Community tourism: A lesson from Kenya’s coastal region

Abstract

Tourism in developing countries is a crucial agent for development and indeed an ideal economic alternative to traditional sectors. But as destinations exploit their tourism potentials, they have to realise that the involvement of the tourist host communities in tourism development projects is vital. This paper evaluates the situation in Kenya’s coastal region. It lays emphasis on how the local people are being involved in tourism development in the region, and how such integration can be used as a means to win the obviously needed local community’s support for the industry. It is based on data collected between the period March to June 1998 and December 1999 to April 2000.

Keywords

tourist host communities tourism development coastal region

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