Cultural Heritage Tourism Management for Local Economic Development in Uganda: A Case of Fort Baker in Gulu District, Northern Uganda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t5421Abstract
The study explored how cultural heritage tourism could be a strategy for promoting Local economic development in Uganda, specifically, Northern Uganda, Gulu District, Patiko Sub-County, which has not received sufficient attention. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating the level of Community awareness, the contributions and critical challenges faced in the management of Fort-Baker, Patiko. It was theorized by plan behaviour theory and deployed a qualitative single case study design with a total population of 33 participants comprising District Local Government technical and elected officials, the Lower Local Government appointed and election leaders, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities field staff, elders and Cultural leaders. Primary data were obtained using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and Documentary reviews. In order to ensure reliability and validity, content and construct validity were used. The collected data were organized, processed and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The study findings indicate that there is a low level of community awareness of cultural heritage tourism as a resource for local economic development. Furthermore, it’s revealed that Cultural heritage tourism has a great potential to contribute to Local economic development. In addition, the findings have established that management is one of the critical challenges facing Fort-Baker Patiko. In general terms, the findings confirm that Cultural heritage tourism is a potential area that could be exploited to promote Local economic development when it's well managed. Key recommendations are realignment of the management of Fort-Baker Patiko to the decentralization policy to ensure active participation of the district local government and lower local governments staff, community and stakeholders, based on a partnership arrangement hinges on a bottom-up development paradigm. Government should immediately map and document all potential and existing Cultural heritage tourism sites for effective planning, and finally, sensitization of the community and re-training of the field-based staff are paramount in this direction.
Keywords: Management, Monument, Physical infrastructure, Livelihoods, Theory of Planned Behavior, Northern Uganda.
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