Mass Tourism in a Tropical Area - Kenya

Question 1

Where is Kenya?

Answer 1

Eastern Africa, with the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia and Somalia to the north, Tanzania to the south and Uganda to the north west.

Question 2

Why did Kenya become a tourist resort?

Answer 2

Natural environment – National Parks eg. Masai Mara, coral reefs, mountains such as Mt Kenya

Question 3

What are the benefits of mass tourism in Kenya?

Answer 3

• 180,000 Kenyans employed in hotels, as guides.
• 300 000 indirectly employed. This is because tourism as a service industry creates many related job opportunities in agriculture, drink and transport- the multiplier effect.
• 380,000 more provide food or souvenirs.
• Tourist money helps the government improve roads, roads, hospitals. water supply, drainage, electricity and roads.
• So tourism is helping to improve the standard of living of people throughout Kenya.
• Farmers have a market for their produce.
• Service sector jobs are created in hotels and restaurants.
• Tourism has helped to fund local facilities e.g. schools.

Question 4

What are the environmental problems of mass tourism in Kenya?

Answer 4

• Destruction of the natural environment and habitats by building airports, roads and hotels for tourists.
• Pressure on landscapes from many minibuses.
• Destruction of coral reefs.

Question 5

What are the economic problems of mass tourism in Kenya?

Answer 5

• Visitor numbers have gone down.
• Most jobs created by tourism are badly paid.
• People are out of work when tourists do not come.
• Development concentrated in the holiday areas.
• Improving infrastructure is often expensive, so it is often dependent on foreign investment.
• Much of the profit made from tourism does not stay in Kenya but goes to the large hotel companies.
• Local fishermen are banned from fishing in the National Maritime Park near Mombasa.

Question 6

What are the social problems of mass tourism in Kenya?

Answer 6

• Farmland taken off locals to create game parks and coastal hotels.
• Crops being eaten or flattened by animals.
• Only a few local people earning money from tourist visitors.
• Changes to local culture and traditions.
• Masai have been driven off their land.

Question 7

What are the solutions?

Answer 7

• Creation of marine parks to protect coral reefs.
• Education of tourists not to take or trample on the coral.
• Pontoons have been created for boats to drop their anchors.
• They are attempting to develop tourism (diversify) in mountain, river and lake areas to reduce the impact of tourism in the two key areas and spread the economic benefits of tourism.
• Increase the entry fee to parks like the Masai Mara to reduce visitor numbers.
• Ecotourism
• Increase the involvement of tribes people.