Tourists attractions and amenities in and around BMNP
The survey of natural and cultural ecotourism resources indicated that natural and cultural attractions or resources are the main ecotourism potentials in BMNP. These resources includes: wildlife, bird, scenery of landscape, water bodies, attractive culture, local handicrafts, and indigenous knowledge and accommodation facilities at nearby areas. Therefore, it is possible to say that BMNP is where ecotourism business can operate. As Table 1 presents, different types of ecotourism potentials indifferent sites of BMNP. For example, Gaysay (Dinsho area) and Sanetti plateau are sites for endemic mammal species like Mount Nyala, Ethiopian wolf, Bohor and Menelik bush buck; and Giant mole rat and others respectively. Also village women at the vicinity of headquarter of the park offers local handicrafts to the tourists.
Table 1: Locations and major tourist attractions in BMNP
No
|
Location sites in BMNP
|
Tourist attractions
|
1
|
Grassland/Gaysay (Head quarter and vicinity area)
|
· Mammal species Eg. Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s bush buck, Bohor red buck
· Local handicrafts / products
|
2
|
Fincha Haborra
|
· Water falls
|
3
|
Tulu Dimitu
|
· Mountain-hiking
|
4
|
Sanneti Plateau
|
· Some mammal species Eg. Ethiopian Wolfs, Giant mole rat, wild dog, Lion…
· Bird watching
|
5
|
Harana Forest
|
· Some endemic and other bird species, E.g Blue-winged goose, Harwood’s francolin …
|
In general, as it could be observed from table 5 and there are ecotourism potentials in and around BMNP, which can attract tourists and may contribute to conservation of natural resources, if they are developed. Holden (2003) also acknowledged that the ecotourism resource in protected areas could generate more revenues, which could benefit the local people and contributed to conservation of protected areas [2].
Rich diversity of wildlife Resources
Responses of experts of natural resources of BMNP headquarter office, indicated presence of numerous species of mammals, water bodies and scenery of landscapes, which attract tourists. During assessment of ecotourism resources, the responses of sample households and warden of the park indicated the disappearances of endemic Ethiopian wolf from the park at Senatti plateau. Their responses also indicated that the encroachments of human beings in to protected area resulted in hybridization of Ethiopia wolf with domestic dog; and this cases in loss of genetic materials in produced offspring of Ethiopian wolf, and therefore the numbers of Ethiopian wolf in the park are reduced [9].
During the socio-economic survey, the responses of households indicated that the area under the BMNP was a home for diversified and populated wildlife species. However; recently due to deforestation and over-grazing their frequency decreased. But as responses of park wardens indicated there are some mammals such as Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s bush buck, Bohor and others are observed around headquarters of the park and at a distant area from the park headquarter.
Responses of experts of BMNP headquarter office indicated presence of numerous species of birds, water bodies, and scenery of landscapes, which attract tourists. Rated by African Bird Club (ABC) as the number four birding site in Africa, the Bale Mountains are home to over 282 species of birds, including nine of the 16 species endemic to Ethiopia [9]. Furthermore, over 170 migratory birds have been recorded within the park. BMNP is home to almost every highland Abyssinian and Ethiopian endemic. With over 863 species of birds recorded, representing approximately 9.5% of the world’s bird diversity and 39% of the bird species in Africa. Ethiopia is often considered one of the most avifauna –rich country in Africa. Sixteen of Bale’s bird species are endemic to Ethiopia [8]. Due to the diversity and density of rodents, the Bale Mountains are also an extremely important area for resident as well as wintering and passing raptors [9].
Ethiopian endemic bird species found in the Bale Mountains include: Blue-winged goose (Cyanochen cyanoptera), Spot-breasted lapwing (Vanellus melanocephalus), Yellow-fronted parrot (Poicephalus flavifrons), Abyssinian catbirds (Parophas magalinieri), Bale parisoma (Parisoma griseiventris), Ethiopian siskin (Serinus nigriceps), Fawn-breasted waxibill (Estril dapaludicola) and the Abyssinian owl (Asio abyssinicus) [9].
Cultural and Historical Attractions
Ahead of nature based tourism resources, built features and cultural artifacts are important tourist attractions in and around MBNP. The area around BMNP is also endowed with intact tangible and intangible cultural heritages. For instance, the people in the Bale have their own cultural values composed of traditional activities, and religious ceremonies with old aged traditional dances, music, dressing, hair style, language dialects (Afanoromo), handicrafts production, architecture, and traditional cuisine preparation.
According to the respondents, tangible cultural sites includes: churches, monasteries, shrines, mosques, monuments, buildings and palaces are the most important cultural attractions of the area. Secondly, the living cultures of the local communities like ways of living, hospitability and friend lines, festivals, and social holidays and events are the other potential cultural tourism resources around BMNP [8]. The people of Bale also have enormous colorful cultural values and norms. For instance, gastronomic habits, dressing code, language, social ties and organizations, traditional ceremonies and events like Gada system, Muda ceremonies, Oda ceremonies, funeral and wedding ceremonies, dance and traditional and modern music are the living intangible cultural assets which attract both domestic and international visitors [10].
Based on data collected from interviews and field observation, the areas around BMNP has not much historical historic tourism resources comparing to natural and cultural tourism resources. The majority of the respondents suggested that the main historical tourism resources are historical buildings, palaces, the legendary people of Bale, like General Waqo Gutu and their birth places, Bale peasant rebellion, battle fields and related historical sites are the potential historical tourism resources around BMNP.
Tourist facilities and services
The information obtained from BMNP headquarter indicated that some tourist facilities and services such as main asphalt road on western side of BMNP, mobile network, guiding services, camping sites, guest rest house, at west of Gaysay and view-points are offered to the tourists in BMNP. In addition to these, there are hotels/ lodges in and around BMNP that provides accommodation and other services to tourists throughout the year. According to head quarter office, there are two hotels and two lodges around and in BMNP respectively. According to BMNP head quarter office (2017) report as blow table 2 summarizes these hotels and lodge and the length of days tourists stay there.
Table 2: Summary of average number tourists staying days at each hotels/lodges
No
|
Hotels/Lodges
|
Av. no of days tourists stay
|
1
|
Dinsho Lodge
|
2
|
2
|
Bale Mountains Lodge
|
1
|
3
|
Bekele Mola Hotel
|
3
|
4
|
Wabe Shebele Hotel
|
2
|
Average
|
2
|
The responses of BMNP headquarter office indicated that increasing tourist stay days could increase expenditures of tourists which increases the income of hotels/ lodges and indirectly increases job opportunities for local people. Their responses also revealed that the staying days of tourists depends on quality of attractions, tourist facilities and services. WTO (2002) confirmed that creating alternative facilities for tourists could increase stay days of tourists for larger part of the year [11]. Consequently, hotels/ lodges, tour operators, the employee and local people of the destination area or the poor people more benefited.
The information obtained from park records, and the oral discussion with park warden revealed that the BMNP offered some tourist facilities such as guiding, camping site, and guest rest house in and around the park. As responses of warden of the BMNP confirmed during interview, BMNP also created some job opportunities for 82 members of local communities from total employee of 110. The responses of the BMNP warden also revealed that the village women at the vicinity of headquarter of BMNP, which offered cultural handicrafts to tourists, are other positive aspects of the tourism activities at vicinity of BMNP.
Even though the study revealed the tourism activities in and around BMNP has benefited some members of local communities, there are indicators for occurrences seasonality in tourism activities and destructions of natural resources around tourist destination sites [12] like vegetation for fire-wood, construction materials and other purposes in BMNP. Seasonality in tourism as fluctuation of customers or visitors in different months of the year.
The status tourists in BMNP
The analysis based on the records from headquarters of park office in the past 11years (2004 to 2014), indicated that the tourists of BMNP were Ethiopians, resident foreigners, international tourists and students or researchers in total figured 14, 423. Table 11 summarizes of tourists’ types and numbers of BMNP in the past 11 years, from 2004 to 2014. So, as it could be observed from table 11, the students or researchers covered the largest share (46.21%) whereas the resident foreigners covered the least share (9.92%) of those visited BMNP in the past 11 years.
Table 3: Summary of visitors’ types and numbers of BMNP from 2004 to 2014
Year
|
Ethiopians
|
Resident
foreigners
|
International
tourists
|
Students
(education)
|
Total visitor of the year
|
Revenue collected
(in Birr)
|
2004
|
393
|
66
|
101
|
269
|
829
|
8477
|
2005
|
273
|
97
|
177
|
301
|
848
|
34,524
|
2006
|
180
|
57
|
204
|
470
|
911
|
60,740
|
2007
|
366
|
81
|
188
|
304
|
939
|
81,800
|
2008
|
503
|
90
|
200
|
493
|
1286
|
77,609
|
2009
|
322
|
104
|
266
|
670
|
1362
|
94,248
|
2010
|
400
|
57
|
300
|
589
|
1346
|
104,087
|
2011
|
577
|
443
|
221
|
778
|
2019
|
145,094
|
2012
|
455
|
233
|
192
|
840
|
1720
|
119,779
|
2013
|
391
|
77
|
308
|
1045
|
1821
|
136,641
|
2014
|
212
|
125
|
99
|
906
|
1342
|
115,902
|
Total
|
4072
|
1430
|
2256
|
6665
|
14,423
|
978,901
|
Percent
|
28.23
|
9.92
|
15.64
|
46.21
|
100
|
-
|
Source: Adopted from headquarter of BMNP Office, 2017
When data of tourists of 2004 to 2014 were analyzed, a total of 7758 paying customers and 6665 not paying customers or students visited the park based on records of the past 11 years. The data indicates that about 46.21% of the visitors were students, who were traveled to the site for educational purposes. This is because of Bale Mountains National Park is one of the protected area in Ethiopia that provides not only for tourism development in the country but also it serve as research site for both national and international researchers. From the data it is observed that about 978,901 Ethiopian Birr was collected from tourists who were visited the site and that contribute to GDP of the country.
Major Management Problems on Natural Resources in and around BMNP
The major problems on the management of natural resources of the BMNP are: deforestation, expansion of farming, overgrazing and over extraction of water including conflicts between the park management and local communities. These problems results in soil erosion, vegetation degradation, wildlife depletion and associated factors. The responses of sampled households about management problems of the BMNP are presented in table below.
Accordingly, responses of respondents during households survey relating to management or conservation problems of natural resources of BMNP indicated that 45%, 25%, 15% and 15% respondents responded that deforestation, expansion of farming, overgrazing and over extraction of water respectively (Fig 1) are the major causes of degradation of natural resources in BMNP.
The above causes of natural resource degradation can leads to many effects [12]. These includes: soil erosion, vegetation degradation, wildlife depletion, and bird reduction. The responses of respondents indicated that soil erosion and vegetation degradation (85%) are the serious effects of natural resource degradation.
The respondents of the study perceived that the management problems on natural resources led to severe degradations that can affect the whole ecosystems of the park and the tourists’ attraction quality of BMNP. For example, estimation based on responses of total sampled household indicated that the recent expansion of farmland and uncontrolled free grazing might be the main management problems of the park, which exposes natural resources for severe degradation (Fig 2).