The Role of Museums, Monuments and Sites to the Development of Cultural Heritage Tourism Entrepreneurship in Tanzania

Abstract : Museums, Monuments and Sites are currently becoming the hub of business enterprises. Besides the well-known core functions and roles of the Museums, monuments and Sites throughout the world, that includes but not limited to acquisition, conservation, preservation, researches and awareness rising though educational programs and exhibitions, recently the scope and the roles of museums, monuments and sites have been extended to the development of cultural tourism entrepreneurship. Griffin (2002) in the Kenneth Myer Lecture put it clear that the ultimate goal of entrepreneurship in museums must be the enhancement of the visitors’ experience of interaction with the authentic object and the increase in understanding and knowledge. In Tanzania for instance business enterprises, corporate institutions, companies, start-up organizations and individual entrepreneurs have been working together with museums, monuments and sites in their ventures to furnish the needs of their companies, visitors and partners. This paper therefore, intends to unearth various ventures, products and opportunities offered as the Cultural tourism entrepreneurship in Tanzania through Museums, Monuments and Sites. Although the predominant applications of entrepreneurship in museums seem to consist in diversifying income, financing through entrepreneurial endeavors, or stepping into business-like activities (Högberg & Jogmark, 2021; Toepler, 2006), being commercial and entrepreneurial does not necessarily mean deviating from the museum’s core values. As Brenton and Bouckaert’s argue (2021, p.725), “financial entrepreneurial museums are also progressive, ethical, and innovative”. Thus, to make this study easier simple random sampling and observation techniques were used as the tools to collect data and analyse them descriptively.