Sustainable Development Initiatives and Performance of Community-Based Tourism Projects in Musanze District, Rwanda
Nsabimana Gilbert and Jean de Dieu Dushimimana
University of Kigali
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1325-6773
Email: gilbertnsa78@gmail.com
Abstract: The study aimed to explore the role of sustainable development initiatives in the performance of community-based tourism projects in Musanze District, Rwanda, with a specific focus on the Slow Hike Africa initiative. The study was grounded on two theories, Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Theory. The study employed a descriptive and correlational research design. The target population consisted of 268 individuals directly involved in the Slow Hike Africa CBT project in Musanze District, including local community members, local businesses, government representatives, and project managers. A sample size of 159 was selected using Krejcie and Morgan’s Sample Size Table. The findings revealed that community-based tourism projects performed above average (Mean = 4.50), indicating strong project success across sustainability dimensions. Economic sustainability initiatives demonstrated a significant positive correlation (R=0.725, p=0.000 < 0.05) and explained 52.6% of the variance in project performance (β=0.690, p=0.000<0.05). Social sustainability initiatives showed the strongest effect, with a correlation coefficient (R=0.748, p=0.000<0.05) and explaining 56.0% of performance variation (β=0.715, p=0.000<0.05). Environmental sustainability initiatives also had a strong positive association (R=0.712, p=0.000<0.05) and explained 50.7% of performance outcomes (β=0.675, p<0.05). When all three dimensions were combined, they jointly explained 78.0% of the variance in CBT project performance (R² = 0.780, p = 0.000), with social sustainability initiatives having the greatest influence (β = 0.338). The study concluded that the integrated application of economic, social, and environmental sustainability initiatives significantly enhances the long-term success and resilience of community-based tourism projects.
