Unlocking Africa’s Tourism Potential: Community-Based Tourism, Geosites, and Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development

Illustrative Image: Unlocking Africa’s Tourism Potential: Community-Based Tourism, Geosites, and Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development
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Ownership and Usage Policy

A recent study by Lemunge et al. (2025) titled “Community-based tourism in Africa: a systematic review of the status and emerging opportunities” published in Cogent Social Sciences, reveals that Community-Based Tourism (CBT) in Africa holds significant untapped potential for sustainable development, especially when it leverages geosites and cultural heritage features

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Community-Based Tourism in Africa holds vast untapped potential but faces barriers like poor infrastructure, weak policies, and limited local capacity.
– Lemunge et al. 2025

The study offers an in-depth analysis of how locally driven tourism initiatives can serve as powerful tools for sustainable development across the African continent. By focusing on community participation and the integration of unique cultural and geological assets, the research fills a critical knowledge gap regarding the types, opportunities, and challenges associated with Community-Based Tourism (CBT) in rural Africa. At its core, CBT is framed as a mechanism to advance several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly poverty reduction, gender equality, and environmental conservation. It empowers local communities by involving them directly in tourism-related activities such as guiding, hosting, performing cultural practices, and managing natural and cultural sites.

How the Study was Conducted

The study employed a systematic literature review guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework to ensure research rigor, transparency, and reproducibility. The review focused on the status and emerging opportunities of community-based tourism (CBT) in Africa, particularly those involving geosites and cultural heritage features.

The review included only peer-reviewed journal articles written in English, published between January 2010 and December 2023. Studies were sourced from Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirectdatabases. Excluded materials included book chapters, conference proceedings, editorials, reports, and short communications.

The three main databases—Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect—were thoroughly searched. Additional relevant studies were identified by examining the reference lists of selected articles. A targeted search strategy was applied using controlled keywords such as “Community-based tourism,” “Geosites,” “Cultural heritage features,” and “Africa”. Filters were used to ensure that only high-quality and relevant studies were included.

A total of 256 articles were initially retrieved: 100 from Scopus, 105 from Web of Science, and 51 from Science Direct. After removing duplicates and screening abstracts for relevance, 206 articles remained. A detailed full-text review led to the inclusion of 113 articles in the final analysis. Each article was independently reviewed by researchers to minimize bias, and disagreements were resolved with input from a third reviewer. Standard bias assessment tools were also applied.

Data points such as authorship, publication year, journal name, geographical focus, thematic content, and key findings were systematically extracted and recorded using a structured Excel spreadsheet. Findings were synthesized across four key thematic areas:

Types of community-based tourism

• Utilization of geosites and cultural heritage features
• Emerging opportunities
• Persistent challenges

The study further analyzed trends by region and publication year, with results presented in tables and graphs to facilitate better understanding and visualization of key insights.

What the Authors Found

The study found that Community-Based Tourism (CBT) in Africa holds significant untapped potential for sustainable development, especially when it leverages geosites and cultural heritage features—but its impact is currently limited by infrastructure gaps, weak policy implementation, and lack of local capacity and marketing innovation.

Why is this important

Empowers Communities and Preserves Heritage: Community-Based Tourism (CBT) enables locals to actively participate in tourism through guiding, hosting, and cultural performances while promoting pride in local identity and protecting geosites and cultural heritage from neglect.

Drives Progress Toward the SDGs: CBT contributes directly to Sustainable Development Goals such as poverty reduction (SDG 1), gender equality (SDG 5), decent work (SDG 8), responsible tourism (SDG 12), environmental protection (SDG 15), and inclusive partnerships (SDG 17).

Diversifies Africa’s Tourism Economy: By shifting focus from traditional wildlife safaris to geotourism and cultural tourism, CBT broadens visitor experiences and unlocks new economic opportunities for rural communities.

Addresses Critical Challenges: Without coordinated research and investment, CBT remains underutilized due to poor marketing, lack of infrastructure, and limited community training—leading to missed opportunities for sustainable growth.

Provides a Roadmap for Policy and Planning: The study offers actionable guidance for policymakers, NGOs, and tourism developers—urging inclusive strategies, improved infrastructure, and the development of databases to support CBT at local and regional levels.

What the Authors Recommended

• The study emphasises that governments and NGOs should work together to advance community-based tourism (CBT) centered on geosites and cultural heritage across Africa.
• Academic and policy research should prioritize the creation of comprehensive databases that track and assess the use of geosites by tourists and visitors.
• Furthermore, governments, in partnership with the private sector, should enhance accessibility to geosites and heritage features by upgrading transport networks and building visitor centers.
• In addition, establish geo-destinations in rural African villages to boost tourism, create jobs, and generate sustainable income for local communities.

In conclusion, Community-Based Tourism (CBT) offers a transformative pathway for sustainable development in Africa by harnessing the power of local communities, geosites, and cultural heritage. To fully realize its potential, strategic investments, policy support, and inclusive planning are essential to overcome existing barriers and unlock lasting socio-economic and environmental benefits.