Why Is Tourism Important to Kenya

691 Words3 Pages
Why is tourism important in kenya Agriculture has been the mainstay of their economy but a significant contributor has been the tourist trade - particularly for the services sector. It is also their main source of foreign currency. The culture of the countries in East Africa is very much around protecting the tourist trade (and based on tales I was told while touring in East Africa) thieves who tourist and very badly treated due to the potential negative impact on the tourist trade. The tourist trade also brings in a lot of the revenue which helps support wildlife protection in Kenya and other countries and allows them to focus other resources on the people and so also build a reputation in the global community as being responsible for the environment. That said tourism also has a negative impact on the people and culture of countries like Kenya. I heard tales of children who choose to beg because they earn more from the tourist than their educated fathers. People who give to beggars etc are not helping the country they should donate to local organisations that help the poor. I met a couple of regular travellers to Kenya who when they come to the country give to a charity and then when asked for more provide direct the person to the charity - most times they are cursed but occassionally the truly needy take them up on it. Tourism will always be important for Kenya - whether it is just as they continue to build their economy or as a mainstay of maintaining their wildlife programs. How has tourism numbers changed in Kenya According to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism in February 2012, tourist arrivals by air and sea grew by 15% over the full year to 1,265,136, up from the 1,095,842 arrivals in 2010. The strong tourist arrivals performance in 2011 was a slight surprise given that many Western governments had issued travel advisories for
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