Does Kenya Get the Full Benefit From its Tourist Industry?

My coursework business is to write a report al near Kenya to taper that I let studied Kenya and its tourer intentness and arouse make a judgement about how much Kenya benefits from the tourers that visit the country.Kenya is an equatorial country primed(p) on the east side of the continent of Africa bordering Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and the Indian Ocean. Kenya is also bordered by Lake Victoria in the west. Kenya lies between 5N and 5S and covers an bea of 582,646Km. Kenya has an extremely diverse relief with a low coastal plain spanning 536km, inland plateaux surface beas and multiple mountain ranges and isolated peaks. enlistmentism has become the most(prenominal) important part of Kenyas economy accounting for 38% of industry in the developing country. Kenyas primary(prenominal) holidaymaker attractions atomic number 18 the many bet honey oils across the country, including the popular Massai Mara reserve and the more than exclusive Tsavo subj ect Park. Kenya also offers Golden beaches and 5-star hotels along its 536km of coastline.The map below shows the stance of Kenya within Africa, Important tourist destinations, Major Game reserves and relief.Map of Kenya and the Surrounding CountriesKenya lies on the equator but the annual rainf all(prenominal) is remarkably low and varies from year to year. This is due to the eonal winds blowing the intertropical cloud and rain relatively quickly across Kenya in April and October and the Monsoons taking a track parallel to the coast and passing over large atomic number 18as of land forrader reaching Kenya.You would expect the temperature in Kenya to be constantly high as it is an equatorial and so the temperateness hits the earth verti look fory and with more concentration than at latitudes a elan from the equator all year round, but the fair temperatures in Kenya argon relatively low compared to other equatorial African countries due to the variation in altitude. Only the low lying coastal areas of Kenya experience constant high temperature associated with equatorial locations.There are two showery seasons March May and November December and two dry seasons in between. The countrys climate can be divided into four regionsCoastal regionThe temperature and humidity stay relatively high all year round but the offshore wind and the long days make the area bearable. It receives most rain all year round mostly in the small hours of the morning.The Northern Frontier and dispirit Inland PlateauThis section of the country experiences a low annual rainfall considering its equatorial location (usually below 500mm). The temperatures are high throughout the year and the humidity low.The Kenya HighlandsThis region to the west of the country is the most agriculturally productive land in the country. As Kenya is a developing country with a huge while of its industry being primary the region is also the most densely populated.Kenyas Double rainy season does fea ture in the region but rainfall is moderate and exceeds 1250mm only on the highest parts of the area. The region experiences its lowest temperatures from June to September, the nights being described as chilly.The Higher Mountain RegionsThese areas are above 2500m and are small. Temperatures fall low enough for frost to form and both(prenominal) snow to fall. Mt Kenya has a long-lasting snow cap.Kenya receives two rainy seasons because of the tilt of the earth when orbiting the sun. The following diagram illustrates thisThe tropic of Capricorn is closest to the sun. It becomes warmed by the sun. During the day more water evaporates causing clouds to form beting rain.231/2 south-central Tropic of CapricornThe earth spins on its axis vertebra, the angle at which it faces the sun changes gradually tilting towards the equator this then warms the equator0 Equator KenyaThis tilt increases until it reaches 231/2 N where the tropic of cancer is warmed.231/2North Tropic of CancerThe c ompletely process is reversed tilting can to the tropic of Capricorn via the equator. The full tilt and reverse tilt of the earths axis takes a year. This is why Kenya has two rainy seasons due to the position of the overhead sun.* SunlightThe two climate graphs above show the climate of Mombassa, Kenya and London, England for comparison. The Graph of Mombassa shows the two rainy seasons. The graphs also indicate a main antecedent why tourists visit Kenya. The lowest temperature Mombassa endures is 24C, higher than the highest temperature London endures. The Hottest times of the year in Mombassa coincide with the coldest time of the year in London. This is one of the major reasons tourists visit Kenya.Because the country has two rainy seasons it also has two grazing seasons. The Savannah ecosystem means that more species can live in concurrence together. Darwins survival of the fittest theory states that when two species are in direct competition the best evolved willing surviv e, the reason the Savannah can support so many animals is that all the animals have a niche and so are not all in direct competition. Some species are Grazers, some are browsers and so forth This is called paring succession the grazing succession ensures that every opportunity to use the supply of food is taken. It is a similar pattern for Carnivores Lions make a kill but leave plenty of food for spotted Hyenas and again for the vultures. Each specie waits in turn to be fed.The following diagram is an pillow slip of Grazing successionThe Savannah is famed for the diversity of species of large animals that live there. There are near forty different types of herbivores, plus the carnivores, this is a simple food web of part of the savannah ecosystem The Savannah and the difference of the ecosystem is important to Kenyas Tourist Industry as it provides the main incentive for tourists to holiday there. It is important that the Industry does all it can to preserve the delicate balan ce.The following remit is a selection of the people who are snarled with Kenyas tourist industry. It helps sum up their views and why they hold that view. It also helps me conclude which direction the people refer in Kenyas tourist industry wish it to go.PersonGroup(s) of people they representWhat view they hold about touristry In KenyaWhy they hold their viewA European TouristTouristsTourism is bully for Kenya but only when it is controlledIt is their life historylong dream to go on drive and think that its excellent to shape all the animals in their natural habitat. But they have reservations about how much the tourists are damaging the animals natural habitat.A Kenyan MaasaiMaasai tribeAgainst mass touristryThe Maasai people have been ejected from their homeland to make charge for the tourists. They are no longer allowed to live in the game park. The tribe is no longer allowed to immigrate around the country. Islamic from MombassaThe Muslim community of MombassaAgains t tourismInduces changes to there culture and insults their religious followings. I.e. western women show their bodies. Tourists bring with them intoxicant, drugs and sex tourism. Mombassa has therefore found a rise in crime and social throw out of kilter as young black men marry older white women and immigrate to Europe.Muslim from LamuThe Muslim community of LamuFor sustainable tourismLamu has restrictions on the way tourists dress and behave. There are no prohibit in Lamu and there are restrictions on the size and design of hotels. E.g. they have to be white and make of topical anaesthetic materials. The Muslim community also work closely with travel agents and a certain center of the price tourists pay towards there holiday goes back into the community and maintenance of the town.A Marine life scientistConservationistsAgainst tourism as it is nowTour guides dont do enough to prevent the destruction of the coral. They let tourists meet on the coral and even drop their ancho rs (which is illegal but the law is not enforced) because of the bigger tips on offer. This means the coral reef becomes unbalanced and slowly dies and therefore no more tourists will exigency to go and see the reef. Laws should be enforced to save the reef and any future tourism.Owner of scrap Bottom BoatTour guidesFor and againstGets a major income from taking tourists out in their boat. The marine park is swamped by boats at low tide which means there are look ats of pollutants are passage into the reef. The boats also collide into the reef and their customers also stand on the reef.Game WardenConservationistsAgainst tourism as it isTour bus drivers in the Maasai Mara reserve go far as well as close to the animals. There is a rule that they cant go closer than 25m to animal but they disobey this rule for better tips. There are too many tourist busses for him to police. The animals suffer and reproduction rates have dropped rapidly.Most of the above groups are for tourism in one way or another. It seems that they all would same to have a sustainable tourist industry where the needs of the tourists arent put above that of the local population and the natural habitat. Sustainable tourism would also prolong the life of the tourist destinations thus providing an income for many generations of Kenyans.So, Does Kenya get the full benefit from its tourist industry?Kenya is a developing country. I can see that it is a developing country by using development indicators. These include gross national product (Gross National Product), jobs, Trade, population, health and development. Most Kenyans are employed in the primary sector relatively few are involved in secondary or third industry apart from tourism. This is shown in the pie chat belowThis is one indicator that Kenya is developing. Another indicator is that most of Kenyas exports are raw materials (Shown in the chart below), this shows that the country is developing compared to a developed country like the United body politic whose exports are mainly manufactured goods and services.Kenya also has a high birth rate, child mortality rate and a low literacy rate, all of which are indicators of a developing country. Possibly the outgo way to judge whether a country is developing is by looking at its GNP (Gross National Product). The table below shows that Kenya is still developing as a county because it shows 83% of the countries in the world to have a higher GNP than that of Kenya. Compared with a Developed country such as the United Kingdom (GNP- 18700) and even with man African counties Kenya has a long way to go before it can call itself a developed country.Table 8. Kenya GNP (Gross National Product)Countries in the world with higher GNP than Kenya83%Countries in the world with same GNP as Kenya2.5%Countries in the world with lower GNP than Kenya14.5%Countries in Africa with higher GNP than Kenya52%Countries in Africa with same GNP as Kenya10.5%Countries in Africa with lower GNP t han Kenya37.5%Kenyas GNP per person (1995) = US $280Kenya needs to continue to develop tourism as it will bring more money into the country so it can start providing better health services and education services for its population. Tourism is seen as a good way to continue developing a country.The table printed below shows employment in the hotel industry. General Managers in hotels are mainly Non-African. This means that a lot of money is not going to Kenyan employees and therefore doesnt go back into the community. This also true with some Hotel profits going to multinational companies based in developed countries. This means the profits of the tourist lot done by these multinational giants arent going back into Kenya.However I feel that if Kenya continues to develop it will start to produce graduates capable of filling higher positions in the tourist industry, therefore bringing more money back into Kenyas economy.At the present time Kenya has developed tourism in the inland gam e and safari parks and along the shores of the Indian Ocean. The development along the coast is mainly luxury hotels, raw developments that have sprung up especially for the tourists. Most of the Game parks have gone this way too with 5-star lodges etc. there are only a few exceptions, Tsavo Safari park is one of them with the ferocity on preserving the land and protecting it from the potential devastation tourism can bring.Most Kenyans benefit from tourism in Kenya, mainly the people who work directly with the tourists or derive their incomes from the industry, for example hotel owners, tour guides and safari park operators, But also the whole of Kenya can potentially benefit from tourism if the money played out by tourists in Kenya is put back into the community in the form of hospitals and schools.The groups of people who are touch in a negative way by tourism are mainly those whose ways of life are changed or oppressed by the tourists. For example the Muslim community of Momb assa. They feel that the tourists dont respect their way of life and their religious followings.Personally I feel that Kenya is feeling the full benefit from tourism as they see a huge amount of people now holidaying in Kenya. However I do feel that the Kenyan tourist board needs to do more to work towards maintaining a sustainable tourist industry if it wishes to continue to feel the full benefit.The Kenyan authorities should take note of example like Tsavo National Park and Lamu where sustainable tourism is already operating. In these areas special care is taken not to damage the environment. For example in Tsavo the accommodation is Temporary and so can be locomote about so the land receives equal wear. The tour guides also operate under strict rules when approach path animals and taking paths along the park. In Lamu a levee is placed on all tourist payments to go back into the town to maintain the local way of life and therefore the tourist attraction itself. The tourists also are encouraged to abide by the Muslim dress rules when going out and there is no alcohol available in accordance with their religion.If the Whole of the Kenyan Industry adopted policies similar to this it would preserve the tourist attractions for generations of Kenyans and would most probably attract more tourists, as the people who go to Kenya like to experience local culture and animals in their natural habitat, rather than it feel manufactured to their needs.Kenya will also further its sparing development by operating this scheme as it will ensure a higher function of income from the tourist trade staying in the country.