Enhancing Local Economic Development through tourism: Perspectives from a cohort of Got Ngetta rock climbers in Mid-North Uganda

Abstract

There is a growing focus on domestic tourism as a complementary strategy to international tourism. This development places a responsibility on national and local authorities to enhance their tourism attractions by ensuring that prospective visitors get value for money. In particular, local governments stand to benefit from tourism due to its potential contribution to Local Economic Development (LED). Considering the various preferences and the evidence of inadequate awareness among would-be visitors in Uganda, the focus of this article is on how Ugandan authorities can enhance rock climbing for domestic tourists. Using a data from personal interviews and self-administered questionnaire administered randomly to visitors at Got Ngetta rock, strategies for enhancing domestic tourism through rock-climbing are examined. It is established that the challenges facing rock climbing tourism revolve around a dearth of user involvement, which brings about considerable disregard of available opportunities including minimising environmental and cultural damage, enhancing user satisfaction and taking advantage of long-term economic growth. This concern necessitates a broader and inclusive strategy. It is concluded that these strategies can help redefine user involvement as an impartial instrument for enhancing rock climbing tourism and boosting the local economy.