Browsing by Author "Wadawi, Joe Kibuye"

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    An Assessment Of cooperative learning effectiveness In tourism And hospitality teaching:a case study of selected student groups at Strathmore university in Kenya
    (Ecoforum, 2013) Wadawi, Joe Kibuye
    Cooperative Learning has been defined as a relationship in a group of students that requires positive interdependence, individual accountability, interpersonal skills, face-to-face promotive interaction, and processing. Several techniques have been used to implement to advance learning amongst groups of tourism and hospitality students. While a number of methods have delivered favourable results in students’ motivation and learning, some have been used with counterproductive results. The purpose of this study therefore was to carry out a practical assessment of a specified cooperative learning technique using selected student groups within the School of Tourism and Hospitality in Strathmore University, Kenya. In this study, identified learning groups were given fundamental rules on how to use the chosen technique and thereafter asked to apply the technique in a specified learning session. Students were then asked to complete a simple questionnaire to make judgement on the learning effectiveness of the technique and their attitude to it regarding group dynamics. This study established that there are aspects typical of
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    An assessment of hotel product quality in Kenya as a basis for building destination competitiveness
    (Cognizant Communication Corporation, 2011-06-01) Wadawi, Joe Kibuye; Bresler, Nerine C; Herbst, Frikkie J.
    Developing countries such as Kenya and other African countries now consider tourism as a passport for development as it does not need expensive investment to initiate and operate as a national business. This study was motivated by the need to create parameters that can elevate the competitiveness of a tourist destination. The purpose was to initiate the formulation of a structured, integrated conceptual framework for hotel product/service, quality based on the normative quality expectation of the tourists and Hotel Operators' strategic quality designs. Descriptive qualitative research design was used to establish the secondary objectives and to assess the five propositions that were developed for the study. Tourists and hotel operators in two major tourist provinces of Kenya were used to obtain information regarding normative and perceptive hotel product/service quality. Destination marketing managers employed by the only destination marketing organization, Kenya Tourist Board (KTB), were also surveyed to provide insight on Kenya's destination marketing strategies. The study found that hotel operators and other destination management organizations neither share nor operate on a common vision as they endeavor to build destination competitiveness for Kenya. An integrated framework that may be utilized to build destination competitiveness so that the economic potential of tourism is maximized in Kenya is therefore proposed.
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    A Delphi survey on hotel service quality frameworks and their application
    (Revista de turism, 2011) Wadawi, Joe Kibuye
    Hotels have become an important aspect of a destination. It is therefore necessary to carry out evaluation of various studies and underpinning concept of quality models used in creating and sustaining leading service culture in hotels. This paper seeks to evaluate some of these expert frameworks using literature survey as the main source of deriving various expert propositions. Findings from the literature survey were further evaluated by Delphi team discussions to help generate recommendations. The study established that managers of hotels need to recognize the scientific significance of service improvement in hotel operations as a requirement for building their own competitive advantage and that of the destination where they operate.
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    Integrating the role of sports associations in the promotion of sports and recreation tourism at the destination level: creating a partnering framework for Kenya
    (International Journal of Tourism Sciences, ) Wadawi, Joe Kibuye; Oketch, Roselyn N.; Owino, Edward; George, Babu P.
    In Kenya, tourism is the second most important earner of foreign exchange after agriculture. It has had a great impact in the direct employment of local population as well as in generating opportunities for other business activities such as accommodation, food service, transport, retail, and other auxiliary services. In the recent past, Kenya’s tourism has faced numerous challenges which may have slowed tourist arrivals and growth considerably. The challenges have been driven by climatic and environmental changes that maybe interfering with the ecosystem. Kenyan tourism faces significant challenges also from intense regional competition, political instability, poor governance, corruption, negative travel advisory by the governments of source markets, poor security at the destination, dilapidated infrastructure within the destination, poor product/ service innovation, and inadequate market and customer value perception of the destination. In this regard, a need to examine possible ways of reinvigorating and diversifying Kenya’s tourism offerings has emerged and one area that holds a great potential is Sports and Recreation tourism. This paper therefore carries out an exploratory assessment of the awareness of the members of the various sports associations regarding the significance of sports tourism to Kenya’s economy. Club representatives duly registered within ten selected sports associations that represent popular sports in Kenya were surveyed to achieve this objective. This research proposes an integrated approach to the creation of a partnering role amongst sports associations to help promote sports and recreation tourism in Kenya.
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    Normative versus perceptual gap analysis of hotel product quality as a service to tourism in Kenya
    (David Publishing, ) Wadawi, Joe Kibuye; Herbst, Frederick Jacobus; Bresler , Nerine Cecilia
    Kenya’s tourism business stagnated from 1991 to 2003 and only registered small but steady grew from 2004. One of the sectors that recorded poor performance as a result of the slow growth of tourism isthe hotel business. Despite this slack, stakeholders in Kenya have not tried to assess the extent to which the quality of this sector may impact on destination preference. The ultimate purpose of this research was to establish the quality gap between the expected and the perceived hotel product/service quality from both the perspective of the tourists and the hotel operators in Kenya. It was motivated by the need to create parameters that can elavate the competitiveness of Kenya’s tourism using the hotel product/service quality offer. Descriptive quantitative research design was used to establish the secondary objectives and to assess two propositions set for the study. A sample of 211 tourists and 19 hotel operators in two major tourist provinces of Kenya was used to obtain information regarding normative and perceptive hotel product/service quality. Kenya’s only destination marketing organisation, Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) marketers were also surveyed to provide insight on Kenya’s destination position with regard to the motivation of tourists to visit Kenya. The study established that although the attractions which make tourists come to Kenya are the unique wildlife safari, beach tourism and the natural scenery, hotel product quality and hospitality plays a vital role in motivating touriststo choose Kenya as the destination tovisit. However, this study found out that while the tourists and hotel operators agree on the normative hotel product quality level, there is a significant gap between the normative quality and the perceptual quality registered by tourists who used hotel services. The study established that hotel operators only recognize quality regulatory institutions with statutory and legal authority to incriminate facilities that do not comply withlaid down operational requirements such as Hotels and Restaurants Authority and the Local Authority Public Health Department. The study has proposed an integrated framework that may be utilized to build a superior national hotel product/service quality so that the economic potential of tourism is maximized in Kenya.
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    The Role of hotels in the consumption of cultural tourism in Kenya
    (Revista de turism, 2009-12) Wadawi, Joe Kibuye; OKECH, Roselyne N.; Nerine, BRESLER; Nedelea, Alexandru
    Tourism is Kenya’s leading foreign exchange earner, yielding the country over US$500m annually. The industry contributes over 10% of the GDP to the national economy. However, considering that the industry experienced a slump over the period 1994-2003, there are challenges on how to sustain the current tempo of growth in the midst of growing competition, especially in wildlife-based tourism. There is a general feeling that the tourism industry in Kenya needs to avoid over reliance on wildlife and diversify its tourism product base. The industry stakeholders (led by the government) are seeking means and strategies of differentiating the tourism product offering in order to become a destination of choice in international markets. It is with the foregoing in mind that this study focused on investigating the possibility of incorporating cultural tourism as a means of augmenting and diversifying Kenya’s tourism product. This is in view of the fact that the country has a vast ethnic diversity with a total of 42 cultural groupings. These groups spice up Kenya’s heritage with various cultural attractions including music, food, dress, architecture, artifacts, dances, language, religious monuments, prayer and worship, family, government and leadership. The question that the research wanted to answer is how the hotels could contribute to the development of cultural tourism in Kenya. Being a key component and beneficiaries of improved performance in tourism, hotels, have a crucial role to play in shaping the nature of the cultural tourism product offering. The study established that many hotels have taken various specific measures in support of cultural tourism including: architectural designs and layouts that depict the surrounding culture; incorporation of local culture in branding and naming of facilities; inclusion of traditional tastes and choices in food; selection of staff uniform based on traditional designs and colours; emphasis on cultural uniqueness in overseas marketing campaigns; and formation of lobby groups seeking government support for cultural tourism The research concluded with a recommendation that it would be a great gain if hotels and the Kenya tourism fraternity could develop consistent frameworks for promoting culture as part of tourism consumption. This would then provide a unique strategic marketing formula for Kenya to have an edge over her competitors.
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    The roles of destination brands in influencing choices of wildlife-based tourists in Kenya.
    (2013) Wadawi, Joe Kibuye; Ondigi, Alice N.; Maingi, S. W.
    This paper is concerned with discerning the efficacy of park branding in influencing tourist choice behaviour and understanding behavioural differences of visitors as a basis for explaining their choice and behavioural intentions. Kenya’s Vision 2030 clearly emphasized that a yield-focused branding strategy in Kenyan premium parks, complemented by the expansion in underutlized parks would improve Tourism GDP from Kshs 8 bn in 2006 to Kshs 11 bn - accounting to over 56% of Tourism GDP (GoK 2008). Up to now, 18 parks and reserves have been branded in Kenya and expectations are that such market-based initiatives would improve the image of Kenyan parks. Current trends however indicate that underutilized branded parks such as Hells gate National Park have witnessed a 38.3% decline in visitation from 2005-2009 from 38,900 to 24,000 in 2005 visitors in 2009 (KWS 20084; Euromonitor International 2010). In contrast, premium parks such as the L. Nakuru National Park have witnessed impressive results since 2005, with an annual visitation growth rate of 12% from 2005-2009 (KWS 20 I0). Such contradictions in visitation patterns between branded premium parks and underutilized parks warranted this study in investigating choice behaviour of visitors to branded parks in Kenya. The World Bank report on tourism development in Kenya further raises ideal concerns over the uncompetitiveness of Kenya’s traditional tourism product offerings and the need to reposition the country’s market image as a premier safari destination (World Bank, 20] 0). The study reviews literature on the role of destination branding, both the idealism and realism views as well as the Essentialism vs. Naturalism views. It provides benchmarks studies globally as a means of assessing the efficacy of park branding globally. A detailed conceptual review of the role of place and destination brands is reviewed. The study was undertaken by way of a Survey of local and international travellers visiting a clustered sample of branded national parks in Kenya. Interviews were conducted to assess the roles of destination brands in influencing their choices.