Batwa people
SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Meet communities like the Batwa people and know more about their heritage

The gains of a community where a popular tourist destination is domiciled are endless. This therefore explains why in developing and planning new itineraries, our staff place careful and due emphasis on ensuring that our tour activities will develop and provide maximum opportunities to local communities and the natural environment. This aims at enabling the host community to enjoy the many benefits of the attractions in their respective areas. Below are some of the benefits that we share with the communities in our areas of operation;
Employment

We endevour to provide both skilled and unskilled employment to the people in our host communities. This is perhaps the biggest benefit of tourism to any host community, as beneficiaries such as souvenir sellers, food vendors and retailers have naturally sprung up within the communities because they are aware tourists will need their services.

Increased standards of living

As part of our CSR arrangement, we inject some of the proceeds from our tour packages into the economy of the host community thus improving the standard of living of the people in our areas of operation.

Opportunity to preserve culture

Tourism is a source of pride for local communities, and allows them to look at their history and cultural heritage and thus develop their own community identity. Our operations therefore aim at helping the local residents to maintain their traditions and culture, while also showcasing it for all the visitors.

Improved infrastructure

The additional revenue that comes into a community also benefits the government. It means more money will be available to give these destinations the much-needed facelift. This means the infrastructure improves, with new roads being built, parks developed and public spaces improved, cognizant of the fact that better facilities bring in more visitors.

Developing other income streams

In addition to improving the economy of our host communities, we also contribute towards establishment of avenues that allow the economies in our areas of operation to develop a new form of income. This aims at giving kind of an insurance policy to our host communities in case of hard times owing to the fact that the additional monies coming in can help support traditional industries (such as Art and crafts, local MDD Groups, Women Associations, etc.) in case they come under financial pressure.

Employment of the rural communities in tourism enterprises

We endevour to provide employment opportunities to the people in the communities from where we operate. The people in these communities have variously served us in different capacities, ranging from support staffs e.g. porter, and full time employees as rangers and wardens. During our recruitment exercises, special consideration is given to the locals surrounding the parks and other tour sites.

Direct sale and supply of goods and services

One of the main ways in which local people in our areas of operation earn income from our activities is through selling produce and services, such as fruits, handicrafts or guided tours, directly to the guests that we take on site visits in these areas.

Establishment and Running of Tourism Enterprises by the Local Entrepreneurs

These include accommodation establishments, catering, transport, retail outlets, guiding and entertainment. Our operations in these areas have seen a boom in the formation of these enterprises at the local level, all of which are under direct power and control of the local people.

Voluntary giving / support by tourism enterprises and tourists

The guests that we take on site tours have in many instances offered voluntary support, in cash or in kind, to the local people which has contributed to an improvement in the standards of living of the people in our areas of operation.