KENYA CASE STUDY

The attraction of Kenya

• - it has an attractive climate (tropical) with sunshine all year round, hot
and humid at the coast; temperate inland and dry in the NE

• - Safari holidays are popular - e.g. in the Maasai Mara / Nakuru National
Park - Kenya has spectacular wildlife - including the big 5 - Lion, Elephant,
Rhinoceros, Leopard and Buffalo

• - Cultural experience - many tourists visit local tribes such as the Maasai to
find out more about their lifestyle and traditions

• - Coastal Holidays - SE of Kenya has fine sands and coral reefs with
spectacular marine life - e.g. Mombassa

Why have numbers of tourists visiting Kenya increased?

• - Kenya was one of the first LEDC countries to acheive mass tourism and in the
1970s and 1980s there was a rapid increase in the numbers of tourists,
particularly following the release of the films Born Free and Out of Africa.

• - Tourist numbers have also increased as larger aircraft in the 1980s brought
prices of air travel down.
Advantage Reason (why …… Disadvantage Reason (why ……
because) because)
Earns valuable Kenya can’t buy Providing the initial You need some
foreign exchange things it needs to infrastructure is basics to start with
develop without expensive. eg: airport and some
foreign currency. Eg: hotels and facilities,
Hospitals, schools, and these are very
major infrastructure expensive, which
and high tech LEDC’s like Kenya
equipment. can’t easily afford.
They often have to
borrow money =
 debt.
Provides direct Jobs = money earnt, Much of the profit Many hotels are
employment in which can then be “leaks” overseas to ownes by foreign
hotels, transport, spent in many ways the developing multinational chains
guides, wardens etc. locally, so countries. eg: Hilton, Sheraton,
in the Maasi Mara stimulating the local Holiday Inn. Foreign
National Park. market economy. A operators arrange
sort of Multiplier the holidays eg:
Effect. Going Places,
Thompsons and the
major money spent
is in the home
country.
Provides indirect Maasi and Kikuyu Much of the profit Some food is flown in
employment for local farmers can provide “leaks” overseas to from abroad to cater
people. food for the hotels, the developing for fussy European
souvenir makers and countries. tastes. Key positions
sellers, again putting given to foreign staff.
more money into the
local economy.
Attracts foreign Foreign investment = Creates a dual Local people who live
investment in hotels, quality facilities economy near in Mombasa ,
airport, roads, which will attract Bamburi and Malindi
water/electric/sewag more tourists = more by may benefit from
e services. money. Locals can the industry and spin
benefit from offs, but there are
improved few benefits
infrastructure. elsewhere.
Training provided by
multinationals
Money in the local More taxes can be Environment may be Mass tourism can
economy. collected by the put at risk cause degradation of
Kenyan goverment the area. Eg: The
and spent on local hotels have
developments such damaged the
as hospitals and wetlands by draining
schools etc. Also a water from the
charge is made to swamps for
enter the Park which swimming pools and
goes to the Maasi toilet facilities. The
tribes as an incentive hotels also cut
and compensation timber for the tourist
for loss of land. barbecues =
deforestation.
Ensures the Competition from Environment may be The large number of
protection of the local farmers and put at risk minibuses and 4
resources that poachers would WD’s has caused
attract tourists eg: seriously endanger damage to
Discourages the animals. vegetation and is
poaching of Big Poachers can earn causing soil erosion.
Game animals and more money at less It also scares wildlife.
on the coast near risk in the tourist
Mombasa, the trade now as a
damage to coral guide. Tourism
reefs. provides easier
money than farming
in the game
reserves.
Tourist money can be Bamburi Cement Mass tourism has The Maasi tribe have
re-invested in Quarry near changed local lost their grazing
creating new Mombasa has now cultures and rights in the National
environmental been restored to an traditions. Park because tourists
projects. environmental visiting the wild life is
attraction of sub- considered more
tropical forest and important.
swamp and a Compensation is
sustainable inadequate.
commercial venture
including a fish
farm, a crocodile Local people are Without adequate
hatchery, sales of excluded from the compensation, there
fruit and rice and Maasi Mara park is no incentive for
attracts thousands of conservation areas the Maasi to protect
tourist visitors a without wildlife and so
year. compensation. poaching is still a
problem
Mass tourism has Local people now use
changed local their culture, dance
cultures and and costume as a
traditions. money earning
entertainment so
degrading their
traditions.
Increasing Things like bungee
commercialisation of jumping, micro-light
tourist attractions / aircraft, ballooning,
activities. sale of cheap trinkets
and even drugs is
leading to a tacky
image and this may
soon be a
disincentive to
visitors.