Resumen de Assessing ecotourism stakeholder power imbalances in COVID-19 resilience strategies in Ghana's Upper East Region.
Akonga Samuel, Yahaya Abdul Kadri, Yeboah Bismark Bonsu
The tourism industry's susceptibility to crises, rooted in its dependence on environmental services, necessitates effective resilience mechanisms for recovery during challenging times. This study explores the impact of power and interest imbalances on resilience strategies in Ghana's tourism sector during COVID-19. Using a mixed-methodexplanatory sequentialapproach, 297 respondents from fringe communities engaged in tourism were surveyed via lottery sampling, while 10 key informants were interviewed using purposive sampling. The participants for the quantitative survey included tour guards, Basket weavers, site managers, employees of the tourist’s destination and hotel managers. Officials of the Ghana tourism authority and sectional leaders of the various tourism businesses in the destinations satisfied the qualitative survey. The results indicate minimal imbalances among stakeholders, enhancing recovery efforts. However,stakeholders operating in natural attractions who were, excluded from government aid, resort to harmful practices like charcoal production and poaching, threatening environmental sustainability. To foster fairness and eco-friendliness, the study advocates for inclusive decision-making and cooperation within Ghana's tourism industry.
