Working Conditions and the Porters’ Socio-economic Welfare in Mountain Tourism: A Case of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to address the working conditions of tourist porters in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. The study employed the cross-sectional research design. Since the actual number of porters was unknown by the time of data collection, the researchers randomly sampled 141 porters who were willing to participate in the study. The data collection tools included a questionnaire with both open-ended and closed-ended items and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Qualitative analysis, on the other hand, was done through content analysis. The researchers informed all the respondents about the purpose of the study and assured them of confidentiality regarding the obtained information. The study concludes that the park is committed to managing luggage weight limits and providing visitors and porters with well-maintained facilities from time to time but there was a doubt on the quality of those facilities. The study further concludes that mountain gear and equipment are essential elements for effective porters’ working conditions. The study recommends that time to time follow up should be done by the government to ensure that the standard luggage limit is adhered by establishing a proper reporting system that will track porters’ records. The porter association should foster transparency among park officials, tour operators, porters, and tourists to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the luggage weight limits, equipment maintenance procedures and ethical standards.