Concerned about
tourism? Try these
websites –
www.tourismconcer
n.org.uk/
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http://conserveonlin
other w
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inve
cecotourismprogram
impac
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and
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http://www.sustaina
using
bletourism.net/
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Find out more on this
website-
Summary – Kenya
and tourism
1
“I selected four places
across Kenya that give a
good variety of destinations
for tourists. The issues in
each place are also
different.” Pupil ‘quote’
Glossary – useful
words
2
Click on a location’s number for
information about tourism there
“I wanted the front
page to be a map,
but also wanted
people to be able to
get to other
Location – Masai Mara National Park – South West Kenya
Map of Area-
Tourist attractions – Tourist attractions of the Masai Mara mainly
involve something to do with the animals, especially the ‘Big Five’
(lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo). Most tourists go on
a safari around the park for the day. Some pay to live with the Masai
tribe for a week and experience the wildlife in a completely different
way, whilst experiencing their culture.
Positive impacts of tourism on the areaThe main positive impact of tourism in the Masai Mara is that
tourists bring in money, which has several different effects.
International tourists buy souvenirs, food etc. that supports the local
economy and helps local people make a living. Also, because of
this money coming in the government want to preserve the park and
the animals to protect the money that is generated from the tourism.
So tourism helps conservation because the wildlife is valuable to
local people and the Kenyan government.
Images –
Negative Impacts of tourism on the area- Whilst on safari tourists
can create a lot of damage by disturbing the wildlife. With nearly
200,000 visitors a year, vehicle pollution and erosion can be a
problem. Another problem is created when tourists take pictures of
the Masai without their permission, which invades their privacy and
possibly annoys them. Few tourists stay with the tribe, so the Masai
earn very little money from tourism.
How can the negative impacts of tourism on the area be managed?
– To cut down on negative impacts the government could enforce
the safari vehicles to stick to a trail, so as not to disturb as many
animals and to make the area that’s polluted smaller. This would
leave large areas just for wildlife reserves. We can as tourists stay
in the area, perhaps with the Masai, or at least ask people for their
permission before we take any pictures of them. The government
could make tourists aware of their impact through a campaign and
by forcing tourists to use approved guides and trails.
Popularity?
10
Reliance on tourism?
7
Changed due to tourism?
3
Ecotourism potential?
10
(Scores - 10 = yes, very, 1 = no, not at all)
“I decided to give
each location a set of
scores to help the
reader decide which
place they might
visit”
Home
Location – Mombasa – South Coast of Kenya
Map of Area-
Tourist attractions – sunny tropical beaches with a warm sea.
With temperatures that reaches up to 28oC it is one of the
hottest places along the coast. There are many hotels to
choose from and enough to suit most tourist needs. One of
the main reasons tourists come here are the beautiful coral
reefs. Mombasa has 680,000 visitors a year and gives them
everything they need and want on holiday.
Positive Impacts of tourism on the area - many jobs in
Mombasa are there only because of the tourist market, so
more people are able to earn a living because of tourism.
Tourist income is then spent on improving services and
education so tourism is helping places like Mombasa to
become more developed with a better life for its people.
Images –
Negative Impacts of tourism on the area- Some tourists dive
carelessly or illegally and destroy the coral reef. Also tourists
can disregard the Kenyan peoples’ beliefs by unknowingly
dressing in a certain way that offends them. For Kenyans
who make a living from tourism, their jobs may be seasonal
and depend on the numbers of people visiting. For other
people, the prices of things can go up because tourists buy
so many goods. Big companies own the large hotels so the
money can ‘leak’ out from the country and go abroad.
How can the negative impacts of tourism on the area be
managed? – The Kenyan government could run a campaign
for tourists to educate them about the culture and beliefs.
The city could put up signs of things not to wear or do. They
could have a local tourist tax so that even people visiting on
cruise ships or in big hotels contribute money towards
schools and hospitals for the people of Mombasa.
Popularity?
7
Reliance on tourism?
8
Changed due to tourism?
9
Ecotourism potential?
(Scores - 10 = yes, very, 1 = no, not at all)
5
Home
Location – Mt. Kenya – Central Kenya (North of Nairobi)
Map of Area-
Tourist attractions – Mt Kenya is the highest mountain in
Kenya, standing at 5199 metres. With 11 endemic species
this is a place for nature lovers. There are opportunities to
clime to the summit of the mountain and for an experienced
trekker this takes 3 to 5 days.
Mt. Kenya
Positive Impacts of tourism on the area- The money that is
used to pay for the trek (hiring the tour guides, etc.) can be
spent on preserving the trail and wildlife on the mountain.
Transport links have been improved to get tourists there
which helps getting to other rural places as well.
Negative Impacts of tourism on the area- Tourism can
damage the wildlife by disturbing animals and birds or though
walkers dropping litter. Walkers also cause footpath erosion.
The amount of pollution is increased as more people come
by car to the mountain due to the improved roads. Not all
climbers hire local guides at good rates, as people want to
save money. The guides are kept away from their families for
a long time as they spend so much time on the mountain.
How can the negative impacts of tourism on the area be
managed? – The negative effects could be reduced by
encouraging trekkers to meet up outside the area and travel
together to reduce their impact. A well-paid guide should be
needed to enter the area. The guides would then be able to
stop tourists littering or disturbing animals whilst on the way
to the top. Eco-tourism (tourism that considers the
environmental impact) could be encouraged instead of mass
tourism by mass advertising at Nature Reserves rather than
a football match.
Images –
Popularity?
9
Reliance on tourism?
1
Changed due to tourism?
1
Ecotourism potential?
9
(Scores - 10 = yes, very, 1 = no, not at all)
Home
Location – Lake Turkana - North Kenya
Map of Area-
Tourist attractions – The main attraction of Lake Turkana is
the wide range of wildlife including fish, birds, reptiles and
mammals. Lake Turkana is different to most different lakes,
being a desert lake, but it has no connection to any sea, river
or other lake.
Positive Impacts of tourism on the area- Lake Turkana will
brings in wildlife lovers that spend money and support and
the people that work there. As it is situated in a more
desolate area the government will want to improve the road
connections to the Lake which will not only help the people
travelling there.
Lake Turkana
Images –
Negative Impacts of tourism on the area- People will pollute
in order to get to the Lake as it is most likely they will be
staying further away e.g. in Nairobi. Whilst there they may
disturb the animals and get closer to them than they should
which could be unhealthy for the animals.
How can the negative impacts of tourism on the area be
managed? – The government and local people could manage
the negative effects by making Lake Turkana an exclusive
resort for wildlife lovers. They could create a small eco-resort
and charge high prices. They could enforce the tourists to not
disturb the birds and animals by building viewing platforms
and if tourists wanted to get close they would have to go with
someone who works at the park. The numbers would be kept
very small.
Popularity?
5
Reliance on tourism?
4
Changed due to tourism? 3
Ecotourism potential?
8
(Scores - 10 = yes, very, 1 = no, not at all)
Home
Home
Top ten key words linked to tourism in Kenya• Eco-Tourism – A eco-friendly way of going on
holiday
• Leakage – Money that has ‘leaked’ out of the
country through a company owned abroad
• Mass Tourism – Where everyone goes on holiday
their not just a target audience
• Pollution – How the planet is ‘destroyed’ because of
humans
• Preserve – To try and keep something as it is
• Sustainable – Something that can keep on going
without outside resources
• Impact – Something that makes a change to
something else
• Facilities – Something that people need and use
• Knock-on effect – An effect that makes something
else happen
“I decided to include some
• Amenities – Things that you
need to
survive
glossary
words
so that
(electricity and water etc.) someone using this
website would learn more
about tourism and its
The main conflicts of tourism in Kenya are how tourists
sometimes takes priority over locals. An example of this is
how prices in Mombasa inflate due to tourists who have a lot
more money than the locals. Another example is the Masai
Mara, where the tribes people get little money from tourism
but have to protect themselves from the wildlife. Because of
things like this, the locals may become angry.
Tourism can help Kenya become more developed and reach
the highest possible standard. If too many people visit the
same places (e.g. the ones on this website) the quality of
living and the environment goes down. So Kenya needs to be
able to attract people, but manage the numbers to keep
standards up. It needs to make the tourist resorts sustainable,
so to do this they need to manage the amount of people and
come up with a long term plan.
I think Kenya can develop from tourism, but I think that they
have to control the amount of people coming in otherwise the
local people won’t be able to afford to live. I think they should
still have tourism as it can be a good source of money to
develop the country. I think that the should still use agriculture
and exporting (diversifying the economy) to bring in money as
tourism can’t support a whole country.