Introduction
Community-based Tourism (CBT) is one of the tourism sub-sectors with a direct social and
economic impact on local communities. By developing Community-based Tourism Enterprises
(CBTEs), communities gain income-generating opportunities and better job prospects. At the
same time, CBT helps communities to manage and preserve their knowledge and cultural
resources. It allows them to take part in the direct development of their communities while
simultaneously reaping the benefits of tourism. CBT places a strong emphasis on all aspects of
social, cultural, economic, and environmental sustainability. In Rwanda, CBT is closely linked
with the growth of eco-tourism and sustainable tourism. The Government of Rwanda identified
CBT as a key tourism development priority for diversifying the tourism industry beyond gorilla
related tourism. The Tourism Policy (2009) targets support at viable Small, Micro and Medium
Enterprises (SMMEs) offering marketable tourism products and services that meet essential
quality standards as well as aiming to promote CBT 1 in order to achieve a wider spread of the
economic benefits from tourism, especially with regards to the rural sector. The module of
community based tourism comprises three learning units and ten learning outcomes which will
be delivered in one hundred and twenty hours (120). Within twelve (12) credits.