Roles of institutions in empowering residents towards sustainable ecotourism in Ghana: insights from Kakum National Park and Bobiri Forest and Butterfly Sanctuary

Most tourism destinations in developing countries are owned and controlled by the government, with some level of support from the private sector. However, the roles of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and public and private institutions in empowering residents towards sustainable ecotourism have received less attention in the literature. Providing human, psychological, social, economic, political, and environmental empowerment is crucial for achieving sustainable ecotourism. This study addresses this knowledge gap by employing a qualitative approach to investigate the phenomenon. It was observed that the NGOs, public and private institutions engaged residents in certain activities. However, these activities are not adequate to result in residents' empowerment. The study recommends that the public sector enact policies, strategies, and frameworks that can drive institutions to empower residents to ensure ecotourism sustainability. This study contributes to ecotourism knowledge as it combines six forms of empowerment that have practical policy implications for residents' empowerment towards sustainable ecotourism.