Community Involvement in Cultural Heritage Tourism: The Case of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

The interest in cultural heritage sites is growing as they are increasingly becoming tourist attractions. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is occupied by the Maasai community, constituting about 1500 individuals, most of whom are self-employed women selling their products to tourists visiting the bomas. Community involvement in cultural heritage plays an important role in promoting tourist visits. Being restricted from moving from place to place during Covid-19 negatively impacted their involvement in cultural heritage, as they derive their income from visitors to cultural heritage sites. However, little is known about the positive impact that Covid-19 had on the community from being involved in heritage sites. This case study reveals that the unexpected outbreak of Covid-19 has greatly contributed to finding alternative ways of attracting tourists, and so stakeholders need to consider how the community continues to be involved in the cultural tourism industry when an unexpected crisis occurs. The case study examines the benefits the community, conservation authorities and investors can derive from heritage sites. Students are encouraged to identify factors that offer the potential for innovation by applying the social exchange theory and the theory of institutional arrangements. The case study helps students understand how community involvement in heritage sites can attract tourists, thus fostering students’ development of innovative ideas against business as usual at cultural heritage sites. Students are encouraged to formulate better strategies to counteract the effects of unexpected crises like Covid-19—on cultural heritage sites. They could explore cultural heritage tourism approaches and practices, focusing on community involvement and the challenges faced by cultural heritage sites in conservation areas.