Abstract

The study examined the effectiveness of pro-poor tourism strategies on local communities in Uganda taking a case study of the Lake Bunyonyi tourist area. Using a descriptive research design, data was collected from a total of 120 community members with the aid of questionnaires. Interviews were also conducted on 10 key informants. The study found that pro-poor tourism strategies that are aimed at enhancing economic benefits to the poor are generally moderately effective as established by the composite mean. This is because the tourism enterprises have employed locals within their ranks, created opportunities for the informal sector and small businesses, boosted household income through home projects such as poultry rearing, bee keeping and fish farming. However, this has been undermined by failure by the enterprises to increased access to market opportunities indirectly to tourism enterprises and to increase community access to investment funds, loans, and micro credit schemes. The study also found that pro-poor tourism strategies that are aimed at enhancing non-financial benefits to the poor are generally moderately effective The strategies have really not succeeded as such in enhancing other non-economic livelihood benefits like; increasing access to health care, health care education for example reproductive health, HIV and malaria prevention; increasing local access to infrastructure and services for example roads, running water, internet, and telephones and improving environmental support. The study found that pro-poor tourism strategies that are aimed at enhancing community participation and partnership are generally moderately effective. The strategies have not fully succeeded in enhancing the participation and involvement of the poor in tourist activities. The study concluded that the pro-poor tourism strategies are only moderately effective in improving the economic benefits to the community, in enhancing non-economic benefits and enhancing of community participation and partnership of the poor in tourist activities.