Abstract:
Abstract Ethiopia is a country which is endowed
with an enormous assemblage of ecotourism
resources. This makes it a suitable country for the
development of community based ecotourism endeavors, to enhance conservation practices, and improve
indigenous livelihood. This study aimed to assess the
current community based ecotourism practices in
Menz Guassa Community Conservation Area. A
cross-sectional study design combining both quantitative and qualitative methods was used to describe the
existing community based practices. A total of 223
study participants completed a questionnaire, and the
data received were analyzed by using SPSS Version
20. Findings revealed that relatively, Menz Guassa
offers higher natural tourism activities (i.e. trekking,
bird and wildlife watching, climbing) with 4.35 mean,
compared to cultural activities. Indigenous community leaders were capable of operating and managing
community based ecotourism businesses effectively,
and inspiring individuals from the local population to
