Kenya- Tropical Mass Tourism Case Study

Kenya- Tropical Mass Tourism Case Study Facts: ·        Over 700,000 people visit Kenya each year ·        People are draw by the beautiful beaches, the safaris (such as being able to hunt ‘the big five’ including rhinos and lions) ·        There are also lots of tribal culture, such as the Masai Tribe   Economic impacts ·         Tourism contributes to 15% of national GDP ·         Tourism is Kenya's largest foreign exchange ·         In 2006 $803 million was made ·         In 2003 219,000 people were employed by the tourist industry ·         Only 15% of the money earned goes to locals, most goes back to the travel companies ·         Government promised Masai Tribe a share of the profits but they never got any Social Impacts ·         The culture and customs of the Masai Tribe is preserved because things like traditional dancing are shown to tourists ·         Some tribes people were forced off their land to create national parks and tourist areas ·         Some Muslims in Kenya are offended by the way some Western tourists dress   Environmental Impacts ·        There are 23 national parks in Kenya- tourists have to pay money to get in, this money is then used to maintain the national parks which help to protect the animals ·        Safari vehicles destroy vegetation- cause soil erosion ·        Habitats have been destroyed (like leopard habitats) ·        People take parts of coral reefs as souvenirs ·        Pollution has meant all 5 species of turtle are now endangered

Ways to reduce the negative impacts of mass tourism Hot air balloon safari- reduces soil erosion through 4x4's going through the savannah Skydiving- doesn't damage/ disturb wildlife Walking safari- You can still see the animals and landscape without damaging it Park initiatives- improvement of park infrastructure improving roads and air strips to improve accessibility without destroying too much land Rafting along the N'giro river doesn't damaging the local environment

Ways to maintain Kenyan tourism Advertising- Kenya will launch advertising in Russia, as this is seen as the next big tourism boom Visa fees- were cut by 50% and scrapped for under 16's to make it cheaper to visit Kenya Developing health spas will attract more types of tourists

Case study detail

Ways to reduce the negative impacts