Benefits and impacts of sustainable wildlife tourism 21. In kenya, for instance, wildlife related tourism is. Since independence, there has been a steady rise in the number of protected areas pas national parks and wildlife. Varying levels of participation in tourism and different land uses provided the opportunity to measure the success of wildlifebased tourism in terms of local peoples. Naturebased tourism and, more specifically, wildlife tourism are thriving in many countries, especially in asia and africa.
To achieve sustainable tourism without negative impacts, tourist density should be constrained. It brings together the aspirations and concerns of kenyans. Zaitchick 2018 documents how protected areas often deprive these. The role of the kenya wildlife service in protecting kenyas wildlife david karanja kenyas unique landscape supports abundant and varied wildlifeof scientific, intrinsic, and economic value and has a considerable extent of wildlife habitat government of kenya 2008, 2009. It also presents other nbt experiences from botswana, india, kenya. There are many good ex amples of what can be done to manage wildlife and tourism suc cessfully. This is nowhere more true than in the poorest parts of the world. Professional photo gallery of kenya showing stunning wildlife images, photos and pictures of kenya from award winning wildlife and travel photographers. Wildlifebased touri sm, ecology and sustainability of. Tourists perceived value of wildlife tourism product at lake nakuru. Kenya goes beyond wildlife tourism new product in kenyan. Changing the course of history for kenyas wildlife. In january 2018, his excellency the president brought together tourism and wildlife.
Exploring the countrys finest national parks, wildlife reserves, and communitybased conservancies blessed us with a cornucopia of heartswelling memories we cannot wait to share. And, mount kenya the nations namesake is the secondtallest mountain on the continent. Its prehistoric heritage not only tells the story of mans origin and evolution but has also contributed to the understanding of the earths history. Also, the marketing of kenya mainly depends on overseas tour operators who mainly sell inclusive tour packages.
However, if tourism is allowed to grow uncontrolled, adequate protection of wildlife and the environment is difficult, if not impossible. Together these two protected areas cover more than 1. However, if tourism is allowed to grow uncontrolled, adequate protection of wildlife. Child sexual exploitation and trafficking the exploitation of children is addressed in the crc1, which states that, states parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and. Maasailand, the region of kenya and tanzania dominated by maaspeaking pastoralists, is a hotspot of conservation, poverty and new initiatives to. The wildlife sector in kenya is facing extreme pressure through habitat fragmentation and degradation, encroachment, and wildlife crime including poaching. Expanding options for habitat conservation outside protected. On the other hand, places such as the galapagos islands rely almost. Ecotourism kenya promotes responsible tourism practices within the tourism industry. The natural beauty and the existence of an abundance of wildlife attract many tourists from the developed world. The role of the kenya wildlife service in protecting kenyas. Thus, the form of tourism product that is offered by kenya. Roughly 200 animals have been translocated from community and private sanctuaries to repopulate meru.
Across the sector, stakeholders are undertaking a range of programs and initiatives to mitigate negative impacts of tourism and enhance the positive impacts. Seventyfive percent of kenyas tourism revenue comes from wildlife tourism and yet, kenyas abundant natural resources face challenges on diverse fronts. Responses from the mid1980s included first the gradual strengthening of local participation and development of more communitybased wildlife management. Pdf wildlife conservation, safari tourism and the role of. Kenya s national parks and game reserves form the pillar of the countrys tourism industry, and wildlife viewing and safari tourism are significant generators of income and foreign exchange. Varying levels of participation in tourism and different land uses provided the opportunity to measure the success of wildlifebased tourism.
Kenya wildlife service kws is a state corporation whose. It was a collaborative programme between the university of kent, uk and six kenyan partner institutions. In the past, up to 21% of kenyas national income has been derived from tourism. Irandu a a senior lecturer and chairman department of geography, university of nairobi, nairobi, kenya online publication date. Thorne2, daudi sumba 3, philip muruthi and natasha gregorymichelman1 1african wildlife. Africa accounts for around one half of all these trips, with south africa.
Conservation of natural and cultural heritage in kenya. Wildlife tourism is a powerful tool countries can leverage to grow and diversify their economies while protecting their biodiversity and meeting several sustainable development goals. The positive and negative impacts of ecotourism on african. Tourists like to see the wildlife as much as possible and at close proximity. Sustainable tourism development in the masai mara national reserve, kenya, east africa j. Tourism, a boost for kenyas economy tourism sector in kenya recognizes the need and significance of sustainability in tourism. Tourism, like anything else, has an impact on kenya both directly and indirectly. Manyara and jones 2007 argue that in kenya, communitybased tourism enterprises are preferred. As much as tourism helps the country and its citizens develop and thrive, there are negatives that must be considered. Kenya, tourism university staff profiles university of nairobi.
Because of its species richness, endemism and ecosystem diversity, under the convention on biological diversity kenya is categorized as a megadiverse country. Evaluating outcomes of communitybased conservation on. Reconciling interests among wildlife, livestock and people in. Kenya goes beyond wildlife tourism new product in kenyan tourism for many decades now, kenya have continually boasted in wildlife tourism which have seen her economy triumph many african economies due to the revenue she gets from the tourism industry. From huge wildebeest herds to remarkable desertadapted elephants and rare mountain gorillas, this continent is home to the biggest stars of national geographic. Kenya, tanzania and botswana being the top destinations. Africas golden savannas, unearthly deserts and steamy rainforests set the stage for some of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth. Land use conflicts and government compensation policies over protected areas. We are extremely privileged to be able to include kenyas premium wildlife destinations in our portfolio. Despite its worldwide recognition and importance for kenyas tourism, lake nakuru national. Does wildlife tourism contribute to animal conservation. National policy on community based natural resource management. A study on the benefits and risks of a fast growing tourism activity and its impacts on species unepcms secretariat, bonn, germany.
Considerable opportunities for expansion exist in safari, beach, business, and diaspora tourism, including tourism product development opportunities ssa source. The promulgation of pioneer national parks in kenya. One of the major concerns for wildlife conservation, however, is the loss of wildlife habitat through change in land use and land cover outside protected areas. Kenya still remains as exclusive as history rightly labels it as long as one knows where to look.
This helps reduce dependence on other sectors such as agriculture, which are subject to weather and market conditions that can often be unpredictable. As such tourism is a major economic and social phenomenon which accounts for. Kenya is one of the leading tourist destinations in africa attracting about 6% of total tourist arrivals to the continent. The strategy is aligned to kenya s vision 2030 and the governments big four agenda. Brockway hotel and tourism management institute, switzerland abstract the masai mara game reserve is kenya s finest wildlife reserve, one of the worlds top tourist attractions and vital to kenya. It has experienced a dramatic and rapid growth in recent years world wide and is closely aligned to ecotourism and sustainable tourism. That is plants, animals, insects, birds and marine life. In a manner of speaking, wildlife tourism is the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg in the kenyan economyits the lifeline. Sustainable tourism development in the masai mara national. Developing wildlife tourism in laikipia, kenya who benefits.
This consolidated and synergized two key elements in our iconic african safari tourism experience, which is defined by our unique big five, namely, the lion, elephant, cheetah, rhino, and buffalo. Making memorable visitor experiences paul udoto introduction usually, harmonizing economic development and environmental stewardshipis a delicate balancing act governed by the need to ensure sustainable longterm development. Kenya is endowed with rich natural resources including wildlife, aquatic and marine life, hydropower and some minerals. Wilderness areas are dwindling and wild animals are struggling to find a way to avoid interaction with society. If the inline pdf is not rendering correctly, you can download the pdf file here. A burgeoning service industry continues to grow in kenya, and ecotourism plays a big part in east africas strongest economy. Pdf wildlife conservation, safari tourism and the role. Towards measuring the economic value of wildlife watching.
But its a mixed bag when it comes to evaluating the impact of tourism dollars on the economy. Safari is the most practiced type of wildlife watching tourism. Kenya wildlife service is a state corporation established by the act of parliament cap 376. It is easy to forget the true extent of todays tourism impact on wildlife. The new zambia wildlife act no 14 of 2015 has resulted in the reversion of the wildlife management mandate back to mainstream civil service. Kenyas national parks and game reserves form the pillar of the countrys tourism industry, and wildlife viewing and safari tourism are significant generators of income and foreign exchange. One laikipia ranch claims to have lost a 70% of its wildlife in a single year. Wildlife tourism is commonly seen as a mechanism for providing incentives to landholders in wildlife areas to conserve wildlife by creating a demand for wild animals and generating cash revenues it makes wildlife into a resource that it is in the economic interests of landholders to conserve.
Key issues in principle, wildlife tourism can have various positive effects on wildlife species and their habitats. Climate change, habitat degradation and loss, poaching, forest depletion, tourism market volatility, and humanwildlife. Cbnrm community based natural resource management cbo community based organisation mawf ministry of agriculture, water and forestry met ministry of environment and tourism mlr ministry of lands and resettlement mwct ministry of wildlife, conservation and tourism mou memorandum of understanding lwua local water user association. Kenya s diverse terrain rises from a low coastal plain on the indian ocean in the east to. This strategy is a roadmap for transforming wildlife conservation in kenya. Wildlife tourism world bank documents world bank group. Tourism is a significant and growing contributor to global economies through job creation, revenue generation, and infrastructure development. This entails encouraging the adoption of best practices in the use of tourism resources, working with local communities and managing wastes and emissions. Geography and ecology the maasai mara national reserve mmnr is located in southern kenya, adjacent to the serengeti national park across the national border in tanzania see maps in exhibit 1. Public disclosure authorized public disclosure authorized public disclosure. What key challenges does the kenya wildlife conservation project face. United states europe uk, germany and netherlands being the top 3 markets canada australia main competing destinations africa is the market leader and accounts for around one half of all wildlife tourism trips worldwide. Pdf kenyas national parks and game reserves form the pillar of the. The authorities of mnp, one of the established wildlife tourism destinations in ghana have enacted poaching.
The kenya wildlife conservation project supports kenya wildlife service kws to strengthen the management of kenya s national parks and reserves and to promote communitybased wildlife management. Wildlife tourism is an important part of the tourism industries in kenya and many other countries. Wildlife tourism is an element of many nations travel industry centered around observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats. Kenyas wildlife is the basis of the countrys tourism industry. One of the most prominent, negative effects of tourism on wildlife is simply the loss of a safe place for wildlife to stay wild. Angama maras experienced guides make every effort to deliver lifechanging wildlife adventures for their guests, be it for first timers, birding enthusiasts, photographers of all skill levels, or safari devotees whose great joy is just to simply be amongst africas creatures, both great and small. The kenya lake system of the geologically dramatic great rift valley is a unesco world heritage site. However, to date we know much more about negative effects of wildlife tourism on wildlife. An economic assessment of tourism in kenya s t anding out f r om the herd standing out from the herd an economic assessment of tourism in kenya delta center, menengai road, upper hill p. Tourism within kenya is found to be very successful in terms of economic benefit. The national wildlife conservation and management policy, 2012 1 introduction 1.
Pushandpull factors in the politics of tourism and. Jun 25, 2017 kenyas wildlife numbers are plummeting. Fifty years after independence, the policy realm on tourism and wildlife development in kenya finds itself at a critical phase amidst widespread poaching, human wildlife. While it can include eco and animalfriendly tourism, safari hunting and similar highintervention activities also fall under the umbrella of wildlife to. These issues need to be addressed urgently if the future of wildlife and the important wildlife tourism industry is to be sustained. Department and lack of support from the ministry of tourism and wildlife. About kenya if any country in the world would boast of gods creation all enclosed in its boundaries. It has the legal mandate to conserve and manage wildlife in kenya and enforce related laws and regulations. Conflict and conservation in masai mara, kenya was a three year research and training programme based in and around the masai mara national reserve, kenya. On a more positive note, ecotourism does raise awareness as tour operators are motivated to create sustainable trips and help preserve the wildlife and environment. In kenya, cultural and natural heritage has a particular value. However, these efforts at preserving wildlife through the establishment of protected areas are under threat by poaching of wildlife, the main attraction to these areas. Evaluating outcomes of communitybased conservation on kenyan group ranches with remote sensing david williams. Local communities and ecotourism development in kimana.
Located in east africa figure 1, the republic of kenya has an estimated. Wildlife tourism is commonly seen as a mechanism for providing incentives to landholders in wildlife areas to conserve wildlife by creating a demand for wild animals and generating cash revenues it makes wildlife. The traditional wildlife destinations of south africa. Hutton et al 2005 all promote wildlife based tourism. Updated february 25, 2020 our 17day kenya wildlife safari last month was a lifelong dream come true.
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