Do ecotourism sites enhance rural development in Ghana? Evidence from the Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary Project in the Upper West Region, Wa, Ghana

ABSTRACT Globally, ecotourism has become an important component of the tourism sector, partly because it serves as an essential source of livelihood for local communities. The Wechaiu Community Hippo Sanctuary Project (WCHSP) is one of the community-based ecotourism facilities in Ghana with the potential to accelerate development of the area. Studies have investigated the sustainability of the project and the levels of participation in the management of the project. However, these studies have seldom investigated the benefits and costs of the WCHSP to the surrounding communities. Using a concurrent mixed-method involving 206 survey respondents and 13 in-depth interviews, the study found that the development of the resource has led to improved social, economic, health and infrastructural needs of the people but also noted that the resource has indirectly introduced some levels of hardships to the communities due to loss of livelihoods. The policy and practical implication of the study are discussed.