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This study assesses the contribution of tourism-based foreign direct investment to poverty alleviation
using the single case-study method. It focuses on income generation, natural resources and
environmental conservation, technology transfer to the local community, human capital development,
and access to health and water services, job creation and economic empowerment for conservation
as its contribution to poverty alleviation. Forty-four (44) companies were granted hunting licences in
2014. Of the companies, Tanzania Game Trackers Safari (TGTS) operates in 125 villages in
Tanzania—a wider coverage than that of other companies. Therefore, this study took TGTS as the
case and conducted in-depth interviews in 45 villages in areas where this company operates. For
representativeness, the villages were picked from five different wards, namely, Moyowozi Game
Reserve, Mwiba Wildlife Reserve, Lake Natron Game Controlled Area, Ugalla Game Reserve and
Maswa Game Reserve. The respondents constituted two government officials from the Wildlife
Division of Tanzania, the project coordinator, two field officers and one representative from nearby
villages. The study results show that some of TGTS’ profits go to the communities in or adjacent to
the protected areas, as it engages rural communities in conserving and preserving the protected
areas, and contributes to poverty alleviation through village banks, student sponsorship, library
support, construction of dispensaries and school dormitories, environmental education and tree
nursery programmes. On the basis of these findings, it can be concluded that well supervised and
managed inflow of FDI into strategic sectors can have a positive impact on livelihoods of individual
communities |
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