Towards sustainable ecotourism development in Ghana: Contributions of the local communities

Abstract

The study, which focused on Bobiri Forest Reserve and Butterfly Sanctuary in Ghana, sought to identify the challenges that the local communities face in contributing to the sustainability of the Sanctuary, to categorise the benefits that the local communities derive from ecotourism, and to evaluate the local involvement toward the sustainability of the Sanctuary. A mixed-methodological approach was employed in the data collection and analysis. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 387 respondents, selected from the six surrounding communities, at the study site. The study also purposively selected and interviewed some key informants. The study revealed that the local communities did not contribute much to the sustainability of the Sanctuary. At the time of the study, the national government received most of its economic benefits at the expense of the local communities. The study recommends the involvement of the neighbouring communities in the development of ecotourism in the Sanctuary, as well as the introduction of structures that help to ensure equitable distribution of the economic benefits accruing from ecotourism.