How does Kenya earn money?
Kenya exports mainly primary goods which includes tea, coffee and horticulture also known as flour, which has a low value and imports mainly manufactured goods such as industrial machinery, motor vehicles, iron and steal, wheat, and many others which have a high value. This means that Kenya gets very little for its exports but has to pay a lot for its imports. This courses Kenya to have a trade difficult. In 1992 Kenyans trade difficult was £k 1000 million. Kenya has had to borrow money from other countries, which basically means that it is in depth. It also has to pay interest on the loan. All this means that Kenya does not have enough money to spend on hospitals, schools which also means providing education, transport such as trains, busses, and cars, and also tractors. Which would help to develop the country.
How does Kenya benefit from tourism?
Tourism to Kenya is very important, as it makes a lot of money for the country. Tourism has created many jobs opportunities in Kenya even though some may not be very well educated. Some jobs include people needed to work in hotels as chefs for the tourist’s people to eat, waitresses, maids, security guards, cleaners etc that the employees get a good wage and a better standard of living. The more money they earn the more tourism going. People such as tourists pay money to stay in the hotels, which then the hotels need to provide things such as cleaning which then they would have to employ a maid/cleaner, and other activities. In the hotels there are jobs such as the receptionists who check all the tourists in and use the telephone apparently, the maid provides food and service for the tourists and the chef cooks the food. There are also many other jobs like shopkeepers, whom earn money by selling souvenirs. All these jobs provide a better standard of living, as they would earn better wages. By tourists coming it has provided and created jobs for employees.
Tourism also provides indirect employment, e.g.: farmers can grow food for the hotels.
Tour companies who run the safari holidays need people to work, as there is more people where tourists go for amusements therefore more jobs are created. Other jobs includes bus owners whom take the tourists to visit the spectacular scenery, people whom blow he hot air balloons, which is another attraction and amusements that the tourist like to visit and see, and many others also benefit.
I.E.: the government also make money from tourism, as they tax every single person whom owns a job, and earns wages. They also tax the tourists when they come on the holiday when paying towards there flight fare/air port ticket. The tour operators make money from the profits that they charge when the tourist pay for the amusements which also includes hot air balloon safari and souvenir sellers.
However tourism to Kenya is very important. This is shown as tourism has employed 40,000 to maintain a proper job. The amount of tourist in 1960 was only 150,000, which has in 1990 risen to 900,000, which is approximately 6 times greater, which also means that tourism has become a very important site. The money earned from tourism in 1960 in US$ was 51.8 million which also has increased to 467 million, which is 9 times greater, which is equal to half of Kenyans exports.
However there is also a very important reason to why Kenya does not make a very large profit. One main reason is that Kenya imports goods from many different MEDC countries such as air conditioning from Canada, or office machines from the USA, Carpets from the UK, etc, which is all provided for the hotels that the tourist stay at. This means that the money, which Kenya earns, leaks out by them paying for unnecessary imported goods payment to foreign owners and co-owners with Kenyans and travel arrangements. It is stated that foreigners earn an estimate of 70% of what the tourist pay for their beach holidays, and 40% of tourist’s payments. This in other words means that if Kenya did not make large profits it would be more in depth.
What effects has tourism had on different groups of people?
Tourism has effected many different groups of people, however the two which has most been effected have been the Masaii people and the Muslim people. The masaii people, have been effected in many reasons, one of which is that they had to leave there home, which now has become an amusement park or national parks and have had t move to th edge of them, without receiving no compensation whatsoever, and that is also another reason why they have had a loss in there grazing land. Theses people have now become a game reserve, they are now not seen as human begins but have become a tourist attraction in life with no self-esteem and they face criticism, and have no rights. Their old homes before hey had to move have now become funfairs and lodges and they have lost all hat they once use to own. Sacred rituals once performed by the masaii people now become old-fashioned shows. Kenyans are becoming second class citizens in there own country, unable to go to the beach encase they spoil the scenery and other things.
This is also another reason why the number of tourists increases. But also this can e a good thing as it provides these masaii people with jobs from the national parks.
The other main group of people affected is the Muslim culture/ Muslim population of the coast. They now have to live in a different type of society. In Islamic religion women have to wear –long black garments covering there entire body except their eyes, as it is a sin to advertise themselves to men.
However tourist find it so hot that when they walk thorough theses kind of people they feel different. The tourists wear such things like bikinis or even go topless, and this is a great disrespect to the Muslim inhabitants. This also influences the youngsters of Kenya to wear such things. They do not always respect traditional culture/clothing. Another point is that the souvenir trade is such damage that can occur to the cultural and religious side. This happens when tourists buy something sacred just because it looks good. Even a tourist to a religious building can cause grief due to inappropriate behaviour or unacceptable dress.
Tourism has also lead to the opening of many bars and nightclubs in Muslim areas. This again is a disregard for there culture as alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Another point Is that these tourist have also bought with them drugs, and other things like this to Kenya. These tourists lead to thousands of Kenyans turning to prostitution for money, which is another main disrespect to the Muslim society.
What effect has tourism had on the environment?
Tourism has also had an effect on the environment. The ecosystem in the Savannah grasslands involve hot air balloon safari which makes a lot of loud Noise, which then drives the animals to move out, as they produce such racket and sparks which frightens the animals away. The lodges produce lot of rubbish from the left over food, which the people working there, just throw out, and drop it on the outside places, that those animals that are hunting smell the smell, and come to eat such leftovers. This food can be poison and then can kill the poor animals, and for this reasons the animals can become scarce, as they would die out easily.
The other reason is the minibuses, which tour the tourists. The tourists visiting the safari places go to see animals in their natural habitats and open environments. Tourists have a huge impact on the animals that they go to see. Tourists are driven around the parks in specially adapted minibuses with open tops so that they can view and photograph the animals. These minibuses want there tourists to be pleased and happy therefore take them to see the animals close and about forty minibuses go and do this each day, around one animal. Because of this the animals are disturbed and harassed and the flashes of the camera also scare away the animals. The drivers not thinking twice pass over the grassland, which gradually wears away, increasing soil erosion and become roads. This means that the vegetation needed for the animals is reduced as they have no fresh grass to eat, which then would make them hungry, and as we know hunger can kill. Also those minibuses tours use the roads in such a way that by them speeding, without them knowing they blow the dust in the air which means that the air would become polluted very quickly, and this could also cause damage to the animals and people of Kenya and also to the environment.
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Another main point is that the coral reef ecosystem is also damaged. This is done in several different ways. Firstly the tourist visit these places and tend to take and pick shells and rocks nd other things from the sea to take as souvenirs, and if each tourist did this then they would destroy the coral reef completely. They tend to stand in the coral reef and their weight and by them stepping on it, it can also cause wreck the coral reef. The tour guides try to impress the tourist by placing anchors in the coral reef, and because of this daily invasion the coral reef would gradually wear out and turn into rubble and ruins.
Are there any better ways of developing tourism in Kenya?
There are many different ways that would be better ways to develop tourism in Kenya.
Firstly let me explain what sustainable development means. This means that it is a progress that can continue year after year and does not waste resources, it improves the quality of life of people and does not damage the quality of life, and that it does not harm the environment either now or in the future.
There are many reasons, which would make mass tourism more sustainable For example you should allow people to continue living there traditional ways of life instead of threatening or disrupting there lives, therefore those tourists should respect and wear clothing which is suitable for the masaii people and Muslim culture so no harm is caused. . They should improve people’s lives and benefit the local community e.g. schools and healthcare, instead of making large profits for foreign firms while the local people live on poverty. They could do this by giving some money to the community instead of keeping it all to themselves, they should protect the environment and not damage or destroy the natural environment by not placing so many vehicles in one place at one time, or driving on top of the grass. They should also allow local people to use their own skill and knowledge instead of relying on the skill and knowledge of feign expertise.
There are different groups of people that could do different things to improve tourism in Kenya; example travel companies could chose destinations that are not overcrowded. They should choose tour operators who are supportive to ecosystem. This way the grasslands and the animals would not get disturbed as much, as they would have less amount of people bothering them. They could also make booklets to inform the tourists about the coral reef, and not to damage it, and to wear appropriate clothing, so that they know before hand, instead of knowing when they reach Kenya. This way at least the people would have a bit of respect for the Kenyan people.
The government can have laws such as that those drivers whom pass over the grassland they should be fined or their license taken away from them. They should take license away for those whom are tour guides and allow the tourists to damage its coral reef. They should all agree to a contact which includes rules and regulations.
The esonki conservation area is on the edge of the Ambseli national parks and during the rainy season much of ambselies wildlife passes through. By using such service tourists can stay in luxurious safari tents, with showers, flush toilets, and solar powered electric lights, it is all low impact and can be removable, which means that it does not cause any damage to the environment, tourist can enjoy real African experience with truly wild animals. It is all run by the masaii. There are twenty-six masaii trained as rangers. They work in camp, cooking and serving meals, on building roads. The masaii can rule themselves without being told what to do. They get a rent fee for the conservation area, an entrance fee from each tourist and a fee for every tourist for every night that they stay. The profits that they make have paid for a local school and healthcare, and also many other things for the community.
Tourists could wear appropriate clothing, which would not effect nor offend the Muslim culture.
In conclusion I believe that yes tourism should be developed further in Kenya, by using and making an ecosystem, that does not harm the environment, nor effect its people. I do not think that Kenya can achieve economic development without tourism, as it will earn less money jus from exporting tea and coffee. Tourists should respect peoples peace, privacy a and lands this would allow the Kenyans to live life as peacefully as they want, and does not destroy there traditional ways of life as it would be more crucial for them to live a better standard of living if they did not get tourists pushing them about, and telling them what to do. They should remember that they are a guest and behave accordingly, as this would make them aware that they do not have the right to do things that would effect the people around there lives. They should respect religious places and do not touch religious objects. This would also make them have that significance that it does not belong to them and they should not touch sacred souvenirs even though that would affect the souvenir shopkeepers. They should follow all rules and regulations regarding protected areas for wildlife, as this would make the animals more protected to the environment and live there life according to there habitats and do not have to be scared of living in there own areas. They should dress appropriately, as this would reduce the amount of prostitution and would also show respect o the people of Kenya. They should not touch, chase or harass animals or marine life, for the reason mentioned before. They should also leave plants and marine life to flourish in their natural environment as this would improve Kenya’s scenery and would become better food for the animals. They should also not try to waste water as this would be a useful recourse and would not waste a lot of Kenya’s money. Switch off lights and air conditioning if you go out which once again would be supporting the local economy. They should ask before taking photographs as this would be another respectful thing for Kenya and would not scare away the animals because of there flash. All the above-mentioned things are a code of conduct which tourist should keep in mind when visiting Kenya.
