Authors : Simbi Cynthia Ornella; Dr. Afolabi Luqman

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 9 - September

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/3222aupt

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26sep103

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Tourism Revenue Sharing (TRS) is a policy mechanism with a pivotal role to promote community development and conservation around protected areas in Rwanda. While the TRS programme has invested heavily in social infrastructure and community projects, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the impact of TRS on the livelihoods of households. This study assessed the livelihood impact of Tourism Revenue Sharing (TRS) supported projects in the communities bordering the Musanze District in Rwanda in the light of the Theory of Change (ToC), Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Theory and Stakeholder Theory. The study specifically analyzed the impact of TRS-funded projects on access to education, healthcare and water services, as well as on household income generation and poverty reduction, and how socio-economic shocks affect household resilience; in addition, the impact of governance, inclusivity and sustainability was assessed. A mixed-methods research design, that is quantitative and qualitative, was used. A total of 275 beneficiary households were randomly selected from Kinigi, Nyange and Shingiro sectors using structured questionnaires to collect the primary data, while Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to collect the qualitative data. Descriptive statistics and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) were used to analyze quantitative data and the qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that the TRS-funded projects have contributed considerably to providing access to basic services, especially education, health care, and water provision, thus improving the welfare of households and their quality of life. Results also indicated that TRS-supported IGA had a positive effect on the household's income diversification and poverty reduction, the level of effect on the economy was moderate. The study also found that TRS interventions have increased the resilience of households through enhancing their coping and recovery processes to socio-economic shocks. In addition, governance quality, inclusivity and sustainability emerged as key factors in project effectiveness; communities with higher levels of transparency, accountability, participation and fair distribution of benefits also had better livelihood outcomes. The structural model validated that better access to basic services, economic empowerment, household resilience and institutional effectiveness all play a role in positive livelihood outcomes among the beneficiary households.

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