Kenya's Tourism Policy

Tourism has become a commercial business, which has obvious benefits to the said economy, the environment and society. Often, the positive economic impacts persuade governments, companies and individuals to get involved with the development of tourism. Tourism creates jobs, both

Construction of tourist facilities may increase the amount of jobs available to local people however it does also mean that more land is lost for natural habitats and although it is a necessary harm which is needed to increase economic activity there are few regulations on how much land can be used for new buildings and the removal of vegetation can increase soil erosion (Safariholidays 2011). Africa has a very delicate eco system which is highly vulnerable to drought and famine so although the benefits of tourism mean increasing sustainability in the long run it must be ensured that the locals receive some of

Hawaii is located in the central Pacific Ocean; it is one of the many islands in Polynesia. It is composed of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaii, the island of Hawaii being the largest island of the eight (see attached map). According to the census bureau, as of 2014, Hawaii ‘s population is approximately 1,419,561 with Native Hawaiians forming only 10% of the population; in order to be considered a Native Hawaiian you must have one native great-grandparent (2014 United States Census Bureau). Hawaii’s official languages are English and Hawaiian. Hawaii was first occupied by people coming from the Marquesas Islands approximately 1500 years ago followed by people from Tahiti. In 1778 Captain Cook arrived in Hawaii finding approximately 300,00 Hawaiians there. In the 1850’s Hawaiians worked in sugar cane plantations. In 1983 Queen Liliuokalani was deposed and in 1900 Hawaii became a United States Territory. Fifty-nine years later, in 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. Tourism plays a huge role in Hawaii’s culture; it is a big part of its economy and social life. This paper will be discussing Hawaii’s tourism and it’s effects.

Tourism plays a significant role in sustainable development and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organization (WTO) wish to encourage all countries to make sure that their policies and actions for its development and management fully embrace the principles of sustainability. Likewise, policies to promote sustainable development should take full account of the opportunities offered by tourism. Various international conventions and declarations have put forward principles and guidelines for sustainable tourism and the importance of tourism and its sustainability was underlined at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Many countries declare that they are pursuing, or wish to pursue, policies for ‘sustainable tourism’. Despite this interest, there remains a degree of uncertainty over the scope and priorities for making tourism more sustainable and only partial appreciation of how to put this into practice (Making Tourism More Sustainable, 2005).

Hawaii’s beautiful terrain, clear ocean waters, and year around tropical climate temperatures, combined with the people’s Aloha and welcoming spirit has made the islands one of the most attractive location in the world to visit. In 1997, 158,000 individuals visited Hawaii each day, and the annual tourist arrival count was 6.8 million. (Luciano). Although Hawaii’s tourism business has improved the socio-economic condition for many that has made Hawaii their home, there have been negative impacts to Native Hawaiians with second and third order effects that go unseen behind the ocean front hotels, luaus, and tourist attractions. Hawaii has become a major tourist destination that receives over six million visitors per year. One of a major contributor to the Hawaiian economy, so much that it generates 10 billion dollars per year to the economy. (Lukasz). Because of tourism, the negative impact on the Native Hawaiians has been eye opening for the economic effects and even globalization. At home, specific negative effects include overbuilding to accommodate increased population densities, low income jobs, and mistreatment from tourists.

When one looks at the social and economic indicators of well-being, the conclusion is clear. Tourism has not benefited the host Native Hawaiian people and it probably never will. To understand this, one must understand that Hawaii today is at the mercy of transnational interests. Foreign investment related to tourism went from 70.8 million dollars in 1981 to over a billion and a half in 1986. The increase is enough to make anyone’s head spin and confirms the vulnerability of Hawaii and Hawaii’s people. Japanese investment in leading the pack has plunked down over 3 billion dollars for hotels alone in a time period of eighteen years ending 1989. The Australians are far behind the second place with 117 million. Today, almost every major hotel is owned by foreign investors and almost every hotel on the drawing board is being funded by foreign investment. The rapid and phenomenal increase of foreign investment is the clearest indication that any consideration of the short and long term negative impact of tourism is of no consequence to those involved in the industry.

As mentioned by Rimmington & Morrison (2009), the assistance from different parts of the world presents a new and diverse outlook for future research including theoretical innovations and revelations, cultural and environmental aspects, tourist destination and other ecotourism and recreational aspects of tourism and hospitality industry (Brotherton,

carefully assessed. The objective of this tourism plan is to show the possibility of developing a

Tourism in Kenya has expanded since 1963. People travel to Kenya because it is such a beautiful country and has the most spectacular wild life. I attended African

Tourism plays a vital role in economic development in most countries around the world. The industry has not only direct economic impact, but also significant indirect and influential impacts. There is agreement among experts that the travel and tourism sector is the fastest growing of global economy. According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourism receipts surpass US$ 1 trillion in 2011, growing about 3.8%up from 2010 (WTO, 2012).

Another aspect of impact of tourism on a country’s economy is that it facilitates the expansion of the market of goods and services. Foreigners come to a country willing to spend money on different goods and services, thus increasing the amounts of sales. This is a great chance for producers and service providers to receive larger profits. This concerns not only hoteliers, tour operators, and souvenir shops owners. Public transportation, retail stores of different kind, restaurants, and cafes benefit from international tourism. Obviously, if these industries are in demand, businesses will be expanding. On the one hand, it means that more money is paid to the budget. On the other hand, profits generated by the owners are spent inside the country, affecting almost all the fields of the

Policy and planning directly related, despite being completely different types of processes, they both confront the same issues, that being the overall future development of a destination. This essay reflects on policy and planning in the tourism industry. Beginning with the purpose of tourism policy, underlining why policy and planning is important, how it is utilized, and finally the benefits to tourism development. Utilizing examples from Kenya, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Croatia to further illustrate why tourism policies and planning are necessary in destinations.

Kenya is also the preferred entry point for companies wishing to expand further in the region. Moreover, East Africa’s largest economy is one of the most innovative on the African continent, which bodes well for future economic development.

The Travel and Tourism industry is still one of the largest single businesses in world commerce and its importance is widely recognized. The tourism industry is now one of the largest sectors earning foreign exchange. In the face of many benefits, many countries have started assigning due weight age to the tourism industry in their national development agenda. Tourism is an industry that operates on a massively broad scale: it embraces activities ranging from the smallest sea-side hotel; to air-lines, multi-national hotel chains and major international tour operators. Originally, non-traditional industries such as tourism emerged as a solution to strike a balance between ecology and industry

Planning and development are both extremely important factors within the tourism industry and can have both positive and negative effects on the environment, local communities and tourist destinations. “Destination planning aims to limit the negative impacts of cultural tourism upon the history and lifestyles of the local community. An understanding of sustainable tourist development allows for the development of culture without loss of its authentic identity” (Maidment. T. 2012). This statement discusses the importance of planning to avoid having any negative impacts on environments and communities. Because the effects of tourism are so severe to destinations, many natural and cultural resources have been destroyed, therefore tourism planning is vital to preserve and maintain these places for future generations.