| Summary: | Abstract Background Linkage of tourism with agriculture is critical for maximizing the contribution of local economic and tourism development. However, these two sectors are not well linked for sustainable local development in many destinations of developing countries. The objective of the study was assessing the practice, challenges and opportunities of tourism–agriculture nexuses in Bale Mountains National Park, Southeastern Ethiopia. Methods Community-based cross-sectional study design was employed, and 372 households were selected using multistage stratified random sampling technique for quantitative data and qualitative data were collected using FGD and key informant interview. Quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics such as χ 2 test to see the association of dependent and outcome variables, and qualitative data were coded and thematically analyzed. Results and conclusion The findings of this study revealed that there is no economically profitable coexistence between agriculture and tourism. Agriculture is the major economic activity of the community. Moreover, the market-based linkage of the two sectors was challenged by the practices of non-commercial type of agricultural activities; small market size of tourism industry; and its mere dependency on wildlife. The growing tourist flows and government attentions are pointed out as opportunities. Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Park Management Office and other stakeholders should pay attention to ensure linkage and market-based interaction between tourism and agriculture for sustainable local economic development in the study areas.
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