Tourism in a post-conflict situation of fragility

Whilst there are studies of tourism development in sub-Saharan Africa, almost none explicitly explore tourism in post-conflict societies. This study, co-authored between an African ‘insider’ and European ‘outsiders’, analyses tourism development challenges in Burundi, a ‘situation of fragility’ emerging from a 12-year civil war. Framed by hopeful tourism’s co-created knowledge, the field research had unique access to powerful elites and remote communities and encompasses interviews with a wide range of stakeholders (including the President of the Republic), field observations, and a feedback workshop. The paper identifies challenges to sustainable tourism development in one of the world’s poorest countries and evaluates tourism in a post-conflict situation of fragility under the themes of institution- and state-building and post-conflict challenges and transitional justice.

► Explores post-conflict tourism development in a situation of fragility. ► Framed by hopeful tourism’s commitment to co-transformative learnings. ► Employs rapid situation analysis, accessing powerful elites and remote communities. ► Identifies the challenges to sustainable tourism development in sub-Saharan Africa. ► Discusses tourism, reconciliation, transitional justice and institution- and state-building in post-conflict settings.