This study was designed to assess the involvement of the local community in tourism planningrnand development in Awash Melka Kunture Prehistoric Site, South West Shoa Zone. The targetrnpopulation of this study was households of Godeti Wamber, Dambi Roge, Muti Alibo kebeles,rnand Awash Melka town, experts of Kersa Malima District Culture and Tourism Office andrnAwash Melka Kunture Prehistoric Site. In order to conduct this study, mixed research approachrnand descriptive research design were used. Purposive and proportionate stratified samplingrntechniques were used to determine sample size and simple random sampling technique wasrnapplied to select household from the sample size. Besides, the household questionnaire surveyrnand interview were used as a data collection instrument, whereas both primary and secondaryrnsources of data were used to collect relevant data. Key informants for interview 3 experts fromrnDistrict Culture and Tourism and 1 from Awash Melka Kunture Site and 212 households forrnquestionnaire survey were selected. Quantitative-led mixed methods of data analysis were used.rnThe final result of this research was analyzed, interpreted and discussed by using descriptivernstatistics (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics, binary logit model.rnThe study identified that the extent of local community involvement in the study area was low itrnaccounted for less than 3.5 mean in all indicators. The willingness of their involvements for bothrninvolved and non-involved, it scored above 3.5 Mean in different ways of involvement. Therefore,rnthis shows that the willingness of local community involvement in tourism planning andrndevelopment in the study to be high. This result also revealed that the involvement of the localrncommunity in tourism planning and development in the study area has a different economic,rnsociocultural and environmental contribution. The study identified that socio-demographic,rneconomic characteristics and institutional factors affected local community involvement inrntourism planning and development. Based on the findings of the study, the researcherrnrecommended that awareness creation, develop a tourism-related educational workshop andrnprioritizing local community will improve and enhance local community involvement in tourismrnplanning and development.rnKey words: Local community involvement, Tourism Planning, Tourism Development, AwashrnMelka Kunture