kenya - tourism

• Why does Kenya attract tourists?

  Because of its culture, safari wildlife, warm climate and unspoilt scenery.
• How has the Kenyan government been trying to boost tourism?

  • Visa fees for adults were cut by 50% in 2009 to make it cheaper to visit the country. They were also scrapped for children under 16 to encourage more families to visit.
  • Landing fees at airports on the Kenyan coast have been dropped for charter airlines.
• How much has tourism in Kenya increased by?

  Almost 1 million visitors in 1995 to 1.4 million in 2017.
• What were/ are the benefits of increasing tourism in Kenya on the economy and hence development?

  Tourism directly contributes nearly 5% of Kenya's GDP - money that can be spent on development and improving quality of life. Since 2000, Kenya's HDI value has increased from 0.45 to 0.6.
• How has increased tourism in Kenya impacted employment?

  Over 1 million people are directly or indirectly employed by the tourism industry - that's almost 10% of all employment in Kenya.
• How has increasing tourism in Kenya benefited transport infrastructure and hence development?

  Businesses and Kenya's government have invested in transport infrastructure to encourage more tourists to visit, which can also benefit local people. E.g. the new Madaraka Express railway links Kenya's capital, Nairobi, to the coast. This has created jobs, halved journey times and made it cheaper for people to travel.
• Give an example of how tourism in Kenya is sustained.

  The 24 national parks charge entry fees to tourists. This money is used to maintain the national parks - this helps to protect the environment and wildlife, so tourists keep visiting.
• Why has tourism largely not helped to reduce the global development gap?

  Only a small proportion of the money earned goes to locals. The rest goes to big companies, often based in HICs, so it doesn't help to close the development gap.
• How has tourism negatively impacted some local communities?

  Some Maasai communities have been forced off their land to create national parks and game reserves for tourists.
• How has increasing tourism in Kenya negatively impacted the environment?

  Tourist vehicles damage the environment by destroying vegetation and disturbing animals.
• Why is tourism in Kenya not considered a reliable source of jobs and income?

  In recent years, tourist numbers have fluctuated - especially following terrorist attacks in Kenya.