Alternative Livelihood Options for Gich Local Community a Perspective on Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case of Newly Resettle Site of Debark/Semin Mountain National Park, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study area being a resettled site for the people does not have adequate information to survive in such a different geographical conditions and lack of knowledge towards new form of businesses limit them to work out for the alternative sources of livelihood. These communities were previously depending upon agricultural for food, income and for their day today survival. The factors that were prevalent in a resettled site compelled the community to involve in unsustainable practices. So, the objective of the study is to look out for an alternative livelihood options for Gich local community of Semin Mountain National Parks (Newly resettle site of Debark). The study is descriptive in its nature and qualitative & quantitative research methodology was adopted. Data collection was done on the basis of personal interviews, through questionnaire survey and Focus Group Discussions. Frequency, percentage, average mean, one way ANOVA, independent t-test, one sample test and paired correlation were employed. Local communities those are settled near and around the park have best possible livelihood opportunities such as off farm activities (carpenter, masonry, house painting, timber house, mill , bakery etc..), small scale agro based practices like ( poultry , livestock rearing, dairy, fruit orchards etc.), tourism product development ( handy crafts, traditional coffee , local beer , honey beer, traditional restaurants, traditional music house or “Azmari”, and tourism sector related employment ( souvenir shops, chefs, tour guides, guards of hotel, cleaners , housekeepers, porters and raw material suppliers to local restaurants).As stake holders were not able to solve the resettlement issues of the residents, they were unable to have community associations, there were lacking electricity and transportation facilitiesin an around the site and that makes local inhabitants dissatisfied about their resettlement.