THE IMPACT OF MOUNTAIN GORILLA TOURISM: PERSPECTIVES OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ATTRACTION by IMELDA AMONY Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Tourism and Hospitality Management in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Supervisor: Professor JP Spencer Co-supervisor: Dr CN Dube District Six Campus April 2021 CPUT copyright information The dissertation may not be published either in part (in scholarly, scientific or technical journals), or as a whole (as a monograph), unless permission has been obtained from the University. DECLARATION I, Imelda Amony, declare that the contents of this dissertation represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. 01 April 2021 Signed..................................... Date......................... Student no. 214288005 i ABSTRACT Mountain gorilla tourism is the most unique and key asset which Uganda possesses compared to the other tourist attractions in Kenya and Tanzania. The country has two national parks where these special animals are found, namely the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The study focuses on the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the Butogota Town Council in the Kanungu District of Western Uganda. Gorillas are the most important and number one tourism attraction with a number of economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts. The present study found that the selected stakeholders, namely the residents, businesses owners, local leaders, educationalists, religious leaders and Government official’s perceptions are often not considered and yet they are directly involved in mountain gorilla tourism related activities. Therefore, it is very important to scrutinize the impact of mountain gorilla tourism. The aim of this study was to determine how the different selected stakeholders perceive mountain gorilla tourism in their area. The study explored if the stakeholders were aware of the management strategies and policies put in place plus their strengths and weaknesses. It further examined the impacts of mountain gorilla tourism and these covered the triple bottom- line aspects above, so as to offer solutions to continued gorilla tourism activities to benefit the management, community, tourists and the economy of the area. To achieve the aim of the study, the following objectives were formulated: To determine the extent to which mountain gorilla tourism has created opportunities for the different stakeholders; To identify the positive and negative economic impacts of gorilla tourism on the communities in the Butogota area; To establish if mountain gorilla tourism related activities have socially affected the local area; To identify environmental contributions that mountain gorilla tourism has brought to the area; and To provide recommendations on management strategies and policies for future mountain gorilla tourism developments. The researcher made use of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to obtain data, making use of both primary and secondary sources to meet the objectives of the study. The closed-ended section of the survey was analysed using IBM’s Statistical Package for Social Sciences, whereas the open-ended section (section D) of the survey was analysed qualitatively using conceptual categories, which were then compared, categorised and clustered accordingly. The general findings indicated knowledge and awareness of the management strategies and policies of mountain gorilla tourism by selected stakeholders. Regarding the economic impacts, the majority agreed that gorilla tourism had contributed positively to their area, ii meanwhile socially, the study conclusions suggested that gorilla-related activities had negatively affected the lives of the locals around the park. Environmentally, the findings showed that this tourism niche had created opportunities for environmental education and awareness. However, it is required of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority and the Uganda Tourist Board to implement current laws and policies to effectively manage the competition from Rwanda and Congo since the tourism industry is growing and changing rapidly. The need for restructuring of these laws, policies and strategies is important so that stakeholders can be kept updated on activities related to mountain gorilla tourism. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank: The Almighty God, through whom all things are possible; Professor JP Spencer, the dissertation supervisor, for his continued guidance in this academic journey. Prof Spencer was very instrumental in providing critical insights on this dissertation to its final end; Dr Cynthia Nokubonga Dube, the dissertation co-supervisor for her insight and thorough guidance; Mr Gift Muresherwa for his assistance with data analysis and tirelessly helping me each time I asked for help on this study; My husband Mr Roger Ahura Katumwesige for his support in the data collection process and always encouraging me. My family, for their support and encouragement; Everyone who has played a role in the completion of this study. Your valuable contribution in this dissertation is greatly appreciated. iv DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my parents, Mrs Margaret Ekwang and Prof Edward Ojuka, who have always loved me unconditionally and whose good examples have taught me to work hard for the things that l aspire to achieve. I am truly thankful for having you in life. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... x LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... xi ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE STUDY ORIENTATION ................................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction and background to the study ................................................................... 1 1.2 Clarification of basic terms and concepts ................................................................... 4 1.2.1 A stakeholder .............................................................................................................. 4 1.2.2 Community-based tourism (CBT) ............................................................................... 4 1.2.3 Gorilla tourism ............................................................................................................. 5 1.2.4 Resident ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.5 Responsible tourism ................................................................................................... 5 1.2.6 Stakeholder perception ............................................................................................... 5 1.2.7 Tourism ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.8 Tourism impact ........................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Rationale for the study ................................................................................................ 6 1.4 Statement of the research problem ............................................................................ 6 1.5 Research aim .............................................................................................................. 7 1.6 Research questions .................................................................................................... 7 1.7 Research objectives ................................................................................................... 7 1.8 Research design ......................................................................................................... 8 1.8.1 Primary data ............................................................................................................... 8 1.8.2 Survey questionnaire .................................................................................................. 8 1.8.3 Secondary data ........................................................................................................... 8 1.9 Study area .................................................................................................................. 8 1.10 Pilot study ................................................................................................................... 9 1.11 Significance of the research ....................................................................................... 9 1.12 Method