Can sustainable-tourism achieve conservations and local economic development? The experience with nine business – community wildlife-tourism agreements in Northern Tanzania

This paper reports the results of an investigation between conservation and local economic development. Focusing on Tanzania nine tourism-wildlife business - community agreements are analyzed, including three NGO-initiated agreements, three business-initiated agreements and three government-initiated agreements. The analysis of the agreements aims at the assessment of their effects on Local Economic Development and Conservation. The following major outcomes of the analysis could be noted: NGO initiated agreements on the whole contribute most positively to conservation while business-initiated agreements contribute most positively to local economic development. Most importantly it provides insights on how business community agreements can provide for both Local Economic Development and Conservation. The research, finally, provides lessons for a better focused and more effective community based natural resources management policy.