Who Benefits from Community-based Ecotourism Development? Insights from Tafi Atome, Ghana

Abstract

The distribution of ecotourism's benefits plays a critical role in ensuring sustainable community support for ecotourism projects. This paper explores benefits that have accrued from an ecotourism project and examines the distribution process of these related benefits in Tafi Atome, a rural community in Ghana. Data were obtained from a study conducted between November and December 2010 in the community using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Findings from the study indicated that the benefits from the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary project to the community were communal and personal in nature. However, the monkey sanctuary's constitution, which stipulates the distribution and management of benefits, had not made provision for non-indigenous residents. It is therefore recommended that modifications be made to the project's constitution to address these inconsistencies in order to forestall conflicts in the community.