Awareness and implementation of the critical factors for sustainable tourism - a case of Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya
Date
2020-11
Authors
Kuntai, Samuel Tunai
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
Sustainable tourism ensures the protection of the setting, community participation and empowerment, sharing of benefits, development and growth in the local economy in tourism attraction sites. It lobbies for the maximum number of people who can use a site without an unacceptable alteration in the physical environment and decline in the quality of the experience gained by visitors. Awareness and implementation of critical factors for sustainable tourism by tourism stakeholders is an important step towards achieving sustainable tourism. The critical factors include elements that may affect the achievement of sustainable tourism. They are strategic features, management design, sustainable tourism policies and community participation. The main objective for this study was to assess the level of awareness and implementation of critical factors for sustainable tourism on the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya. A descriptive research design was used to assess the awareness and implementation of the critical factors for sustainable tourism. The target population was 262,106 which included the community members, tour operators, county government officials and the tour facility managers. The sample size was 183 respondents. A random stratified sampling method was utilized. Data was collected using the questionnaire, which was distributed to community members, tour facility managers, tourists, county government officials and tour operators. SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the quantitative data for the descriptive and inferential statistics. The linear regression model was used to test the relationship between critical factors and sustainable tourism. Strategic features, management design, sustainable tourism policy and community participSustainable tourism ensures the protection of the setting, community participation and empowerment, sharing of benefits, development and growth in the local economy in tourism attraction sites. It lobbies for the maximum number of people who can use a site without an unacceptable alteration in the physical environment and decline in the quality of the experience gained by visitors. Awareness and implementation of critical factors for sustainable tourism by tourism stakeholders is an important step towards achieving sustainable tourism. The critical factors include elements that may affect the achievement of sustainable tourism. They are strategic features, management design, sustainable tourism policies and community participation. The main objective for this study was to assess the level of awareness and implementation of critical factors for sustainable tourism on the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya. A descriptive research design was used to assess the awareness and implementation of the critical factors for sustainable tourism. The target population was 262,106 which included the community members, tour operators, county government officials and the tour facility managers. The sample size was 183 respondents. A random stratified sampling method was utilized. Data was collected using the questionnaire, which was distributed to community members, tour facility managers, tourists, county government officials and tour operators. SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the quantitative data for the descriptive and inferential statistics. The linear regression model was used to test the relationship between critical factors and sustainable tourism. Strategic features, management design, sustainable tourism policy and community participation have a positive and significant contribution towards sustainable tourism in the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya. The findings imply that improvement in critical factors will have significant contribution to sustainable tourism in the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya.ation have a positive and significant contribution towards sustainable tourism in the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya. The findings imply that improvement in critical factors will have significant contribution to sustainable tourism in the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Policy and Management at Strathmore University
Keywords
Sustainable tourism