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This study is to assess the extent of eco-tourism development in Zanzibar, concentrating on areas of Stone Town, Nungwi and Menai of Unguja Island. The main objective of the study was identifying out eco-tourism factors and strategies influencing eco-tourism development in Zanzibar. More specifically, the study examined influencing factors including inhibiting factor for eco-tourism development, favouring factors and challenges, strategies for eco-tourism and further potentials areas for eco-tourism development. To achieve these objectives, sixty (60) respondents of which thirty four (34) were males and twenty six (26) were females comprising respondents of three categories of local community, government and other tourism related institutes and tourist. Mixed methods of research were used to explore influencing factors and strategies for eco-tourism development. Structured questionnaires with both open and close ended questions were administered to respondents involved in the study. Interviews were carried out where structure questions were also administered to respondents and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were organized comprising of seven people who were given questions related to the study in order to compare and confirm respondents responses arising from the questionnaire survey. Quantitative data were analyzed by using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). The data were coded and computed into percentages and frequencies for easy analysis. Overall study findings revealed that, there are no specific strategies that are fully utilised for developing eco-tourism alone but the strategies are for the sector as a whole. Furthermore, tourism industry has lots of potentials that can further provide great opportunities that can be developed for eco-tourism kind, which can achieve the aim of 2003 tourism policy developed for tourism sector. Likewise, this suggests that community projects are very important in eco-tourism campaigns as they involve local people strategy, formulation and implementation in developed projects for local community. At this community level, local community projects will enable them generate employment and contribute to improve well being of their respective societies. However, various potentials are constrained by several challenges such as limited and poor marketing and promotion campaign, language skills, low budget allocation for tourism sector, seasonal market, price instability, education problem and lack of enough institutions, poor management of tourism resources, culture and environmental degradation and beach boy‘s activities. To reduce these constrains, government should increase finances for tourism budgets,
institutilisation of tourism sector, management building capacity, price strategies, police patrol establishment and environmental and culture conservation campaigns. Furthermore, to promote eco-tourism as a unique niche market for tourism sector, the government should adopt specific eco-tourism agenda and strategies likes capacity building, carrying capacity, zoning and participatory approach within the industry. In conclusion, the study ended by providing recommendations for various actors on concrete measures that should be undertaken in order to address inhibiting factors facing eco-tourism in the development of tourism industry. |
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