Abstract:
Community based ecotourism enhance the social sustainability by empowering local communities
to manage their own resources, provide meaningful employment, and assist with capacity building
and cultural preservation. The main objective of this study was to assess the Potentials,
Challenges, and Prospects of Community Based Ecotourism Development: the Case of Wof Washa
Forest. To this end, the study has attempted to integrate both qualitative and quantitative
approaches and descriptive research design was employed. The participants of the study were
members of the local community, community leaders, culture and tourism officials and lodge
owners. Qualitative and quantitative approaches selected using purposive sampling and simple
random sampling respectively. Questionnaire, interview and observation used as instruments of
data collection. The collected data were using instruments analyzed by frequency and percentage.
The findings showed that Wof Washa Forest and the surrounding community have an excellent
potential to develop as a CBET destination. From a product perspective, Wof Washa forest has
huge spectacular beauty, caves, holy water, exceptional views and unique landscape, diverse
range of flora and fauna as well as scenic landscape beauty which are suitable for trekking and
others sporting activities and local cultures are alive and quite interesting. So that, developing
CBET can engage a wide cross section of people and it is the most promising strategy to reduce
the livelihood and environmental challenges in the area. Though, major challenges are: low level
