VISITOR CHARACTERISTICS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS KIBALE NATIONAL-PARK, UGANDA

Since the introduction of ecotourism to Kibale National Park in 1992 i ts visitor numbers have risen to about 5000 per annum, creating the ne ed for proper planning and management, A visitor survey - the first ma jor study to be carried out in Uganda - was therefore conducted with t he aim of assessing visitor characteristics. The survey found that ove r 90% of visitors were from overseas and many were on vacation and vis iting for the first time, Their visits were planned and they came main ly to view the chimpanzees, the main attraction at Kibale, Most visito rs felt the recreational facilities at Kibale were of low standard and several changes were proposed, but some visitors indicated that the p ark should be kept as it is, It was concluded that these views should be considered in the planning and management of Kibale if sustainable ecotourism is to prove a realistic goal, Greater visitor control has b een proposed as well as further research into visitor behaviour. Copyr ight (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd