Impacts of Armed Conflicts on Tourism in Protected Areas and Their Environment in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Armed conflicts significantly reduce tourism activities in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with eco-tourism and gorilla trekking being the most severely affected. A study involving 255 respondents—including local residents, key informants, and focus group participants—found that conflicts decreased tourist arrivals and disrupted tourism operations, particularly in areas like Nyiragongo ascension. Using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests, researchers determined that eco-tourism (97.9%) and gorilla trekking (92.7%) suffered the highest impacts. The study recommends addressing conflicts to mitigate their effects on tourism and enforcing laws to regulate resource use and movement within the park.

Byemba, A., Ariya, G., & Hellen, I. (2024). Impacts of Armed Conflicts on Tourism in Protected Areas and Their Environment in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, VIII(IV), 2130–2139. https://doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2024.804144