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Tourism and the Environment Essay

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Tourism and the Environment

Mass Tourism and discriminating tourists, who are only pre-occupied with the "big five" mentality have in the past years contributed to the degradation of the environment and harassment of wildlife.

Thanks to the Eco-tourism concept which has been championed by the tourist destinations globally with a view to changing the big "five" mammal mentality and developing other environmentally friendly types of tourism. Eco- tourism is thus an important concept in tourism development. The latter incorporates a strong commitment to nature and a sense of social responsibility. In this respect, the present and future generations are urged to conserve the environment while the …show more content…

It contributes positively to the naturing and exploitation of cultural heritage of nations. It therefore serves indirectly to improve individual cultural understanding of both residents and foreigners while at the same time contributing to the Gross National Product. At the local level domestic tourism creates understanding and appreciation of the attractions thereby contributing to sustainable tourism development.

4.3 ECO-TOURISM IN KENYA - A CASE STUDY

Since independence in 1963 , Kenya has been a leader in the field of conservation of wildlife and biodiversity both aquatic and land based. The Kenya National Tourism Development Master Plan beyond the year 2000 focuses on better distribution of tourists so as to relieve stress on existing areas of visitation, thereby minimising environmental degregation. These aforementioned nobel objectives will be achieved through:-

· Improved travel conditions to less visited touristic areas.

· incorporation of nature and culture as major considerations. In order to be compatible with the popular wildlife and beach attractions, laws pertaining to wildlife conservation reviewed to take the following aspects into account:-

· Integration and sustainable conservation and management of wildlife.

· minimizing human - wildlife

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