Community-Based Tourism in Rural Areas Thematic objective:

A.1 Business and SMEs development Priority: A.1.3 Sustainable tourism Brief description of the project: This proposal presents an overview on the criteria of a sustainable CBT product in Kasese western Uganda. To play a major role in sustainable development, a CBT product must focus on competitive management, resource conservation, and benefit creation to the community. The three elements need to be supported, in turn, by women and youth involvement and commitment. As the proposed conceptual framework of sustainable CBT product can be a basis for further research in CBT, it offers theoretical and practical inputs. CBT is an extension of Sustainable Tourism (ST) that takes place in rural and natural settings. As in other CBTs projects, ST requires the involvement and participation of community in managing the tourism activities. Community’s involvement contributes to create economic dynamism, to improve their well-being and indirectly to promote their culture to the world. CBT aims to extend the benefits from tourism activities to the community in the targeted areas in return for their participation in the process of development as well as during the sales and delivery of the products and services Women call centre Uganda submitting a project proposal for Community Based Tourism (CBT) in rural areas: In Kyarumba Kasese western Uganda to enhance development of entrepreneurial and business acumen for women and youth, through building effective partnerships with local community, CSOs, NGOs, private sector and key stakeholders in the area” Main objectives – issues to be addressed: Main Goal: Develop business entrepreneurial and business acumen in community based tourism sector, with the active participation of women and youth, so that they will be highly involved to lead in this sector. specific objectives: 1. Develop an integrated socio-economic plan to build capacity and empower of community-based tourism actors. 2. Guide the Community based tourism actors to lead and manage Tourism Destination Management Center (TDMC) sustainably based on market value chain approach systems. 3. Develop organizational and managerial skills of business projects for TDMC. 4. Develop opportunities for marketing and promotion of products services provided by the TDMC supported by using technology, new media and interactive markets. Expected results: 1) Integrated sustainable socio-economic plan involving all actors and audience. 2) Action plan to link producers and service providers with market factors and actors. 3) Marketing group capable of promotion, packaging and other marketing skills. 4) Sustained and managed brand of rural areas. 5) Local products developed of high quality. 6) Active distribution channels. 7) Technology used for marketing products. 8) Selling channels open in main cities, regionally and internationally. 9) Participate in exhibitions, festivals and other events. 10) Success stories documented. 11) Future plans to support and expand the TDMC. Impact: 1) Integrated sustainable socio-economic management involving all the actors and the audience. 2) Women and youth in rural area community involved in sustainable tourism sector. 3) Strong, sustain and active market value chain support tourism destination management