Community Based Tourism  |  Tanzania

Central to the mission of Equality in Tourism is empowering local female farmers with knowledge and skills to increase their contribution to the local hospitality and tourism value chain, as well as equipping them with new skills to bring community-based tourism into their village.

The community farm excursions will share the women’s lives in the Chagga communities and demonstrate how the Wamboma Co-op has enabled them to widen their skills and horizons. Transforming the lives of the most impoverished and marginalised women in the community into active and successful tourism providers.

This project will benefit the women of Kimushuku village. The village of Kimushuku is on the main road between Kilimanjaro and Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater. It is the most visited region of Tanzania, Kimushuku is easily accessed by tourists. It is a very large village; so, for the purpose of this project it has been split into two groups (group A and B). The funding for this project will benefit group A.

Project elements

1. AUD150 – facilitate ''How to Host Tourists'' training for 30 women.

2. AUD750 – facilitate ''Story Telling Workshops'' for 30 women. These workshops will provide a platform for the women to share their authentic empowerment stories. A skilled facilitator will guide discussions, encouraging participants to reveal their personal journeys, the challenges they've overcome, and the impact that the farm and tourism linkages and the Wamboma Co-Op have had on their lives. These stories will also serve as the foundation for a promotional video highlighting women's success story in rural farm-based tourism.

3. AUD1500 - produce a promotional WAMBOMA Farm Tour Video. The video will capture the essence of the farm experience through visual storytelling, showcasing the scenic beauty, cultural richness, and unique farm activities. The video will be used to promote the tourism experience to local tour operators and also directly to tourists via YouTube.

4. AUD7600- construct a building to be used to welcome tourists to the village, provide food and refreshments as well as western style toilet facilities.

Objectives

> Train 30 women - How to Host and Story Telling

> Partner with a minimum of 2 tour operators who will bring visitors to the village.

> Foster dialogue and co-create innovative tour experiences that showcase sustainable farming and women’s empowerment.

> Earn sufficient income from tours for the project to become self-sustaining: the profits being approximately $25 per visitor per half day excursion. This will provide a higher profit margin for the 30 trained women (accessed on a rotating roster) than they can currently earn from their co-op sales to the Wamboma Co-op. On average the women are responsible for 4 family beneficiaries.

> Profits to be shared among women hosts and an agreed percentage for community benefit. After paying the women involved, a yet to be agreed amount will go to a community fund to benefit the whole village: for example, creating a nursery for pre-school children or building a well.

> Feedback from visitors will inform the development of the project. Lessons learned will strengthen the project and will be critical for taking the learning to a second Wamboma village.