tourism in kenya gcse case study

Tourism in Kenya

An example of how the growth of tourism in kenya (a nee) helps to reduce the development gap.

Kenya is a country in East Africa that has successfully developed a tourism industry over the past 40 years. 

Tourists visit Kenya for many reasons, including to go on safari and to visit its spectacular coastline around Mombasa. Wildlife viewing of animals such as lions, elephants and giraffes is the major tourist attraction in Kenya. Elephants and rhinos almost died out in the 1980’s because of poaching and hunting but tourism has offered a more sustainable economic activity. As can be seen on the graph, Kenya attracted nearly 1.4 million visitors in 2017.

Kenya faces numerous problems as a country, it suffers from periodic failure of the rains such as during the 2011-12 Horn of Africa famine and terrorist attacks from the Al-Shabaab group linked to Al Qaeda. The GDP in 2013 was only $1,245 per person, just above LIC status and making it a lower middle income country.

Some facts about tourism in Kenya

• Travel & Tourism generated 226,500 jobs directly in 2013, indirectly 11.6% of Kenyan’s jobs rely on tourism • 11% of the total wage employment is accounted for by tourism and earnings from tourism allow the government to reduce their level of debt • Tourism contributed DIRECTLY 4.8% of Kenya’s GDP in 2013 and a massive 12.1% of GDP through direct and indirect (e.g. farms supplying hotels) tourist services. • 7.6% of Kenya’s capital investment (money coming into the country to develop industry and projects) comes from tourism • Money spent by tourists in 2014 within Kenya was 17% of Kenya’s exports.   • Tourism brings in US$5.3billion to Kenya’s economy

All of these positive economic features have allowed Kenya to develop as a country – tourism directly supports the development of Kenya as a country and allows the government to reinvest money into improving the quality of life for its people. However there are positives and negatives of the tourism.

Positives of tourism 

1. Tourists like to see cultural shows by Maasai warriors and will pay good money for it 2. Local infrastructure is improved as water and sanitation facilities, roads, buses, taxis and airports are provided for tourists. 3. Tourists see beautiful landscapes, wildlife such as elephants and plants. They can also be educated about the dangers to fragile ecosystems in the modern world. 4. The Kenyan government loves tourism - foreign currency spent by tourists can be invested in improving local education, health and other services 5. Tourism creates jobs for local people in Kenya and people can learn new skills in tourism services and construction 6. Visitors get an insight into local customs and traditions.

Negatives of tourism

1. Foreign companies may bring foreign workers to do the skilled jobs; so local people only do low skilled, poorly paid work. 2. Important projects for local communities might be side lined as infrastructure developments are focused on tourists. 3. Pollution and disruption to wildlife habitats could occur if tourism isn't sustainable. 4. Profits can often go to foreign companies, such as tour operators and hotel chains, rather than to the local community. 5. Coastal Environments such as those in Mombasa have been damaged by tourism e.g. destruction of coral reefs as tourists step on the coral and also take souvenirs

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Tourism Case Study: Kenya

Tourism in kenya.

Kenya is in East Africa. In 2000, its GNI per capita was $800. In 2019, it was $1,200. Kenya used tourism to help grow it to develop.

How did the Kenyan government boost tourism?

• The Kenya Tourist Board created a website and campaign called 'Magical Kenya', which advertises Kenya's beaches, safari parks, golf, and white water rafting internationlly.
• In 2009, the Kenyan Minister for Tourism halved visa fees for adults and removed them for children.

Advantages of Kenya's growth in tourism

• Tourism is now 15% of Kenya's exports and has created 1.1 million jobs in Kenya.
• Tourism is worth 8.8% of Kenya's GNI.
• Sustainable hunting and sustainable forestry can be supported by the fees that tourists pay to enter Kenyan national parks, like the Maasai Mara National Park.
• Kenya's HDI has risen from 0.467 in 1990 to 0.579 in 2018.

Disadvantages of Kenya's growth in tourism

• Although tourism accounts for 8.8% of Kenya's GNI, this has been falling since 2015.
• Tourists' preferences can be very short-term. Investing in manufacturing is more likely to be certain and long-lasting than investing in tourism. There is almost a fashion element to people's travel preferences.
• The awareness campaigns about Kenya's wildlife may have led to increases in poaching. In 2018, the Kenyan government proposed imposing the death penalty for poachers.

1 Geography Skills

1.1 Mapping

1.1.1 Map Making

1.1.2 OS Maps

1.1.3 Grid References

1.1.4 Contour Lines

1.1.5 Symbols, Scale and Distance

1.1.6 Directions on Maps

1.1.7 Describing Routes

1.1.8 Map Projections

1.1.9 Aerial & Satellite Images

1.1.10 Using Maps to Make Decisions

1.2 Geographical Information Systems

1.2.1 Geographical Information Systems

1.2.2 How do Geographical Information Systems Work?

1.2.3 Using Geographical Information Systems

1.2.4 End of Topic Test - Geography Skills

2 Geology of the UK

2.1 The UK's Rocks

2.1.1 The UK's Main Rock Types

2.1.2 The UK's Landscape

2.1.3 Using Rocks

2.1.4 Weathering

2.2 Case Study: The Peak District

2.2.1 The Peak District

2.2.2 Limestone Landforms

2.2.3 Quarrying

3 Geography of the World

3.1 Geography of America & Europe

3.1.1 North America

3.1.2 South America

3.1.3 Europe

3.1.4 The European Union

3.1.5 The Continents

3.1.6 The Oceans

3.1.7 Longitude

3.1.8 Latitude

3.1.9 End of Topic Test - Geography of the World

4 Development

4.1 Development

4.1.1 Classifying Development

4.1.3 Evaluation of GDP

4.1.4 The Human Development Index

4.1.5 Population Structure

4.1.6 Developing Countries

4.1.7 Emerging Countries

4.1.8 Developed Countries

4.1.9 Comparing Development

4.2 Uneven Development

4.2.1 Consequences of Uneven Development

4.2.2 Physical Factors Affecting Development

4.2.3 Historic Factors Affecting Development

4.2.4 Human & Social Factors Affecting Development

4.2.5 Breaking Out of the Poverty Cycle

4.3 Case Study: Democratic Republic of Congo

4.3.1 The DRC: An Overview

4.3.2 Political & Social Factors Affecting Development

4.3.3 Environmental Factors Affecting the DRC

4.3.4 The DRC: Aid

4.3.5 The Pros & Cons of Aid in DRC

4.3.6 Top-Down vs Bottom-Up in DRC

4.3.7 The DRC: Comparison with the UK

4.3.8 The DRC: Against Malaria Foundation

4.4 Case Study: Nigeria

4.4.1 The Importance & Development of Nigeria

4.4.2 Nigeria's Relationships with the Rest of the World

4.4.3 Urban Growth in Lagos

4.4.4 Population Growth in Lagos

4.4.5 Factors influencing Nigeria's Growth

4.4.6 Nigeria: Comparison with the UK

5 Weather & Climate

5.1 Weather

5.1.1 Weather & Climate

5.1.2 Components of Weather

5.1.3 Temperature

5.1.4 Sunshine, Humidity & Air Pressure

5.1.5 Cloud Cover

5.1.6 Precipitation

5.1.7 Convectional Precipitation

5.1.8 Frontal Precipitation

5.1.9 Relief or Orographic Precipitation

5.1.10 Wind

5.1.11 Extreme Wind

5.1.12 Recording the Weather

5.1.13 Extreme Weather

5.2 Climate

5.2.1 Climate of the British Isles

5.2.2 Comparing Weather & Climate London

5.2.3 Climate of the Tropical Rainforest

5.2.4 End of Topic Test - Weather & Climate

5.3 Tropical Storms

5.3.1 Formation of Tropical Storms

5.3.2 Features of Tropical Storms

5.3.3 The Structure of Tropical Storms

5.3.4 Tropical Storms Case Study: Katrina Effects

5.3.5 Tropical Storms Case Study: Katrina Responses

6 The World of Work

6.1 Tourism

6.1.1 Landscapes

6.1.2 The Growth of Tourism

6.1.3 Benefits of Tourism

6.1.4 Economic Costs of Tourism

6.1.5 Social, Cultural & Environmental Costs of Tourism

6.1.6 Tourism Case Study: Blackpool

6.1.7 Ecotourism

6.1.8 Tourism Case Study: Kenya

7 Natural Resources

7.1.1 What are Rocks?

7.1.2 Types of Rock

7.1.4 The Rock Cycle - Weathering

7.1.5 The Rock Cycle - Erosion

7.1.6 What is Soil?

7.1.7 Soil Profiles

7.1.8 Water

7.1.9 Global Water Demand

7.2 Fossil Fuels

7.2.1 Introduction to Fossil Fuels

7.2.2 Fossil Fuels

7.2.3 The Global Energy Supply

7.2.5 What is Peak Oil?

7.2.6 End of Topic Test - Natural Resources

8.1 River Processes & Landforms

8.1.1 Overview of Rivers

8.1.2 The Bradshaw Model

8.1.3 Erosion

8.1.4 Sediment Transport

8.1.5 River Deposition

8.1.6 River Profiles: Long Profiles

8.1.7 River Profiles: Cross Profiles

8.1.8 Waterfalls & Gorges

8.1.9 Interlocking Spurs

8.1.10 Meanders

8.1.11 Floodplains

8.1.12 Levees

8.1.13 Case Study: River Tees

8.2 Rivers & Flooding

8.2.1 Flood Risk Factors

8.2.2 Flood Management: Hard Engineering

8.2.3 Flood Management: Soft Engineering

8.2.4 Flooding Case Study: Boscastle

8.2.5 Flooding Case Study: Consequences of Boscastle

8.2.6 Flooding Case Study: Responses to Boscastle

8.2.7 Flooding Case Study: Bangladesh

8.2.8 End of Topic Test - Rivers

8.2.9 Rivers Case Study: The Nile

8.2.10 Rivers Case Study: The Mississippi

9.1 Formation of Coastal Landforms

9.1.1 Weathering

9.1.2 Erosion

9.1.3 Headlands & Bays

9.1.4 Caves, Arches & Stacks

9.1.5 Wave-Cut Platforms & Cliffs

9.1.6 Waves

9.1.7 Longshore Drift

9.1.8 Coastal Deposition

9.1.9 Spits, Bars & Sand Dunes

9.2 Coast Management

9.2.1 Management Strategies for Coastal Erosion

9.2.2 Case Study: The Holderness Coast

9.2.3 Case Study: Lyme Regis

9.2.4 End of Topic Test - Coasts

10 Glaciers

10.1 Overview of Glaciers & How They Work

10.1.1 Distribution of Glaciers

10.1.2 Types of Glaciers

10.1.3 The Last Ice Age

10.1.4 Formation & Movement of Glaciers

10.1.5 Shaping of Landscapes by Glaciers

10.1.6 Glacial Landforms Created by Erosion

10.1.7 Glacial Till & Outwash Plain

10.1.8 Moraines

10.1.9 Drumlins & Erratics

10.1.10 End of Topic Tests - Glaciers

10.1.11 Tourism in Glacial Landscapes

10.1.12 Strategies for Coping with Tourists

10.1.13 Case Study - Lake District: Tourism

10.1.14 Case Study - Lake District: Management

11 Tectonics

11.1 Continental Drift & Plate Tectonics

11.1.1 The Theory of Plate Tectonics

11.1.2 The Structure of the Earth

11.1.3 Tectonic Plates

11.1.4 Plate Margins

11.2 Volcanoes

11.2.1 Volcanoes & Their Products

11.2.2 The Development of Volcanoes

11.2.3 Living Near Volcanoes

11.3 Earthquakes

11.3.1 Overview of Earthquakes

11.3.2 Consequences of Earthquakes

11.3.3 Case Study: Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake

11.4 Tsunamis

11.4.1 Formation of Tsunamis

11.4.2 Case Study: Japan 2010 Tsunami

11.5 Managing the Risk of Volcanoes & Earthquakes

11.5.1 Coping With Earthquakes & Volcanoes

11.5.2 End of Topic Test - Tectonics

12 Climate Change

12.1 The Causes & Consequences of Climate Change

12.1.1 Evidence for Climate Change

12.1.2 Natural Causes of Climate Change

12.1.3 Human Causes of Climate Change

12.1.4 The Greenhouse Effect

12.1.5 Effects of Climate Change on the Environment

12.1.6 Effects of Climate Change on People

12.1.7 Climate Change Predictions

12.1.8 Uncertainty About Future Climate Change

12.1.9 Mitigating Against Climate Change

12.1.10 Adapting to Climate Change

12.1.11 Case Study: Bangladesh

13 Global Population & Inequality

13.1 Global Populations

13.1.1 World Population

13.1.2 Population Structure

13.1.3 Ageing Populations

13.1.4 Youthful Populations

13.1.5 Population Control

13.1.6 Mexico to USA Migration

13.1.7 End of Topic Test - Development & Population

14 Urbanisation

14.1 Urbanisation

14.1.1 Rural Characterisitcs

14.1.2 Urban Characteristics

14.1.3 Urbanisation Growth

14.1.4 The Land Use Model

14.1.5 Rural-Urban Pull Factors

14.1.6 Rural-Urban Push Factors

14.1.7 The Impacts of Migration

14.1.8 Challenges of Urban Areas in Developed Countries

14.1.9 Challenges of Urban Areas in Developing Countries

14.1.10 Urban Sustainability

14.1.11 Case Study: China's Urbanisation

14.1.12 Major UK Cities

14.1.13 Urbanisation in the UK

14.1.14 End of Topic Test- Urbanisation

14.1.15 End of Topic Test - Urban Issues

15 Ecosystems

15.1 The Major Biomes

15.1.1 Distribution of Major Biomes

15.1.2 What Affects the Distribution of Biomes?

15.1.3 Biome Features: Tropical Forests

15.1.4 Biome Features: Temperate Forests

15.1.5 Biome Features: Tundra

15.1.6 Biome Features: Deserts

15.1.7 Biome Features: Tropical Grasslands

15.1.8 Biome Features: Temperate Grasslands

15.2 Case Study: The Amazon Rainforest

15.2.1 Interdependence of Rainforest Ecosystems

15.2.2 Nutrient Cycling in Tropical Rainforests

15.2.3 Deforestation in the Amazon

15.2.4 Impacts of Deforestation in the Amazon

15.2.5 Protecting the Amazon

15.2.6 Adaptations of Plants to Rainforests

15.2.7 Adaptations of Animals to Rainforests

16 Life in an Emerging Country

16.1 Case Studies

16.1.1 Mumbai: Opportunities

16.1.2 Mumbai: Challenges

17 Analysis of Africa

17.1 Africa

17.1.1 Desert Biomes in Africa

17.1.2 The Semi-Desert Biome

17.1.3 The Savanna Biome

17.1.4 Overview of Tropical Rainforests

17.1.5 Colonisation History

17.1.6 Population Distribution in Africa

17.1.7 Economic Resources in Africa

17.1.8 Urbanisation in Africa

17.1.9 Africa's Location

17.1.10 Physical Geography of Africa

17.1.11 Desertification in Africa

17.1.12 Reducing the Risk of Desertification

17.1.13 Case Study: The Sahara Desert - Opportunities

17.1.14 Case Study: The Sahara Desert - Development

18 Analysis of India

18.1 India - Physical Geography

18.1.1 Geographical Location of India

18.1.2 Physical Geography of India

18.1.3 India's Climate

18.1.4 Natural Disasters in India

18.1.5 Case Study: The Thar Desert

18.1.6 Case Study: The Thar Desert - Challenges

18.2 India - Human Geography

18.2.1 Population Distribution in India

18.2.2 Urabinsation in India

18.2.3 The History of India

18.2.4 Economic Resources in India

19 Analysis of the Middle East

19.1 The Middle East

19.1.1 Physical Geography of the Middle East

19.1.2 Human Geography of the Middle East

19.1.3 Climate Zones in the Middle East

19.1.4 Climate Comparison with the UK

19.1.5 Oil & Natural Gas in the Middle East

19.1.6 Water in the Middle East

19.1.7 Population of the Middle East

19.1.8 Development Case Studies: The UAE

19.1.9 Development Case Studies: Yemen

19.1.10 Supporting Development in Yemen

19.1.11 Connection to the UK

19.1.12 Importance of Oil

19.1.13 Oil & Tourism in the UAE

20 Analysis of Bangladesh

20.1 Bangladesh Physical Geography

20.1.1 Location of Bangladesh

20.1.2 Climate of Bangladesh

20.1.3 Rivers in Bangladesh

20.1.4 Flooding in Bangladesh

20.2 Bangladesh Human Geography

20.2.1 Population Structure in Bangladesh

20.2.2 Urbanisation in Bangladesh

20.2.3 Bangladesh's Economy

20.2.4 Energy & Sustainability in Bangladesh

21 Analysis of Russia

21.1 Russia's Physical Geography

21.1.1 Russia's Climate

21.1.2 Russia's Landscape

21.2 Russia's Human Geography

21.2.1 Population of Russia

21.2.2 Russia's Economy

21.2.3 Energy & Sustainability in Russia

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Mass Tourism in Kenya, fully resourced outstanding KS4 GCSE lesson

Subject: Geography

Age range: 5-7

Resource type: Other

Last updated

22 February 2018

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The Effects Of Tourism In Kenya

The Effects of Tourism in Kenya

GCSE Humanities Coursework

Introduction

Kenya lies on the east coast of Africa. It is bordered by five countries and the Indian Ocean. It is 1 degree north of the equator and has a land mass of 582,650 square metres. Over 32 million people live in Kenya and the main language is Swahili (Fig 1).

Figure 1 – Map of Kenya, to scale

Kenya has many varied attractions. One of the biggest attractions is the opportunity to see the amazing range of wildlife on the grassland areas called Savannah. It is home to such animals as elephants, lions, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles. This has attracted big game hunters, zoologists, and lovers of wildlife who want to see the ‘big five – elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino’ on safari.

Another tourist attraction is the mountainous areas which include 5,199m tall Mt. Kenya, which has glaciers at the top (Fig 2). This attracts experienced climbers, geologists, scientists, trekkers, walkers and even white water rafting enthusiasts who travel to Kenya when the glaciers melt to enjoy the fast rushing water. A series of lakes in the Great Rift Valley including Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana are inhabited by flamingoes, hippos and rhinos, and bring lovers of wildlife to its shores.  

The coastline is another main area of attraction. The coast borders the Indian Ocean and has brought holiday makers to its white sandy beaches and warm, clear waters, where coral reefs team with life (Fig 3). Just behind the coast there are both coastal forests and inland forests. These boast not only a rare and varied species of plants and trees but a wide range of reptiles and wildlife which attracts botanists.

Kenya does not only attract lovers of wildlife and people who love the ‘coastal holiday’ breaks. Kenya also has a rich, varied and eventful history. Cities such as Nairobi and Mombasa have a range of different cultures, traditions and architecture for tourists to explore and experience.

It is this varied landscape and variety of wildlife, history, cultures, customs and traditions which has encouraged tourism in Kenya. In the last century overseas visitors came to Kenya for big game hunting and after Independence from Britain in 1963, the government realised the enormous potential of the ‘tourist industry’, encouraging local and foreign entrepreneurs to invest in tourism in Kenya, making it the most popular tourist destination in Africa.  

In this article, I aim to determine whether the influence of tourism on Kenya has been beneficial in the country’s development, and to see if there is any way of sustainable tourism that will avoid damage to the environment, economy and the cultures, so that Kenya’s natural resources can be preserved.

Maasai Mara

Kenya has 43 national parks. The Maasai Mara lies in the Great Rift Valley and borders Tanzania. It is named the Maasai Mara after the Maasai tribe, who inhabit the area (Fig 4), and the Mara River which runs through the middle. The terrain is mostly grassland, and Acacia trees can be seen in the south-east region. The western border tends to have the biggest concentration of wildlife as there is swampy ground which means that the animals and wildlife always have access to water. This also means that disruption from tourists is minimised as the swampy ground is inaccessible. The Maasai Mara is not the biggest game reserve in Kenya, the area is 1510km 2 , but it is the most famous, as there are about 1.3 million wildebeest and about 250,000 zebra and many tourists go to see the annual spectacle of the migration of thousands of wildebeests. Tourists also come for the black rhino, a species threatened with extinction from poaching. Wikipedia states that in 2000, there was a recorded population of only 37.

Figure 4 – Maasai Warrior

This is a preview of the whole essay

The key use of the Maasai Mara is for tourists who come to seek the “safari experience”. This has bought many advantages for Kenya. As well as building hotels, money had to be spent in the development of other areas such as agriculture, transport and communications. This included the improvement of hospitals and public utilities such as electricity supplies and telephone systems. This was to cater for the numbers of tourists. These improvements, as well as benefiting the tourists, have also benefited the locals. Tourism has provided direct and indirect employment for thousands of people. It has also given a great awareness for the conservation of the landscape, vegetation and wildlife, and the preservation of the traditional way of life of such people as the Maasai. In recent years things have changed for the Maasai. They now have a share in the money made from entrance fees and hotel bills. The funds go to two local councils who divide the money among the Maasai clans that own the land on the reserves.

The following quote, taken from Kenya By Heather Blades, by a spokesman for the Maasai shows that tourism can have a positive impact and be advantageous if managed correctly:                                                                                                                           “Tourism will bring employment to the area, and if the hotels and tour operators only employed local people, this would have a big impact on the community’s decision to allow tourism.”  

However, tourism has also brought disadvantages for Kenya, including the Maasai Mara. Environmental disadvantages include the fact that increasing numbers of tourists can actually result in the destruction of the environment and loss of habitats in order to build the communication network. Areas frequently visited by safari trucks are damaging the fragile vegetation and so causing soil erosion and pollution problems such as litter. Having too many animals in an area can destroy the natural environment. Keeping big animals such as elephants away from people’s farmland is another problem.-

The economic disadvantages are that the country doesn’t gain the full benefits of income from overseas visitors – only 15% of money spent on a holiday reaches the host country. Some of the local people, such as farmers or fishermen may lose their livelihoods in areas where tourist facilities are developed. People who used to live and keep their herds in the National Parks have been forced out, losing their land and their traditional way of life. Numbers of visitors to the game reserve go up and down, which doesn’t create a stable income for the workers in the tourist industry.

Social disadvantages are that local traditions are disappearing faster in favour of copying the visitors. The tourists look down on the local people and treat them badly.

Although tourism in the Maasai Mara is seen in all travel brochures to bring benefits for the Kenyan people and its wildlife, this is not always the case. The images in the brochures show idyllic scenes of open plains, with little traffic and tourists looking at animals relaxing in their natural habitats (Fig 5), when in reality it is completely different (Fig 6), shows large numbers of safari vehicles flocking to the area where one of the “Big Five”, a lion, has been sighted. This causes damage to the environment, animal’s habitats, and stress to the animals.

Figure 5 – Travel Brochure Safari

Figure 6 – Safari: the Reality

The Daily Telegraph in December 2007 stated that                                                     “Research has shown that cheetahs in national parks have started to hunt at midday, where there are no tourists present, as they are harassed so frequently by safari vehicles.”                                                          Wikipedia also states that                                                                                              “ s are also to be found, although their numbers are threatened, chiefly due to tourist disruption of their day-time hunting.”                                                                           Together, these two quotes indicate how tourism can have a negative impact on the wildlife in Kenya.

The coastal town of Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, with a population of half a million people. It is located in the South East part of Kenya, lying on the edge of Indian Ocean, and the total size is 100 2  miles. It has the best natural harbours on the whole coast, having two ports, one old and one new. Centuries ago, traders from Arabia anchored in Mombasa and set up businesses and built ‘Arab Towns’, which included mosques where they could worship Islam. This influx of Arab merchants has shaped how Mombasa is today with over 50 mosques and a large Muslim community. Muslim women are often seen wearing the black, loose fitting bui bui dress, along with a black head covering (hijaab), and they also sometimes wear a veil (nikab) (Fig 7). Because many people on the coast are Muslims, the festivals and ceremonies of Islam are very important occasions.

Figure 7 – Traditional Muslim female attire          Figure 8 – Shanty town

Today Mombasa is a city of contrasts, with exotic luxurious buildings and a sprawl of informal settlements or ‘shanty towns’ at the edge of the city (Fig 8). Mombasa plays an important part in the country’s economy, not only from imports and exports, but also as a tourist destination, as it has the best white sandy beaches and coral reefs that Kenya has to offer.

I am now going to discuss how the above factors have had both a positive and negative impact on this area. With the popularity of Mombasa as a tourist destination, there have been advantages for Mombasa and its population. New facilities have had to be brought in to cater for the needs of the tourists. The tourist resorts need airports, new roads to resorts, buses, hotels with ‘western facilities’, and services such as water (Mombasa now has a reliable water supply), sewerage and electricity. All these needs have created jobs for Kenyans, so people have migrated from rural areas, to gain work.

However, this increase in population has added to the shanty towns as most of the jobs created are unskilled and poorly paid. Seventy to eighty percent of the population of Mombasa live in the shanty town area. These shanty towns often have no safe drinking water, so disease spreads quickly in an area where health care provision is limited. More than half of Kenya’s urban population now live in poverty.

Sir R. Sanders stated “Tourism has come to be seen in Mombasa as being of no benefit to the local population. Despite the massive growth in tourism, only a limited number of locals have a stake in it”. The National Geographic

This quote reinforces how little tourism can benefit the local people.

There has also been conflict between western visitors and the local Muslim community, as tourists do not always understand or follow the local traditions or respect the cultural differences.

“The traditional Muslims also feel under threat from the thousands of tourists who flock to Kenya’s Indian Ocean beaches. They are often young, on holiday and insensitive to Muslim attitudes. The sight of scantily clad or drunken Westerners on the streets has contributed to Islamic conflict”. The Observer, Sunday 1 st  December 2002

Past and recent conflict has also had a negative impact on the area, and the falling number of tourists has not helped this. Tourist numbers peaked in 1990 but since then the numbers have fallen, with severe economic consequences for the country and its people.

For example, in 2002, The Paradise Hotel was bombed, by a Somalian group linked to Al-Qaeda. This had a dramatic effect on tourism.

“The Australian Government confirmed that there was a possible terrorist threat in Mombasa. It said threats against Westerners in Mombasa are high. The foreign office in Britain issued a ‘generic warning’ to travellers to Kenya”

                                                                                  The Independent, 30 th  November 2002

Kenya’s recent problems in 2008, which have been sparked off by a presidential election, the result of which has been disputed, have resulted in 1000 people being killed and forced more than 250,000 from their homes.                                                                 “There should be more than 30,000 visitors at the height of the season. But the hotels lie empty. Over the last month, 20,000 people working in tourism have lost their jobs. This will also have an impact on this area and its people.”                                                       These two quotes highlight how conflicts can have an enormous effect on tourist’s decisions to travel to Kenya, which in turn affects the lives of the people who live there.

Sustainable Tourism

Due to the negative impact that tourism can have, other ways to develop tourism without causing damage to the country have to be evolved for tourism to be sustained within Kenya. The Kenyan Government is keen to develop alternative venues for tourism and in doing this it hopes to reduce the detrimental impact of visitors at the most visited spots. They also wish to promote other forms of attractions. One of the proposed ideas is health spas; Kenya has lots of geothermal springs, an example being Lake Bagoria.

Another idea is to extend the existing 36 golf courses as this is a popular pastime for some tourists. Further ideas include cruises on Lake Victoria and the building of conference centres to attract a regular trade of business travellers. Increasing the number of tourist venues would bring job investment opportunities to a wider range of people and regions in Kenya. However, these ideas might also have a negative impact and cause environmental damage if not done properly.

So tourism must be seen as a sustainable industry but take into account ecological and environmental factors. This is called Ecotourism. Ecotourism invests in and supports the protection of the environment, respects local cultures and involves local communities to ensure equity for all share holders rather than the few. Conservationists will be called upon to give professional advice.

“Most of all it is our culture that we must protect. It must be made clear how the negative impacts of tourism will be overcome by the positive ones. If we can be sure we will be better off by changing then we will welcome tourism.”

                                                                                        Book – Kenya by Heather Blades

This quote shows us that tourism could be affecting the local cultures. The local people will only welcome change if the tourism is beneficial.

For the future, tourism will have to be more low impact tourism which directly benefits local communities and provides opportunities for these communities to have control over local tourism.

One example of sustainable tourism is the ‘Kaya Kinondo Ecotourism Project’. This is set in a 30-hectare forest south of Mombasa. The local community have formed this project which offers controlled access to the sacred forest (Kayas). Only limited numbers of visitors are allowed and these visitors have guided tours where the community share information on the local culture. The tourists also get the chance to visit the village and interact with ‘traditional’ locals such as the Medicine Woman (Fig 9).

  Figure 9 – The Medicine Woman at the                                    Kaya Kinondo Ecotourism Project

In conclusion, it would seem that tourism has given a major boost to the Kenyan economy and has brought many advantages. There is no doubt that tourism has provided both direct and indirect employment for over a 100,000 people. It has developed its road, rail and air communications systems, as well as improving services such as telephones, hospitals and public utilities. This has not only helped cater for the tourists, but also the needs for the local people.

Tourism in Less Economically Developed Countries, LEDC’s, can also bring environmental and social problems. Most of these advantages and disadvantages can apply to tourist locations anywhere in the world. However, the disadvantages may be more severe for LEDC’s. For example, management and stewardship of the environment are more difficult in countries like Kenya because they lack the human expertise and money to be as effective as More Economically Developed Countries, MEDC’s. Also, much of the technology and many of the materials which are essential for setting up the facilities and services needed for large scale tourism in LEDC’s have to be brought in from  MEDC’s.

Therefore tourism must be seen as sustainable, it must benefit the locals. If badly managed, tourism will not improve the quality of life of people living in LEDC’s, such as Kenya. Most of the money will only benefit wealthy foreign people and companies.

The life expectancy in Kenya is only 49 years, and the mortality rate of infant births is 79 deaths in every 1000 live births. The Gross National Income is only 20.9 billion, in comparison to Britain’s 1151 billion. Only 46% of the population in rural areas have approved drinking water, and access to a clean water supply is still a problem for many Kenyans.

LEDC’s like Kenya need to produce as much money as possible from tourism to counteract these problems. Tourism is Kenya’s largest source of income. A large percent of the country depend on it, for a source of income, and to support their families.

Document Details

• Word Count 2814
• Page Count 10
• Subject Geography

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Case study: Ecotourism in Kenya

By Matt Burdett, 27 January 2018

On this page, we look at ecotourism in Kenya as one case study of sustainable tourism in one low-income country.

Ecotourism in Kenya

Kenya has a wide range of ecotourism activities, including cultural (indigenous peoples) and environmental (hiking and adventure tourism, and wildlife safaris). For example (Kenya Travel Tips, 2018):

• About 7.5% of the country is designated for wildlife conservation
• There are 23 National Parks and 28 National Reserves, plus six marine reserves
• Wide range of wildlife including lions, elephants, zebras and over 1070 bird species
• 536 kilometers of coastline, which is largely sandy beaches
• Six World Heritage Sites

Tourism is a major industry in Kenya. However, it is very difficult to ascertain detailed figures on ecotourism, although there are some figures about tourism in general. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics collects detailed information about tourism. The number of international visitors has been largely stable for several years there has been a slight decrease:

• Reported Visitor Departures by Purpose, 2009 – 2016. Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 2017.

The number of tourists visiting the Game Parks and National Reserves actually decreased during the same period, as shown below. This corresponds with the slight decrease in overall holiday visitors during the same period, but it is not evenly distributed among the parks with some, such as the Nairobi National Park, experiencing an increase.

These visitors contribute an estimated US$1 billion per year to the Kenyan economy, which is roughly 10% of gross domestic product. Tourism is the biggest industry in Kenya, employing 9.3% of workers (Kenya Tourism Board, 2016).

National scale ecotourism

Responsibility for tourism in Kenya is under the Kenya Tourist Board. It has a sustainability committee which works on four principles (Kenya Tourism Board, 2016):

• Environmental conservation
• Education and empowerment
• Social responsibility
• Culture and heritage preservation

The Kenya Tourist Board introduced an ‘Eco-rating Scheme’ in 2002 for accommodation providers (such as hotels) and in 2015 this was expanded to tour operators with the ‘Travel Life’ rating scheme. There are now over 100 eco-rated facilities in Kenya. There are also annual awards given for the most sustainable practices.

These advances are in line with Vision 2030, Kenya’s national development plan. Tourism is the lead sector in the plan to achieve a transformation of the national economy (Kenya Tourism Board, 2016).

Kenya’s plans for tourism rely on five pillars to avoid greenwashing . ‘Greenwashing’ is a term “used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service” (Greenpeace, n.d.). The five pillars are:

• Pillar 1 – Leveraging the Might of Giants / Benchmarking. This means that Kenya looks abroad at similar policies to learn lessons, such as looking at Ecotourism Australia, and CAST in the Caribbean
• Pillar 2 – Broad & Inclusive Sustainability Guidelines. Reference to the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Pillar 3 – Education & Specialization. Includes support for three major tourism conferences held annually in Kenya.
• Pillar 4 – Recognition of Champions. Eco-rating Schemes and other awards.
• Pillar 5- Partnership / Integration. Includes stakeholder agreement and recognition.

Local scale sustainable tourism: The Maasai Mara National Reserve

• Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Source: Key45, 2003.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve was first established in 1961. Since then it has earned a reputation as one of the best ecotourism destinations in the world. Ecotourism is encouraged by tour companies and accommodation providers.

Cottars Safari Service

Cottars is one of the oldest tourism companies in Kenya, having been first registered in 1919. It is an award winning ecotourism company that makes efforts to be sustainable. It operates in the area around the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

• When visitors come to the area and use Cottars, they are expressly charged a lease fee for wildlife conservation. Some of this revenue is shared with local communities and also used to help develop the 6,000 acre Olderikesi Wildlife Conservancy on the edge of the Reserve as a way to expand the area under conservation.
• Cottars employs accredited guides to ensure they are in harmony with the environment and culture of the area; many of these guides are from the local area.
• Tourists are encouraged to bring a few items with them from their home country that can support local people, such as school supplies for the Olpalagilagi Primary School for a total of 200 students.
• Cottars takes tourists to visit the local Maasai villages which helps to provide a market for traditional products such as beads, which helps local people economically.
• Financial and legal support was provided to local communities to fight for land rights, resulting in the legal ownership of the Olderkesi Group Ranch in 2010.
• Combines with groups such as Bridging the Gap; a bridge was built across the Sand River, preventing an average of six deaths per year and allowing local people to access social amenities.

(Sources: Cottars, 2015; Cottars.com, 2012)

Olarro Lodge

• Olarro Lodge, Kenya. Source: Sunsafaris.com

Olarro Lodge is a rural hotel about halfway between Nairobi and Lake Victoria, near the border with Tanzania. In January 2015, it won the coveted Gold Eco-rating Certification from Ecotourism Kenya. It is about 5 km from the Maasai Mara nature reserve, and is within the Olarro Conservancy. The conservancy is a 7,500 acre area which is owned by around 150 local Maasai landowners. To ensure the principles of ecotourism are successfully implemented, the Lodge has made several alterations to be more sustainable.

• Solar power is produced on-site with 150 solar panels
• Two wind turbines add to the electrical supply
• Water is heated with 17 solar water heaters, which can heat around 600 liters of water each
• Signage encourages visitors to save electricity
• Energy saving light bulbs are found throughout the hotel
• Water is sourced from a natural spring within the conservancy, and rainwater is harvested from rooftops of the buildings and stored in three 100,000 litre underground tanks
• Waste water is treated on-site and used to provide irrigation for the hotel’s lawns
• Guests are encouraged to behave more sustainably by being educated about these features on their arrival

• Olarro Lodge, Kenya. Source: Karanja and Shabanji, 2015.

Cottars, C., 2015. Cottars Strive for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism. In Naturals Magazine number 06. https://ecotourismkenya.org/resource-centre/downloads/#toggle-id-7 Accessed 27 January 2018.

Cottars.com, 2012. Cottar’s Conservation, Community, Culture & Commerce. http://www.cottars.com/conservation-community Accessed 27 January 2018.

Greenpeace, n.d. Greenwashing. https://stopgreenwash.org/history Accessed 27 January 2018.

Karanja and Shabanji, 2015. Replicable Best Practices At Olarro Lodge. In Naturals Magazine number 06. https://ecotourismkenya.org/resource-centre/downloads/#toggle-id-7 Accessed 27 January 2018.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 2017. Statistical Abstract 2017. https://www.knbs.or.ke/publications/ Accessed 27 January 2018.

Kenya Tourism Board, 2016. Sustainable Tourism Report 2016 http://ktb.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/KTB-Sustainable-Tourism-Report-2016.pdf Accessed 27 January 2018.

Kenya Travel Tips, 2018. Tourism in Kenya. https://www.kenyatraveltips.com/tourism-in-kenya/ Accessed 27 January 2018.

Key45, 2003. Gnus and zebras in the Maasai Mara park reserve in Kenya. Wildebeest and zebra migration in Maasai Mara. Sourced from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GnusAndZebrasInMaraMaasai.jpg Accessed 27 January 2018.

Sunsafaris.com, n.d. https://www.sunsafaris.com/safari/kenya/Maasai-mara/olarro-lodge.html Accessed 27 January 2018.

Case study: Ecotourism in Kenya: Learning activities

• Why is Kenya a suitable destination for ecotourism? [4]
• Outline the changes in tourism numbers in Kenya in recent years. [3]
• Outline the national approach taken to ecotourism in Kenya. [5]
• Suggest how the Maasai Mara National Reserve can be considered in keeping with ecotourism principles. [6]
• Do you consider tourists to the Olarro Lodge are ecotourists? Explain your answer. [4]
• Overall, do you think ecotourism can bring benefits to people in Kenya? Why? [8]

Other tasks

Conduct research into another remote tourist destination that offers ecotourism, such as the Kuna Yala of Panama. Compare the efforts made by both destinations and suggest which is the more sustainable form of ecotourism.

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Case Study Tourism in an LEDCs Kenya

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How can the growth of tourism reduce the development gap?

Jamaica Case Study

Jamaica Case Study – How can the growth of tourism reduce the development gap?

Jamaica is the fourth-largest island country in the Caribbean. It has a tropical climate with high temperatures throughout the year. Jamaica is famed for its beautiful sandy beaches and rich cultural heritage. It has excellent communications and is a popular destination for cruise ships.  

A cruise ship in Jamaica

How has tourism in Jamaica grown?

Tourism has seen significant growth in Jamaica. The graph below illustrates this.

As you can see, there has been an almost exponential growth in the number of visitor arrivals to Jamaica between 1994 and 2016. However, although visitor arrivals continued to increase in 2009, the change was not in line with previous years due to the recession, which reduced many people’s disposable income.

Total visitor expenditure increased from US$128,706,000 in 1975 to US$3,400,000,000 in 2019.

How has Jamaica reduced the development gap?

Tourism is one of Jamaica’s top sources of revenue. The industry contributes over 50% of the country’s total foreign exchange earnings (approx. US$2b). Thousands of Jamaicans work directly or indirectly in tourism . Tourism employs the second largest number of Jamaicans (approximately 200,000) directly in hotels, transport and attractions and indirectly in trading, manufacturing and banking.  

Tourism in Jamaica benefits local farmers through the sale of produce to hotels. For example, Jamaica’s Sandals Resort Farmers Program grew from 10 farmers in 1996, supplying two hotels, to 80 farmers in 2004, supplying hotels island-wide. As a result, in 2018, the hotel chain provided more than $25 million in assistance, starting with the up-front purchase and distribution of $3.5 million of Irish potato seeds to five farmers in Manchester, Jamaica. Under the partnership, the five farmers will be the sole providers of Irish potatoes to the entire Sandals group, which comprises 11 resorts in Jamaica. The purpose is to enable the hotel chain to purchase potatoes locally rather than rely on imports.

There have been considerable investments in infrastructure to accommodate tourists. Port facilities have been expanded, as have airports and road infrastructure. However, the development of roads followed much later as catering for cruise ships was prioritised. Some hotel owners have not been happy with this.

Many people in key tourist areas, such as Montego Bay , have benefited from an improved quality of life due to tourism. However, pockets of poverty still exist.  

The environment has benefited from landscaping projects and the introduction of nature parks.  

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