Tourism in Kenya
Tourism is a major backbone to the economy of Kenya and this industry in Kenya is one
of the best sector in Africa. This industry has come in with adverse positive and negative
Environmental, Sociocultural and Economic impacts. This work focuses on positive and negative
impacts of tourism industry on the Kenyan economy both directly and indirectly.
Environmental Impacts of Tourism Industry on Kenya
Tourism has brought about development and improvement of transport and
communication sector as the government tries to open up the remote regions with rich attraction
potentiality. This highly benefits the local communities in their daily activities are now done at
ease and conveniently. This development befalls both on the transport and in telecommunication
sector.
Tourism sector has increased awareness on environmental importance and, the need of
environmental conservation and management to the government along with the local community.
Local Communities play an important role in conserving all the environmental tourist related
features in their localities. Government on the other hand introduces conservation measures to
secure and improve on those tourist environmental habitats.
Conversely, growth in tourist promising areas results to population growth in those areas
bringing the need for water to sustain tourists, locals and, animals. The need upshots alteration of
the existing water resources and the water table. According to Newson (2012), locals pay for the
social and environmental impacts resulting from the growing tourism industry.
Tourism advancement in Kenya head starts noise pollution, water pollution and sound
pollution to the affected areas. According to Gilpin (1995) pollution increase as an outcome of
Impacts of Tourism on Kenya 3
advancing tourism industry has been a healthy risk to the general environment together as well as
the existing population in the area.
Sociocultural Impacts of Tourism on Kenya
Positive Impacts
Growth of tourism industry has increased employment opportunities to the local
inhabitants in those areas. They also get job opportunities as tourist guides, hospitality jobs in the
tourists expanding hotels and accommodation sectors, driving jobs, curio shops attendants,
entertainment in cultural performances, traditional craft making from different tribes in Kenya
and selling of different food services to tourists.
Tourism steers cultural interaction and appreciation as local inhabitants and tourists copy
some cultural features from each other. This leads to enrichment of adverse practices from the
existing outdated values. According to Scott (2017), different local communities have adversely
improved on their existing cultural values and practices due to their interaction with the visiting
tourists.
Negative Impacts
Tourism industry unfavorably escalates degradation of moral values of the local host
communities. This is apparent on the rising crime rates, illegal drug use, alcoholism, prostitution
and betting. These pervasive behaviors impinge on societal vices, disruption of societal order,
moral stability and, values. Younger members of the host indigenous communities’ copies
tourist’s behaviors soaring their traditional value systems.
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Tourism Impacts on Economic Developments
Tourism leads to improvement in better services, infrastructural development and also
improved telecommunication sector and, road network system. This growth has been favorable
to the existing communities since these developments have made their services to become easier.
it has diversified the income potential to the country, exploitation of resources and improved
waste treatment plants.
Tourism industry has escalated improvement in natural environment such as protection of
national parks and game reserves infrastructural water-treatment plants, growth of hotel and
hospitality sectors, growth of veterinary services and extension services in an effort to conserve
the environment to secure and improve the Kenyan rich tourism sector and make accessibility of
those potential areas easy.
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References
Gilpin, A. (1995). Environmental impacts Assessment: Cutting Edge for the 21 st Century.
England: Cambridge University Press.
Newson, D., Moore, S., Dowling, R., (2013). Natural Area Tourism: Ecology, Impacts and
Management. .Bristol; Channel View Publications.
Scott, D., (2017). Natural Area Tourism: Tourism and Hospitality Management, volume23(2).
Hall, M., (2019). Advances in intelligent Systems and Computing: Advance in Human factors,
Business Management and Society. Vol. 783(1). doi.10.1007/978-3-319-94709-9