukaba’ is the store house for the 3.1.1 Buganda’s Major Cultural and Historical Sites sixteen Royal Drums “Mujaguzo” and the drums have (a) Kasubi Tombs been kept there since 1856 during Mutesa 1 reign Kasubi tombs (Amasiro-Royal tombs) are located [22-25]. The other houses are mausoleums for the on Nnabulagala hill three kilometers to the west different princesses and Kabaka’s wives. The thirty Kampala city center. This was Kabaka Mutesa 1 predecessors of the four kings are buried elsewhere in (1856-1884) palace built in 1882 and converted into the kingdom with twenty six being buried in Busiro royal

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