A case study of MASS tourism in a Tropical Tourist Destination: Southern KENYA – the Masai Mara and the Coastal Strip.
The impacts:
Use page 244/5 to complete this table
Positive Impacts
Environmental
Economic
Social
Up to 70 vehicles can be queuing at prime viewing sites in the Masai Mara
Masai were driven off their land when game reserves set up
Negative Impacts
The land the Masai now have is fenced off to protect it from animals
Masai adopt a more westernised lifestyle
Some Masai benefit as some money has been spent on schools and water supply projects in Amboseli.
Migration paths of animals are affected by Masai fences
The minibuses cause erosion of the sensitive savanna grasslands
Up to 8000 people a day can be in the Masai Mara
Masai dance for the tourists
Some of the safari bus drivers are open to bribery to get closer to animals
Tourism creates jobs – the Masai drive safari buses and help with hot air balloons
Masai sell their crafts to the tourists and allow visits to their villages
Coral reefs off Mombasa are damaged as boats drop their anchors and people walk on coral
People take coral as a souvenir
In the dry season the savanna is turned into a ‘dust bowl’ as a result of the number of vehicles driving on the grassland.
250000 jobs directly related to tourism and 250000 indirectly
Tourist lodges create waste that animals such as baboons now scavenge on
Drivers in the Masai Mara game reserve drive too close to the animals
Jobs may be poorly paid
Numbers of wildebeest have dropped by half a million in 20 years
Tourist numbers can fluctuate, the murder of a British tourist in Sept 2011 may affect visitor numbers and revenue for Kenya
Kenya depends on revenue from tourists. Over $1 billion a year
Tourism creates a multiplier effect – increased need for local services
Hot air balloons cast shadows and the noise from them disturbs some of the game animals.
ONCE this task is complete – use page 245 to answer question 2 and 3