LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THROUGH TOURISM THE CASE OF TANZANIA CULTURAL TOURISM PROGRAM

This thesis examines the long-term sustainability of international development cooperation projects focused on community-based tourism as a tool for development, particularly in the Global South. Central to this analysis are the Cultural Tourism Program (CTP) in Tanzania and the author's personal experience at the Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tourism Enterprise (CTE). The study traces the growing recognition of tourism as a viable development tool, which gained prominence in the agendas of supranational organizations, development agencies, and NGOs, particularly from the 1990s onward. In Tanzania, the CTP represented a notable effort to share tourism revenues with local communities within a neoliberal framework, shaped by the country's Structural Adjustment Program. The study assesses the sustainability of the program by evaluating internal and external factors that either promote or hinder community-based tourism initiatives. Insights from the Mto wa Mbu CTE provide a closer examination of these dynamics. The research concludes that community-based tourism can be a sustainable development tool in the long run, provided certain conditions are met. However, not all destinations are suitable for this model, as the mere existence of a local community is not enough to drive tourism demand—particularly when diversification is limited and marketing efforts fall short. The commitment of public authorities to local development and poverty reduction is vital. If cultural tourism programs in Tanzania are seen solely as additional revenue streams for the national government, rather than tools for local empowerment, their long-term sustainability is at risk.