Abstract:
Tourism is increasingly becoming a major economic sector for many countries by contributing
to Gross Domestic Production (GDP), income, Government revenue, employment (formal
and informal), environmental conservation and trickle down effects. It is one of the important
tools for addressing poverty, gender inequality and sustainable development particularly in
developing countries where poverty is very common. That is why tourism has been included
in the Poverty Reduction Strategies of more than 80% of low income countries. Community
Tourism Enterprises (CTEs) have been popularized in a bid to improve community and
individual livelihoods. Proponents of pro-poor tourism argue that the success of tourism in
livelihoods improvement depends on the extent to which pro-poor strategies are integrated in
tourism development. This paper used the case of Il-Ngwesi Group Ranch to examine how
CTEs embrace pro-poor strategies in livelihood improvement. Information was solicited
for through oral interviews, observation and Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The results
of the study revealed that Il-Ngwesi Community Group Ranch has embraced diverse pro-
poor tourism strategies which have yielded positive socio-economic and livelihood benefits.
However, community participation is still low especially in the management of Il-Ngwesi
Eco-lodge as management functions are performed by Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
