 |
Ecotourism in KenyaKenya's unique wildlife has been the key to the initial success of its ecotourism business. Ecotourism represents a large portion of the country's gross domestic product and economic activity. The Seychelles, Botswana and Kenya are widely acknowledged as few of the many countries reliant on nature tourism for hard foreign currency earnings. It is the type of tourism activity designed to maximize the sustainable use of the natural and cultural resources on which it depends and at the same time enhance the well-being of the host community.
Eco-tourism is a relatively new business worldwide, yet it is worth tens of billions of US dollars today and the largest direct transfer of wealth from rich to poor nations. Kenya's ecotourism industry first drew international attention in 1997, when the now-famous community lodge at Il' Ngwesi was a runner-up in British Airways' prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow awards. Two other properties - Tortilis Camp in Amboseli and Ol Donyo Wuas in the Chyulu Hills - have also been honored in the awards. Il' Ngwesi has gone on to become a model for community tourism projects across Africa. Some of the world's most pioneering and promising community tourism projects have been launched here, a new breed of safari camps has grown up using state-of-the-art environmental technologies, and initiatives helping local communities to benefit from their natural resources have launched a "green revolution" in many of the country's wildlife-rich tribal lands. Ecotourism assures the travelers that a portion of the financial resources spent on a vacation remains in the area to protect the environment and bolster the local economy. Ecotourism efforts must be kept in local hands for it to be a successful endeavour. It should not be used as a marketing tool for tourism at the expense of environmental conservation.
The following are examples of projects that have conjured up as a means through which tourists can view and experience the country's spectacular natural heritage and at the same time partake in environmental conservation.
It revolves around self-catering cottages in five villages around Mount Kasigau, a beautiful mountain 70 kilometers southeast of Voi. Each village has sold shares in its cottage, which is used to house gap-year students from Europe who help to run small conservation projects such as reforestation plantations and bee-keeping projects. Through the projects, the villagers expect to raise about Ksh.2 million this year, giving them a 100% return on their shares - and a profitable alternative to the charcoal and bush meat trades that are destroying so much of rural Africa. With the assistance of The African Wildlife Foundation's CORE programme (Conservation of Resources through Enterprise) these communities have committed themselves to participating in an exciting conservation programme that is aimed at not only creating a wildlife corridor between Tsavo East and Tsavo West, but at it's core is the conservation of the unique cloud forests of the mountain itself. The principles of ecotourism have been accepted by Kenyans in general as the kind of tourism that creates opportunities that make conservation beneficial to local communities and the nation as a whole. Kasigau Community Bandas is a prime example of a Kenyan ecotourism initiative that generates a small but significant community income by means of revenue from basic, clean and healthy accommodations that are owned, operated and hosted by the community themselves. The volunteers who come to stay and live in these accommodations strive to provide a worthwhile conservation service by participating in community service and conservation projects. Volunteers for these programmes must be prepared to work in rural communities where there lifestyle will probably be without many of the usual western comforts that they most likely take for granted when back at home. It is a progressive attempt to generate sustainable economic activity without disrupting the social, cultural and environmental integrity of the community on which it depends. The low investment costs, modest prices and almost immediate returns to the community are three factors integral to the success of ecotourism projects.
Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary The Sanctuary dates from the early 1990s, when USAID, through its Conservation of Biodiverse Resource Areas (COBRA) program, funded Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to help the local farming communities establish the reserve on their own land. Mwaluganje ranch , a twenty-minute drive from Diani Beach which is one of the busiest tourist resort on the Kenya Coast, the private landowners have turned their plots into an elephant sanctuary adjacent to Shimba National Reserve. During the 1980s, elephants began permanently occupying this region to escape intense poaching in the Shimba Hills and the Mwaluganje Forest. By the 1990s, human and elephant populations were on a collision course. Elephants were destroying the crops, and the farmers were retaliating by killing the elephants. Consequently, poverty from the frequent food and water shortages and insecurity from encounters with elephants were very high. To resolve this apparent no-win situation, more than 200 families voluntarily contributed land to Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary (MES), agreeing not to farm it as an important elephant habitat. In return, they became shareholders and managers of MES and received annual dividends from tourism. Local people also hold jobs as guards and game scouts. Revenues from the sanctuary have also enabled the community to build school classrooms and enjoy a steady water supply and better road network. There is also an increased appreciation and tolerance of the community toward wildlife. The camp consists of 20 twin-bedded tents, each tent with its private timber verandah, shower and toilet. It is the only tented camp in this sanctuary, and guests have an entire 6000 acres to themselves. Being a private camp, it is secure and guests may walk in the camp area and view wild animals in complete safety. MES is the first ever community owned conservation enterprise dedicated to the protection of the elephant. It minimizes human/wildlife conflicts in the area and enhances the socio-cultural and economic well being of the community. The sanctuary upholds the highest standards of environmental protection, and promotes the preservation of the rich culture of the local Digo and Duruma people. It offers spectacular scenery and a unique range of flora and fauna, where visitors are guaranteed sighting an elephant. MES caters for local and international tourists whose complete satisfaction is guaranteed through good care and attention. It is an example of a well-managed ranch is well managed and the community has benefited a great deal. Tortilis Camp in Amboseli
Tortilis Camp is a welcoming blend of rustic style and modern comfort designed to make the international traveler feel comfortable in Africa. Kimana group ranch Kimana Group Ranch is a communally owned property allocated by the Kenyan government to a group of Maasai families who use it for agricultural and living purposes. Kimana Group Ranch lies within the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem, which encompasses more than 6,000 km2 and is home to one of the most abundant free ranging wildlife concentrations. Its establishment in 1992 was crystallized by funding from USAID Conservation of Bio-diverse Areas project, Kenya Government and the Kenya Wildlife Service. It was officially opened in 1996 this community sanctuary had by then earned the community about Kshs.400, 000 from gate collections alone. The revenue earned was allocated to community educational, health and other prioritized activities. The Kimana Sanctuary gradually lost business due to political interferences in the exclusive rights of concession holding operators. This means Kenya Wildlife Service’s revenue sharing, concessionaire and gate fees were bundled into a single badly managed account making it impossible for beneficiaries to associate wildlife production and benefits. Recently the African Safari Club-one of the hotel chains has shown interest in leasing this great facility with its outstanding natural resources for the purpose of using it for tourism and related commercial activities. Il'Ngwesi group ranch
The Kenya Tourist Development Corporation (KTDC) has pilot projects in Shampole, Isiolo and Baringo in a program that entails providing financial assistance to community groups to undertake eco-tourism-related projects. In Samburu the famous elephant expert Iain Douglas Hamilton is offering intrepid visitors a chance to join researchers monitoring hundreds of wild elephants from his Elephant Watch Camp.
Ecotourism promotes sustainable development, organic agriculture, sensitization on environmental issues and orientation to different cultures' way of living. The main challenge is to find a link between ecotourism and economic development because most governments that promote ecotourism in their home countries are more concerned about earning foreign exchange rather than conserving the environment. Kenya might be poor in terms of economic wealth but in terms of wildlife then I would say that this country is a super power! We are trying to utilize ecotourism as a tool to channel the energies of the tourism market toward building a sustainable Kenyan economy. Our main aim is to promote low impact ecotourism in Kenya and get rid of self interest that most tourist firms have, maximize the tourists' demand, reduce environmental issues associated with poverty and unemployment.
|
