Institute of Tourism

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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/1398

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Browsing Institute of Tourism by Author "Ampumuza, Christine"

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    Reimagining habituation: The case for a reciprocal and contextual understanding
    (People and Nature, 2025-08-06) Doney, Ethan D.; Fry, Tom; Donfrancesco, Valerio; Pettersson, Hanna; Nijhawan, Sahil; Clark, Douglas A.; Driessen, Clemens; Ampumuza, Christine; Sandbrook, Chris
    As the frequency and intensity of human–wildlife interactions continue to rise, the process and outcomes of habituation are becoming more important. Commonly defined as ‘…a waning of response to a repeated, neutral stimuli’ or of similar wording, we argue that these conceptualisations of habituation are too simplistic in the context of direct human–wildlife interactions. We argue that much of the habituation literature has been one-sided (i.e. focused only on the nonhuman) and detriment-focused, failing to grasp the deep complexities of the process and its implications. We conducted a brief scoping review of the habituation literature to show how the term is being used by whom, and in what context. We sought to explore habituation from a broad disciplinary range and therefore included literature from ethology, behavioural ecology and conservation biology as well as disciplines less represented in mainstream conservation such as multispecies anthropology, political ecology and more-than- human geography. Supported by the scoping review, we illustrate that habituation as an outcome of human–wildlife interactions is (1) a nuanced, reciprocal process that is both understood and practised in diverse ways, with potentially negative and positive impacts for both people and wildlife and (2) is shaped by cultural, historical and political–economic contexts. We share four case examples based on our own research that justify and reinforce our arguments for reframing our understanding of habituation. Adopting more reciprocal and contextual conceptualisations of habituation will improve our collective understanding of how it occurs and how to find ways to adapt and coexist. We urge future research to explore these ideas and understandings through different geographical and species contexts and apply additional disciplinary approaches to understanding and managing human–wildlife interactions.
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    Socio-emotional Skills and Graduate Employability in the Hospitality Sector of South Western Uganda, Kigezi Sub -Region.
    (Kabale University, 2024) Tushabe, Sylivia Byarugaba; SSempala, Fredrick; Ampumuza, Christine; Mbowa, Henry Stanley
    Hospitality graduates struggle to secure employment in the hospitality sector. This study examined the relationship between socio-emotional skills and graduate employability in the hospitality sector in the southwest Uganda-Kigezi sub-region. The research design employed in this study was the cross-sectional quantitative research design with a population of 640 graduates and a sample size of 400 was established for hospitality graduates based on Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970). The data was collected using structured and unstructured questionnaires and the data analysis was done by SPSS V. 23 Smart PLS V 4 and NVivo. Socio-emotional skills like emotional intelligence, teamwork, and communication skills were found to affect graduate employability. Numerous barriers were pointed out, like lack of experience and limited chance to meet others. Based on the study findings call for focusing on practical training and internships with institutions and industries to acquire skills required for improvement in the job market. Recommendations included curriculum integration, industry collaboration, practical experience internships and apprenticeships, and creating a linkage between HEIs and the hospitality sector. Furthermore, the development of socio-emotional skills is a prerequisite for the development of employment in the hospitality sector. This study may contribute to the existing literature on the development of soft skills and employment, and the findings from this study may be helpful for analogous study environments in Southwestern Uganda—Kigezi Sub-Region.