Yet even with such impressive figures, the sector's benefits have not trickled down to communities that live alongside some of the cultural and natural attractions that continue to catch the attention of local and international visitors.
The communities have complained of neglect, disenfranchisement, and lack of consultation in programmes geared towards promoting tourism in their areas.
Many African countries, for example, are home to iconic sites and natural resources that are places of pilgrimage. Local communities usually take care of these heritage sites, such as national parks, forests, sanctuaries, and beaches.
At the heart of community-based ecotourism is the involvement of communities in conserving these resources and having stakes in controlling activities around them, including tourism.
In addition to offering benefits to local communities, such as employment, the initiative contributes to foreign exchange earnings for national governments, ensures that resources are well protected, and enhances inclusion, especially among disadvantaged communities.
In areas where community-based ecotourism has been allowed to thrive, there have also been minimal conflicts within the local community and reduced environmental costs due to harmful activities such as illegal logging and poaching.
Senegal's Popenguine Nature Reserve is home to over 100 birds and animal species and owes its thriving nature to the efforts of over 110 women who came together in 1986 to tackle deforestation.
The reserve is now part of the West African nation’s flourishing community ecosystem, managed jointly by women drawn from eight villages.
In the reserve is a campsite, a flagship project of the eco-tourism venture.
It offers accommodations and guided tours to visitors, teaching them about the community’s conservation activities while introducing them to the various plant and animal species.
The communities also sell local foods, clothing and accessories as part of their eco-tourism venture, which economically empowers them while protecting nature.
Eco villages, a concept where communities live in harmony with nature through sustainable practices such as organically growing crops and construction of greenhouses that accommodate visitors, have caught the attention of local and international tourists.
The eco-village concept has been pivotal in promoting community-led tourism from Uganda and South Africa to Kenya.
Community and heritage tourism has emerged to promote conservation and empower disadvantaged communities.
Allowing communities to initiate their own tourism projects in areas with abundant natural resources is essential.
Government support through policies and legislation that protect heritage and way of life is also crucial to helping communities benefit economically from these resources and bridge the social and development divide.
Development organisations and private sector players could also partner with locally led tourism initiatives to support such projects by attracting more visitors and allowing the world to appreciate such communities' roles in conserving and preserving the environment.
A Guest Editorial