This is a descriptive essay on a national park. I chose a national park situated in a country which is well known for its fauna and flora to make the whole descriptive process great and beautiful. Nairobi National Park receives thousands of tourists from Europe and America; they flock into this country to admire the natural beauty of the national park. The free roaming wildlife and beautiful scenery at the park provide a great opportunity for a beautiful descriptive essay to be written.
Nairobi National Park
Nairobi national park was the fist to be established in Kenya in 1946 during the British colonial reign in the then East Africa region. The national park sits on a vast piece of land covering over 117 square kilometers. It is surrounded by an electric fence all round to contain the animals within the park and keep off poachers and any other intruders.
The park can be accessed through seven gates though two are only used by the Kenya Wildlife Services officials only. The park has an animal orphanage where young animals left behind by their parents are kept: life at the park is survival for the fittest and if, for instance, a zebra is ambushed by a leopard it has to outrun the leopard otherwise it turns into a good leopard food.
The position of the park is very strategic as it only takes less than ten minutes drive to be at the downtown of the capital city. For international visitors, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport can be used and for those with light aircrafts the Wilson airstrip will be handy.
The park offers extremely beautiful features; all around within the park are trees of different species with different characteristics, there are thick bushes and the grass is either green or dry depending on the season at hand. With a pair of binocular, birds can be seen hovering over the bushes with some trying to outdo each other through their songs.
If the binoculars has sharp lens, then you are likely to see a race between a bird and an insect with the bird defeating its prey in most cases. If you project your eyes beyond the horizon of the park you will see Nairobis tall buildings. If you farther raise you head up you will see a light aircraft passing over the park on its way to an airstrip which is nearby. The park is relatively dry but has a rich collection of fauna and flora.
There are streams which run through the park and more often than not animals are witnessed coming to quench their thirst at these streams. This happens most in the afternoons when the sun is a bit strong.
The Park Flora and Fauna
The park environment mainly consists of an open plain consisting of grass with an average height of one meter from the ground. It is like hundreds of soccer pitches laid next to each other. Herbivorous like buffaloes, zebras, antelopes among others feed on this grass. The grass is also used tactically by the big cats especially the lions and leopards.
One thing that a careful observer will note is that the herbivorous will always appear distracted; they never absolutely focus on feeding on the grass, they keep on jabbing their heads up- it is the rule of this place.
A leopard can keep its body as low as an envelop and move stealthily towards a grazing zebra and if the zebra is not on the look out it is caught unawares but if its sixth sense raises an alarm the leopard will have lost the day it is survival for the fittest. Watching the unfolding of all these through binoculars is unbelievable; it makes the experience at this place memorable (KWS 1).
The park tracks are not tarmac and off road vehicles are often used in cruising through the park. Driving at relatively high speeds through the park tracks creates a good experience and elevates the feel of cool air cool as it brushes over your face incase you are viewing the park through the roof of the car. The animals at this place are the greatest treasure. It these animals which have made park what it is.
Park Activity Options
The park has selected spots where picnics can be held. Some of the picnic activities which can be carried out in the picnic sites include bush dinners, team building sessions, weddings, video and filming sessions. The park also maintains a three star restaurant where visitors to the park enjoy their meals while enjoying the view of the park.
The picnic spots are quite awesome and everything about them is great. The sites are quiet, the air is cool and sun is not very strong it presents the right environment for outdoor activities. Playing badminton might be disappointing because the winds are likely to take the shuttlecock on a tour.
Soccer and volleyball will be good options and probably hide and seek is not a bad idea as the bushes around the picnic sites can perfectly offers some hiding spots. Holding a wedding in this place will be unforgettable experience.
For a wedding it will be advisable that the months of April through October are avoided as they are quite wet. The picnic sites are not very nice during the wet months as the ground is often wet and it is always raining. During the dry period, the ground is dry and one can sit down comfortably (KWS 1).
Within the park, there is a safari walk. This consists of a long trail of a pavement made of wood; the pavement which is raised above the ground by an average of eight meters. The pavement meanders in an ox-bow manner through trees and bushes; walking over this pavement gives a feeling of walking through the sky.
Conclusion
Nairobi National Park is a great place. It offers a great scenic view which leaves an unforgettable experience. The ever flourishing vegetation makes the place appear evergreen. Trees are all over, the grass stand tall and bushes are spread around.
The place provides one great and detailed ecosystem which sustains itself in an amazing wonderful manner: predators depend on the herbivores for their food and herbivores in turn depend on the vegetation for food. The park management has done great to enhance the beauty and entertainment value of the park by creating picnic sites and a safari walk.
The safari walk and the picnic sites give a great opportunity for people to relax in a soothing environment which is quiet and with a lot of fresh air. The park is a great place to visit.
Work Cited
KWS. Nairobi National Park. Kenya Wildlife Service, 2011. Web.
This is a report on the Grand Canyon National Park. This report covers the diversity of life forms found in this region and the biological interrelationship that exists among them. Light is shade on the effect of human intrusion and protection measures that have been taken to reduce the intrusion. Suggestions are made on what ought to be done to preserve the region from human encroachment. The report sends a warning on what is likely to happen if human intrusions are allowed to go on without being checked.
Diversity of Life Forms
The Grand Canyon National Park has been described as a world heritage site (Nature & Science, 2010, Para. 1). It is located in northwestern Arizona at the Colorado Plateau and covers approximately 1, 218, 375 acres. The Grand Canyon National park is richly diverse in life forms. Scientists have identified several major ecosystems at the park. It has been reported that the biological diversity in this park is sustained by the five life zones namely Lower Sonoran, Upper Sonoran, Transition, Canadian, and Hudsonian (Nature & Science, 2010, Para. 1) and three desserts. The park has been described as an ecological refuge sustaining undisturbed remnants of dwindling ecosystems (Nature & Science, 2010, Para. 1) which include the boreal forest and desert riparian communities (Nature & Science, 2010, Para. 1). The park is famed for hosting some of the rarest and endangered animal and plant species on earth. In general the park hosts over 1,500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammalian, 47 reptile, 9 amphibian, and 17 fish species (Nature & Science, 2010, Para. 1).
Biological Interrelationships
It is worth noting that the natural setting at the park plays a significant role in ensuring that the ecosystems survive in this region. For instance, it has been noted that the range of elevation displayed by the landscape has made it possible for a multitude of habitats to be formed where wildlife can strive well. The springs and seeps out of the canyon walls sustain eleven percent of the plants in the park. It has been reported that the canyon has acted as a barrier to some species for instance the tasseled eared squirrels. The amphibians in these regions use the Colorado River for breeding purposes. The region contains over 373 species of birds. The birds feed on insects and some feed on fish from the Colorado River. The peregrine falcons have been said to feed on bats, swifts, and suitable eyrie sites (Nature & Science, 2010, Para. 1) which are reported to be available in plenty along the river Colorado. The condors have been reported to be opportunistic scavengers feeding on dead animals. There are 33 species of crustaceans in the Colorado River that serve as a significant source of food for the larval rainbow trout, benthic invertebrates larval bluehead and flannelmouth suckers. The mammals in this region feed on vegetation while others like the bats feed on insects along the river. The lions feed on animals such as dears (Nature & Science, 2010). In general, the vegetation provides food for a few herbivores such as dears which are in turn feed by lions and foxes. The carcasses left behind are food for some birds such as the condors. Other birds mainly feed on insects while others on bats and fish.
Human Intrusions
Human intrusion comes in a variety of forms. The national park management is doing its best to educate visitors who frequent the park on the proper management of the wildlife. UNEP (2009) has raised concerns about the number of visitors who frequent the park. It has been argued that the presence of four to five million annual visitors, their vehicles and wastes, are gradually degrading the Parks resources both natural and cultural (UNEP, 2009, para. 1). Visitors are prohibited from feeding animals as this will make them lose their hunting skills. Visitors are also advised not to let lose their pets as they are likely to kill the young ones of animals and can also get killed by aggressive animals. Fishing without a license is prohibited. It has been reported that logging activities elsewhere have threatened the Goshawks and spotted owls (Nature & Science, 2010; Newsome, Moore, & Dowling, 2002).
More intrusions have been comprehensively noted by UNEP
Alien flora and fauna which compete with and sometimes exclude native plants are being systematically extirpated although they number 171 species, and campaigns have been needed to eliminate the feral burros and introduced trout. Destructive fires are reduced by thinning the forests which will allow the beneficial use of controlled burns. The air quality is affected by coal-powered plants in the region and copper smelters in Northern Mexico; regional haze results which can cut visibility by two-thirds. The construction of Glen Canyon dam upstream noticeably reduced the rate of water flow and the amounts of silt and sediment carried down Colorado, lowering the rate and pattern of sediment aggradation and the camping beaches used by river-runners; it has also affected the breeding of sediment-adapted native fish and reproduction of flood-dispersed cottonwoods, favoring invasion by exotic clearwater fish and the proliferation of tamarisk. (UNEP, 2009, para. 1)
The Protections that exist for Safeguarding and Preserving
The Grand Canyon region is under the jurisdiction of the Federal government. The Federal government manages the region through the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Land Management, all in the Department of the Interior, and the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture (UNEP, para. 1). Since 1924 the region has been continuously under management with various plans being implemented since then. The park management is based on laws that established the National Park Service. In some of the management activities, local citizens and volunteers have been involved (Graf, 2002). Useful divisions of the region have been carried out for management efficiency:
The Park has been zoned for management purposes. These comprise a natural zone including a proposed Wilderness area (over 90%); Havasupai Uselands and non-wilderness areas and corridors; and a Development zone. Studies of potential boundary adjustments may result in recommendations to revise park boundaries. (UNEP, 2009, para. 1)
Efforts that have been made to further this Preservation
There are many programs run within the Grand Canyon National Park meant to ensure the area is preserved. A good example is the wildlife program which aims at preserving native wildlife populations. The program also aims at reducing the level of human intrusion in the park. Under the program biologists have carried out studies to understand the ecosystem in the park; this knowledge will make it possible for better management of the park (National Park Service, 2008).
Some of the additional activities which can be used to enhance the preservation of the region include planting more of the native plants in regions where they do not exist. There should replanting of regions that are distressed and creation of hiking paths. Appeals should be made to volunteers and the rich to help in the preservation activities. Fundraising activities should be encouraged to fund activities such as the Glen Canyon Dam which has made it possible for floods to be controlled and led to the growth of plants in regions not habitable before.
What will be lost if the human intrusion goes unchecked
It has been noted that already a lot has been lost due to human activities:
Human activities in the Grand Canyon region have eliminated or seriously reduced many of its large predator populations, including black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, and Colorado River otters. Of these animals, the Colorado River otter was restricted to the Colorado River drainage and is now likely extinct. It was never abundant in historic times and did not receive Federal designation under the Endangered Species Act. Despite occasional reported sightings of Colorado River otters in the Grand Canyon, no reliable documentation existed since the 1970s, and recent searches for this otter species have been unsuccessful. The causes of the probable extinction of Colorado River otters include habitat fragmentation, inbreeding, and trapping. (The Grand Canyon National Park Foundation, 2005, para. 1)
If human activities are not regulated then more species are prone to be eliminated. It should be noted that once a species is eliminated it cannot be replaced forever. It is wise if human intrusion which comes in the form of tourism and other means is kept at minimal levels to avoid disturbance of fauna and flora (Roos, Gibbons, & Jones, 2008). It should be noted that any system survives by interdependence. The ecosystem in this region cannot survive if some of its constituents are disturbed or eliminated. Disturbance of some of the elements in the ecosystem will lead to loss of balance of the whole ecosystem which might be catastrophic in the region.
Conclusion
The Grand Canyon National Park is a rich heritage site located in northwestern Arizona at the Colorado Plateau and covers approximately 1, 218, 375 acres. The park is famed for hosting some of the rarest and endangered animal and plant species on earth. It has been observed that the biological interrelationships in this region are quite detailed. For instance, it has been noted that the range of elevation displayed by the landscape has made it possible for a multitude of habitats to be formed where wildlife can strive well. The vegetation provides food for a few herbivores such as dears which are in turn fed on by lions and foxes. The carcasses left behind are food for some birds such as the condors. Other birds mainly feed on insects while others on bats and fish. The bats feed on insects. The insects live along the river because of the water. Water sustains crustaceans which are in turn fed on by fish and some larvae.
Concerns have been raised about the intrusion of human activities in the region and the effect it has on the region. As a precautionary measure, tourists are advised not to feed animals as this will interfere with their natural feeding habits. The region is managed by the Federal government. A number of programs are run in the region to step up preservation measures and save flora and fauna species from extinction. Already some species have been eliminated and the authorities are working hard to educate people on the significance of the ecosystem and taking measures to avoid further losses.
References
Graf, M. (2002). Grand Canyon National Park. New York, NY: Capstone Press.
Nature & Science. (2010). Grand Canyon.National Park Service. Web.
Newsome, D., Moore, S., & Dowling, R. (2002). Natural area tourism: ecology, impacts, and management. New York, NY: Channel View Publications.
Roos, C., Gibbons, B., & Jones, S. (2008). The Grand Canyon and the American Southwest: Trekking in the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. New York, NY: Cicerone.
The Grand Canyon National Park Foundation. (2005). River Otter Reintroduction Feasibility Study. The Grand Canyon National Park Foundation. Web.
UNEP. (2009). Grand Canyon National Park, United States. The Encyclopedia of Earth. Web.
One of my childhood fascinations revolved around watching TV programs on wild animals and reading documented literature on these animals in their natural habitats. Lions, elephants, and giraffes were particularly fascinating to watch, though the perception then was that the animals were merely fiction since they seemed so large compared to the dogs and cats living amongst us in the neighborhood. But this perception suddenly changed when I visited the Nairobi National Park in Kenya, where I came alive to the fact that these animals are real and inherently beautiful.
My journey to the East African country was facilitated by a cultural exchange program shared between my former school and another institution in Kenya. Although I was exposed to very many new things during my three weeks stay in the country, the most memorable experience was a visit to the Nairobi National Park with my colleagues and mentors. The national park is an expansive and unique ecosystem spanning across 117 km2 of open grass plains with scattered acacia bush and other breath-taking vegetation types.
The uniqueness of the park is grounded on its capacity to host major wildlife attractions and ease of accessibility from the capital city. The park is located only 7 km from the capital city of Kenya, hence tourists can easily land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and have the opportunity to visit the park the same day.
In terms of major wildlife attractions, the Nairobi national park easily passes as one of the best in the world due to the many varieties of animals and their interactions in broad daylight. In the five hours that I was in the park, I had the chance to view black rhinos, lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, and other animal varieties in their natural surroundings as opposed to viewing them in a zoo. The game viewing was spectacular, particularly when it came to the hunting episodes involving lions and other herbivorous animals such as the wildebeests. I noticed that the lions hunted in a group of four or five and were often led by a female member of the group known as the lioness.
I also observed that, although these lions seemed huge and heavy, they were extremely fast in their hunting episodes and killed their prey through strangulation. Although female lions did most of the hunting, the largest share of the prey went to the male lions and cubs in what could be compared to contemporary home contexts whereby women settle down to eat after serving their men and children.
The tour guide informed us that they are many elephants and giraffes in the national park due to the Savanna environment and availability of many shrubs that act as a major source of food for the wildlife. True to the tour guides depiction, I viewed almost thirty elephants moving in a herd which was led by a huge male elephant. I came to learn that the elephants are considered as an endangered species due to poachers who kill them to extract their highly priced tusks and sell them in major European and Asian markets.
The tour guide also told us that, although giraffes have no known enemy, it was clear that human beings were increasingly killing them for their meat and skin. I could not understand why people could take part in killing such beautiful creatures for their trophies and meat.
Away from the enticing range of wild animals, I came to learn from the tour guide that the Nairobi national park holds corporate events such as bush dinners and team building excursions, special events such as weddings, and is also home to a favorite three-star restaurant where visitors can relax for sumptuous meals while overlooking the park. I had the occasion to witness one corporate event and interacted with a lot of people that were not part of our team.
One group that caught my attention consisted of ten men wearing traditional African regalia and dancing to the tunes of beautiful cultural songs. I was informed that these men were part of a larger cultural troupe that welcomed visitors into the park through song and dance. Although the men looked traditional, they demonstrated a fair understanding of the English language as they sang some of the songs in English. The people in the park were increasingly friendly and demonstrated a genuine concern about our comfort and safety while at the park. The singers, who I later learnt were from the Maasai community, kept us alive with their comforting songs and even welcomed us to dance with them.
To date, the visit at the Nairobi national park still remains my most memorable experience due to the many wildlife attractions and hospitable people. Not only did I come across my childhood fascinations in real-life context, but I also watched the animals hunt their prey in the expansive plains located just outside the capital city. It was the most fulfilling experience of my life, though I was sad that some unscrupulous individuals were killing the animals to benefit commercially through the sale of game trophies and meat. It is my conviction that developed countries should assist in curtailing the trade in animal trophies by criminalizing the business and providing the much needed funds to protect animals in their natural habitats.
Under the sweltering afternoon heat, it might have seemed like a bad decision to visit MacRitchie Reservoir. Barely minutes after setting foot in the park, I could feel my loose shirt starting to cling to my back in places, with perspiration trickling down my face. The searing heat from the sun was just unbearable.
The beauty of nature, nonetheless, never ceases to amaze me. The water was a perfect mirror for the lush green scenery that surrounded it. It was so perfect and clear that it could have been mistaken for another dimension, signaling for someone who dared to enter it. For a brief moment, I closed my eyes and lifted my face as the fresh air filled my lungs and revitalized my senses.
Subsequently, I began my hike up the MacRitchie Nature Trail. As I made my first steps into the forest, the raw, earthy scent of the mud and the smell of dewy foliage greeted me. Twigs and branches were cracking beneath my feet with every step I take. The roots of the trees projected through the soil, twisting like snakes, writhing around the cold, forest ground. The sunlight filtered through the spreading canopy of green above me, flowing through the gaps like running water. The sweet sound of twittering and chirping filled the air in a melodious chorus, as squirrels scampered up and down the tree trunks. The gentle breeze made the leaves dance gaily, like a seven-year-old kid skipping excitedly on his first trip to the amusement park.
At the end of the 5km long hike, I finally reached the Treetop Walk, a popular favorite among locals and foreigners alike. Spanning 250 meters from Bukit Peirce to Bukit Kalan, the two highest points in the park, the freestanding bridge offers breathtaking views of the reservoir. The clear, turquoise-blue waters of the reservoir and the forest canopy looked brilliant under the afternoon sun. It was a moment to savor. It felt like I was on top of the world, freed from the shackles of harsh reality.
Being acrophobic, I made my way across the bridge with trepidation, like a performer trying to perform a balancing act on a tightrope. Nevertheless, I crossed the bridge and made my way down the trail, and back to the starting point after three grueling hours.
If I were asked to sum up my trip with one word, it would be ‘delightful’. No profound words or elaborate explanations were needed to describe my experience at the park, as one word sufficed — ‘delightful’.
Yellowstone National Park, which we proudly call ‘a unique magical paradise on earth’, has always attracted people all over the world with its spectacular and magical natural resources. Whenever my foreign friend asked me for tour advice, I would not hesitate to recommend that he go to Yellowstone Park because this national park is the pride of Americans. The nature owns the superlative craftsmanship which has left us this extraordinary and magnificent place. It is the first national park in the world, mainly located in Wyoming, part of Montana, and Idaho. The park has convenient transportation with more than 500 kilometers of roads and 1,500 kilometers of hiking paths. However, there is another name for this famous resort: the Yellowstone supervolcano, one of the largest craters in the world.
To think out why we described it as a supervolcano, by definition, a supervolcano eruption (an eruption with an index of more than 8) will eject at least 1,000 cubic kilometers of ejecta. As we all know, the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 blew up half of the whole mountain, but the ejecta was only 0.25 cubic kilometers (index 4); the eruption of Italian volcano Vesuvius in 79 A.D. destroyed several cities such as Pompeii city, but its volume was only three cubic kilometers (index 5); the most severe eruption in the 20th century, the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines erupted in 1991, with only five cubic kilometers of ejecta (index 5); and the most massive eruption ever recorded in our human history, Tambora volcano erupted in 1815, spewing 150 cubic kilometers of material (index 7).
Last time, the Yellowstone supervolcano spewed out materials that covered most of the Mississippi River Basin today, which is the largest granary in the world and the origin of half of the world’s grains. Furthermore, what makes thing worse is since 1923, the ground in some areas of Yellowstone Park has risen by 70 cm; in January 2011, scientists warned that Yellowstone volcano might have entered an active period: and in 2014, it continued to release tremendous heat, coupled with the local hot summer climate, resulting in a section of asphalt road about 5 kilometers long began to ‘melt’. It cannot drive any more, many areas are as soft as ‘mud’.
Although some insiders said that Yellowstone National Park belongs to lava terrain, the underground is relatively unstable, and the heat released by the volcano plus long-term sunshine, melting asphalt road is possible, which does not necessarily mean eruption. We still need to be vigilant. According to some scientists, after the outbreak of Yellowstone volcano, three-quarters of the United States will be covered by volcanic ash, and the pyroclastic flow of the volcano will sweep everything within 10,000 square kilometers, including Yellowstone National Park and about 80,000-100,000 people will die of the pyroclastic flow. Within 1000 kilometers, the ash will be 20 to 60 centimeters thick, crushing most of the roofs, and hundreds of thousands of people may be killed or seriously injured. The ash will then enter the power grid, resulting in a power failure, communication interruption, water pollution, food, and traffic paralysis. But the most dangerous one is sulfur dioxide. The sulfur dioxide emitted by the volcano will cause large-scale cooling. In three years or more, the temperature may drop 13 degrees in the United States, Europe, and other places. After massive climate change, the warm and humid airflow in Southeast Asia will disappear, and the precipitation in Southeast Asia and China will be significantly reduced. Such a cold climate will last for nearly a decade, with disastrous consequences for the earth’s ecosystem. These make me recalled the movie ‘2012’, which was also set in Yellowstone National Park. So, one can imagine what serious and catastrophic consequences the Yellowstone supervolcano will inflict on our beloved America.
In the past 2.1 million years, the Yellowstone volcano has had a super eruption with an index of more than eight levels every 600,000 years, and now it has just reached the eruption cycle of more than 600,000 years. NASA believes that the Yellowstone volcano is one of the biggest threats to human civilization, even surpassing asteroids and comets. So, NASA put forward a super plan to save human civilization. They are going to drill a hole 10 kilometers deep in the Yellowstone volcano and cool it down by injecting water. On the other hand, the recovered high-pressure water with a temperature of 350°C can be used as geothermal energy for power generation. The whole project costs about 3.46 billion US dollars, and the power generation cost is about 0.1 US dollars / kWh. Through hundreds or even thousands of years of continuous cooling, scientists hope to eliminate the threat of volcanoes and implement it on other volcanoes around the world. It’s a perfect plan. But Brian Wilcox, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has doubts that building a large water tank in the mountains is neither economic nor difficult. Most importantly, it is hazardous to drill into the top of the lava chamber and cool it. Because this may make the top cover of the magma chamber more fragile and break easily, release a large number of harmful volatile gases, causing catastrophic consequences. His suggestion is to drill under the magma chamber, but how? All of this is still being considered, but what the public needs are action.
Nowadays, standing in the famous Yellowstone National Park, it’s hard to imagine a super time bomb buried at your feet. It is also difficult for our people not to panic. However, the geological activity is so chaotic, and no one can guarantee whether the Yellowstone supervolcano will erupt. I hope that both the government and scientific research institutions can give sufficient attention to this issue. Whether it is a timely notification or early protection, relevant measures should be taken.
National Parks like any other public land offer great opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities and nature by the public. With a rich diversity of animals, ecosystems, plants, caves, archaeological remains, Canyons, and other physical features, the national park usually serves as a great recreational venue where people can experience the natural habitat and challenge themselves. Managing National parks is quite a tedious balancing act. Access to wild and remote places calls for use of specialized off-road vehicles like snowmobiles, Jets skis, four-wheelers, and other off-road vehicles which are used for amusement and recreation. Unfortunately, the use of this type of vehicle has been pointed out as a major cause of wilderness degradation, threatened visitors’ safety, noise and air pollution, and disturbance to natural quietness. There has been a call to stop the use of the off-road vehicle in the National Park to reduce the impacts. While those campaigning against the use of Off-road vehicles may have valid points, the uses of Off-Road Vehicles in the National park have greater benefits that can not be overlooked.
Some of the places within Major National have historically been remote environments without any viable means to access them, a good example being the Big Cypress Swamp in Florida, the United States, which for many years has been inaccessible to the general public. Today, thanks to custom-built vehicles like airboats and swamp buggies, recreationists and licensed hunters have been able to transverse with ease the flooded forest and swamps making good use of this land which had been considered wasteland in the past. Even as environmental advocacy groups like Florida Diversity Projects raise concerns about the management of this great reserve, they should not overlook the benefits that innovations by the use of off-road vehicles have brought to this park. Banning the use of off-road vehicles will lender the place inaccessible like in the past, making the place of no or fewer benefits to the residents of Florida.
The thrill associated with the use of Off-Road Vehicle like dirt bikes in the National park is a major attraction to many children. Lack of exposure to such experience makes many children get hooked up to Videos and computer games which involve limited mental and physical activities. The rise in childhood obesity and reduced life expectancy has been attributed by scientists to a lack of physical exercise. Changing children’s lifestyles by exposing them to adventurous experiences in the national park through the use of Off-Road Vehicles can greatly reduce obesity cases in many households as they will derive mental and physical benefits. At the same time, the children connect to their environment and learn the need to conserve the ecosystem.
Off road, vehicles have been blamed on the pollution in the national park. The solution to pollution may not be found by banning Off-Road Vehicles in the National Park but by finding viable solutions to address the specific aspects of pollution by all stakeholders. Manufacturers of off-road vehicles should work hand in hand with the environmental advocacy group to come up with a solution that will reduce pollution by the Off-Road Vehicles in the National Park. The manufacturer must be compelled to be more innovative by manufacturing Off-Road Vehicle with reduced carbon emission by embracing the use of Bio-Fuel Technology and other environmentally friendly technology which reduce noise in the park and water pollution. Past experience through the manufacturing of cleaner four strokes burning engines has greatly reduced air pollution, as such innovation must be encouraged. The manufacturer of such vehicles must play a great part in environmental conservation by contributing funds in an effort aimed at conserving the degraded environment.
Building of infrastructures, demarcated corridors, and coming up with written policy and instructions that clearly guide the public on where they can use their off-road vehicle will also play a greater part in environment conservation rather than banning the use of off road vehicles. Public awareness should be promoted to enlighten people on the importance of environment conservation as they seek to get enjoyment from nature. The public should be involved in direct conservation in the National park, making them stay on the allocated paths and Off-Road Vehicles trails within the national park. They should also stay out of the wilderness areas where off-road vehicle use has been banned and carry with them all the garbage that they generate while in the National Park. The creation of new trails by off-road vehicle users should be avoided at all costs and the public should be informed of the disastrous cumulative impacts that follow when another off-road user decides to follow the new trails.
Rather than banning the use of off-road vehicles in the national park, plans should be made to implement periodical closure of those areas which have been heavily disturbed by the recreationist. Such an environment when left undisturbed for some time has the capacity to rejuvenate naturally. During the period of closure, the study can be done on the scope of the damage caused by the use of off-road vehicles and the corrective measure taken. This may be through redesigning off-road trails and access roads to this area and reserving corridors for wildlife use, and other specific solutions that safeguard such damages in the future.
Introductions of National Parks access permits are another great alternative to banning the use of off-road vehicles in the national park. This way, relevant authorities, and other concerned stakeholders will have direct control over the number and the capacity of off-road vehicles that accessed a particular part of the National Park. The unlicensed off-road vehicle should be compelled to do so and the license fee should be reasonably high to have greater control over access. This will have a double effect as increased license fees will increase revenue collection and at the same time control and reduce the number of people accessing the National Park using off Road vehicles.
The use of the latest technological innovation like Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used to monitor and track all Off-Road vehicles and wildlife species in the National park at any one given time. The Off-road vehicle user can be advised on a real-time basis on which trail or road to use and what to expect ahead. This can greatly reduce conflicts between wild animals and off-road users and at the same time assist the recreationists in case of emergency. Unlicensed Off-Road Vehicle users can also be tracked and appropriate actions are taken.
Passage of federal and other related Acts aimed at preserving endangered species will also help create public awareness hence responsible use of Off-Road Vehicles. There have been instances where Off-Road Vehicles user have trampled on tortoises, snakes and other animals in National parks while other have knocked down important physical features where they could have clearly avoided too. In such instances, the public will be put on notice of the penalties associated with damage to the ecosystems by irresponsible use of Off-Road Vehicles. This will bring about accountability as the public will be guided by the law on what is expected of them when they gain access to the National park. Those who feel the penalties to be too tight can personally decide not to use off-road vehicles in the National Park or use them responsibly.
The use of Off-Road Vehicle is a source of great thrill which attract many people to National Parks; this, in turn, helps people connect with the environment hence enlightening the public on the need to conserve the environment. As such, the use of Off-Road Vehicle in National parks should not be banned but appropriate measures should be put in place to control access to the National park by off-road vehicles in a bid to conserve the environment. Appropriate legislation, policies, and regulation, backed up by infrastructures like road networks within the National park should be put in place to offer the public an opportunity to enjoy the ecosystem and outdoor activities in a harmonious way.
Reference
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, Web.
Mark Clayton (2005) National Park Grapple with Surge of Illegal Off-Road Vehicles, Web.
Richard T. T. Forman (2002) Road Ecology: Science and Solution, Island Publishers, United Kingdom.
Robert H. Webb, Howard Gordon Wilshire, (1983) Environmental Effects of Off-Road Vehicles: Impacts and Management, Springer Verlag publishers, United States.
Russell Long (1999) Off –the-Track: America’s National Parks under Siege, Bluewater publishers, United States.
Sustainable recreation policy: National park and Natural forests, Web.
Threats of Off-Road vehicle on Death Valley National Park, Web.
William E.Hammit, David N.Cole (1998) Wildlife Recreation: Ecology and management, John Wiley Publishers, New York.
Yosemite National Park is located in central California and occupies an approximate 1,931 square kilometres. According to Schoch (1996), the park has a wide variety of wildlife species, which makes it very attractive to tourists. Even without the wildlife, Yosemite is a place of legendary beauty, something that makes the park very appealing to nature tourists. Initially, Schoch (1996) notes that the Park Service engaged in relentless marketing campaigns in order to position the park as the preferred tourism site for most Americans. To enhance the image of the park further, the Park Service even eliminated animals that posed a danger to visitors (Schoch 1996). As a result of the marketing efforts and the activities that Park Service took to make Yosemite a safer place to tour, Schoch (1996) notes that tourists have over the years been flocking to the park. The high tourist numbers are advantageous for business owners in and around the park, but have also caused considerable damage to the park’s habitat.
This paper aims at providing a critical analysis of some of the intervention measures taken by the Park Service in Yosemite. The paper is inspired by the knowledge that the Park Service needs to balance visitor’s interest in the park with the need to preserve the pristine state of the park for future generations. The paper has a discussion section that includes an analysis of the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural effects of high tourist numbers in the park. The paper’s conclusion section restates the different effects that high visitor numbers have in the park.
The environmental impact of high visitors numbers in Yosemite
In 1997, Yosemite had an annual visitor rate of four million tourists (Goeller 1997). Recent statistics from the National Park Service (NPS) (2014) indicates that the number of visitors has not changed much since the mid-1990s. The table below is a reflection of the visitor numbers in different years.
Figure 1: Number of visitors In Yosemite in different years. Source: modified from NPS (2014).
To cater for all the park visitors, NPS and other private investors have set up 1,133 structures (NPS 2014). Additionally, the park has 1,504 camping sites; 1386 lodging units; 214 miles of paved roads; 20 miles of paths; 800 miles of trails; and 86 miles of graded routes (NPS 2014). Collectively, the aforementioned facilities and access roads have caused major harm to Yosemite’s natural habitat. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) (2009, para. 14), for example, notes that the increasing roads and trails in the park “have caused habitat loss in the park and are accompanied by various forms of pollution including air pollution from automobile emissions”. Air pollution was reportedly so bad in Yosemite, that UNEP (2009) notes that the aerial view of Yosemite was occasionally hindered by smog. The smog not only hindered the park’s visibility from above, but was also detrimental to the well-being of both plants and animals in the park (UNEP 2009).
Arguably, the Park Service has not been ignorant of the damage done to the environment in Yosemite. The Associated Press (2014), for example, notes that the Park Service has expressed its intention to cap visitors to Yosemite at four million people annually. The decision to cap the visitor numbers was ostensibly reached when it become apparent that the river running through the park needed protection from destructive human activities. The Park Service also announced its intention to introduce shuttle buses in order to ease the flow of traffic in the park (Associated Press 2014). While the foregoing initiatives are arguably an indicator that the Park Service is aware of the environmental challenges facing the park, a critical analysis would reveal that they are anything but sufficient. For example, capping tourist numbers at four million people is arguably nothing new. After all, Figure 1 above shows that the average annual tourist numbers are about four million. A critic who is arguably right was quoted by the Associated Press (2014, para. 14) saying that the Park Service “Has chosen to nibble around the edges instead of taking a big bite out of the congestion and crowding that degrades Yosemite Valley”. True to the foregoing argument, the tourist cap and the decision to introduce shuttle buses in the park cannot remedy the destruction brought about by too much human and automobile traffic. Finding a long-lasting solution to Yosemite’s environment degradation will take more decisive and strategic decisions than what Park Services have so far done.
The economic impact of high tourist volumes in Yosemite
According to NPS (2013, para.1), “Yosemite national park tourism creates over $379 million in local benefit”. Further, NPS (2013) indicates that tourists spend at least $13 billion on businesses located within a 60 miles radius of the park. The Park Service further adds that visitor spending in and around the park has an estimated $30 billion in the larger American economy (NPS 2013). The foregoing assertion by NPS is based on a 2011 report that further indicates that more than five thousand jobs were supported by tourism-related activities in the area surrounding the park (NPS 2013).
While admitting that national parks have significant implications for the economic well-being of a region, Power (1998, p. 33), however, indicates that “the primary objective for establishing national parks was not usually the stimulation of local economic activity in particular communities.” Power (1998) argues that national parks are generally established for purposes of giving citizens a pristine location where they can enjoy nature. The author further argues that national parks are created to guard the inherent values that people associate with the sites (Power 1998). As pristine enjoyment locations and as places where the intrinsic value of sites are protected, national parks “could be given expression, at least partially, as economic values” (Power 1998, p.34). In other words, there are other economic values (distinct from the monetary gains from tourism revenues) that are attached to national parks. A major concern arises when environment degradation becomes rife in such parks as Yosemite. Normally, environment degradation leads to the loss of economic values that cannot be quantified in monetary terms (Power 1998). For example, future generations may not experience the same quality of pristine beauty that is currently in the park. Additionally, future generations may not understand the inherent values that were previously attached to the game parks.
Another arguably valid argument by Power (1998) indicates that the land that is fit for the establishment of national parks is very scarce; consequently, the decision to establish a national park in a particular location is usually an economic decision. Power (1998) supports the foregoing argument by noting that land that is fit for the establishment of national parks can be used for several other purposes. However, the establishment of national parks in a particular place means that those who chose to establish it must have forgone the pursuit of other human activities in the same piece of land and instead, chose to preserve the pristine nature of the land. With high tourist numbers, however, hundreds of years’ worth of conservation efforts can be undermined. Putting conservation at risk puts into question the initial economic choices made by the people who chose to establish a national park. Yosemite is not safe from such practices.
Power (1998) further questions the accuracy of the economic theory that hypothesizes that local economies where national parks are located thrive on the overexploitation of the natural resources in the same parks. In Yosemite for example, the 1997 floods led to the close of the park, and as a result, different analyses (NPS 2013; Padraig 2012) have argued that Mariposa County, which neighbours the park, lost an estimated $1.67 million. While the monetary loss estimates may have been right, Power (1998) notes that money generated through tourism is not the only economic implication that national parks have. He argues that even without the overexploitation of national parks, the economy of the host community would not suffer. He argues that good environmental quality in the park would make the host community a better place to work and live, which in turn would spur economic activity. The enhanced economic activities would lead to diversification in spending and investments, which would in turn make the community more developed and self-sustaining. Pegging almost an entire economy of the host community on the national park alone can only lead to more degradation since more tourist numbers will bring more revenues. In the long-term, however, Yosemite will lose its attractiveness to tourists hence compromising the entire economy and the dependent host community.
The socio-cultural impact of high tourism numbers in Yosemite
Among the most prominent socio-cultural impacts of high tourism numbers in Yosemite is the social dislocation of the native tribe that lived in the Yosemite Valley (Ritchie & Crouch 2003). As has been noted by the Barcelona Field Studies Centre (2013, para. 12), “The Ahwahneechee Indigenous Indians have not received any compensation in the form of money nor land for their loss of the Yosemite area in 1851”. In other words, no regard was paid to the social and cultural implications that the establishment of the national park had in the Indigenous communities. Porter (2012) specifically notes that Indians who were the native residents of Yosemite Valley were driven out of the area with brutal military force. Over the years, the Park Service has shown little or no regard to the ethnographic interpretation that aboriginal people have towards Yosemite (Mason 2014; Porter 2012). According to Ross (2013) the displacement of native Indians from Yosemite has to a great part, placed them at an increased social risk, since the valley was a source of their physical, social and spiritual wellbeing.
In addition to issues relating to the welfare of native Indians who occupied the Yosemite Valley, the Barcelona Field Studies Centre (2007) notes that the increased tourism numbers have led to court battles between environmentalists and those advocating for free access to the park. One such case is the Friends of Yosemite Valley v. Kempthorne. In the case, the Court of Appeals ruled that the Park Service had failed in its mandate to limit tourists’ use of particular scenes in the park (Access Fund 2008).
Another social impact of increased tourist numbers at Yosemite involves the possibility of infections being passed from human to wild animals and vice versa. In 2012, for example, there was a Hantavirus outbreak in the park (Walters 2014; Wilson 2012). At least ten people were infected with the virus, and of these, three succumbed to the infection (Barcott 2012). Although the infection rate was contained, Quammen (2013) argues that the possibility of the next human pandemic having its genesis from the interactions that humans have with wild animals cannot be downplayed.
Conclusion
This paper has provided an analysis of the economic, socio-political and environmental impacts, which high tourist numbers have in Yosemite National Park. The paper notes that the environmental impacts are generally negative, to the extent that the Park Service has capped the annual number of tourists to Yosemite. The tourist cap is arguably an inadequate measure of managing the adverse effects of too much human and motor vehicle traffic in the park. The paper has also identified that in addition to the obvious economic impact that high tourist numbers have on the local economy in areas bordering Yosemite National Park, there are the not-too-obvious economic implications which cannot be ignored. The paper has argued that Yosemite was established to protect a pristine location that represents inherent values that cannot arguably be found in other locations. Overexploitation by too many tourists is, therefore, likely to devalue the location and its economic value. The effects of such devaluation will not only be felt by communities surrounding the park, but by future generations too. Finally, the paper has looked at the socio-cultural effects of the park, and noted that such effects are varied. Among the most prominent effects relate to the dislocation of native Indians who occupied the Yosemite Valley, and the Hantavirus outbreak that occurred in 2012 in the park. The latter is significant because it shows how interactions between humans and animals can spread some animal diseases to humans and vice versa.
References
Access Fund 2008, Two access lawsuits decided: Yosemite National Park. Web.
Associated Press 2014, ‘New Yosemite preservation plan includes limit on visitors’, CBS San Francisco. Web.
Padraig, J 2012, ‘Mariposa County – overview’, County Report, pp. 1-135.
Porter, J 2012, Land and spirit in native America, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA.
Power, T 1998, ‘The economic role of America’s national parks: moving beyond a tourist perspective’, The George Wright Forum, vol. 15, no.1, pp. 32-40.
Quammen, D 2013, Spillover: animal infections and the next human pandemic, Random House, New York.
Ritchie, J & Crouch, G 2003, The competitive destination: a sustainable tourism perspective, CABI, Wallingford, Oxford.
Ross, J 2013, American Indians at risk- volume 1, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA.
Schoch, R 1996, Case studies in environmental science, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington, MA.
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) 2009, Tourism’s three main impact areas, Web.
Walters, M 2014, Seven modern plagues and how we are causing them, Island Press, Washington, DC.
Wilson, S 2012, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome outbreak in Yosemite Park, California, USA, Web.
Thesis: Yosemite National Park in east central California is perhaps one of the parks which each person living in the United States should visit; it offers numerous ways to have a good time there and is a perfect place to spend a weekend because it can be visited all the year round.
Introduction
It is a common knowledge that work, especially in a big city, makes people so tired that mere having some rest at home is not enough. Without getting sufficient rest the nervous system starts letting a person down resulting in numerous stresses, nervous breakdowns, and depressions. These are the cases when a weekend or a holiday should be spent out of the city and as far from civilization as possible. A weekend spent in the national park is the best variant for restoring life energy and bringing back emotional balance. Forests, waterfalls, the sky which seems to be bluer than in the city, and picturesque landscapes are on the long list of “sights” which a person can visit after getting to a national park. Yosemite National Park in east central California is perhaps one of the parks which each person living in the United States should visit; it offers numerous ways to have a good time there and is a perfect place to spend a weekend because it can be visited all the year round.
The description of Yosemite National Park
To begin with, Yosemite National Park is unbelievably large in size and no less striking in a number of beautiful areas it contains. The park covers an area of 1,189 square miles; it spans across Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Madera counties reaching across the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Around 95% of the park is wilderness which includes Giant Sequoia groves, granite cliffs, grand meadows, waterfalls, and clear streams. The park is extremely diverse biologically supporting numerous species of plants and animals. It has been documented that the park has more than 160 rare plants which grow on unique soils and rare geologic formations. Yosemite National Park also contains thousands of lakes and ponds, 350 miles of roads, 800 miles of hiking trails, and around 1,600 miles of streams. The park embraces such beautiful areas as the Kuna Crest, the Clark and the Cathedral Range, as well as Tuolumne and Dana Meadows. These beauties of the park attract more than 3.5 million visitors each year.
Discussing how t have a good time in the park
The Yosemite National Park gives people a great opportunity to have a good time there. In order to avoid any unpleasant situations, it is better to make a reservation for camping or lodging, though simple entering the park does not require any reservations. The most popular places where the visitors can have a good time are the Yosemite Valley, three groves of ancient sequoia trees, and Mount Lyell, though the park abounds with other beautiful places. Thus, the Yosemite Valley is a centerpiece of the park; the valley stretches for 7 miles and is about 1 mile in width. The top of the valley is represented by the granite cliffs from which an incalculable number of streams trickle down and finally combine into the Merced River. Within the flat floor of the valley the visitors can enjoy forests and large open meadows opening breathtaking views on the waterfalls and surrounding areas. In addition, great time can be spent in the Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Merced Groves which contain 200, 25, and 20 Giant Sequoia trees, respectively. Finally, Mount Lyell, the highest point of the park, gives an opportunity to see Lyell and Maclure Glaciers, the largest glaciers in Yosemite. Visiting all these places is the best way to have a good time in the Yosemite National Park.
Proving why it is worth visiting the park
Lastly, Yosemite National Park is a perfect place to visit because its sights are easily accessible throughout the year. The climate in Yosemite is Mediterranean, which means that this area is exposed to precipitation mostly in winter with the rest of the seasons being dry. The weather in winter is unpredictable, but it is the best season for photography of Yosemite Valley which looks like a cotton candy in this time of year. The average temperature in winter is from 26 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in spring is from 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit; this is the best time for visiting waterfalls which are especially strong in March. May and June are the months in which the park is recommended to visit. This is the period when the trees are blooming and the valley is greening up. The temperature in summer is around 25-32 degrees Fahrenheit. In this time Yosemite is in full swing. Eventually, the park is magnificent in autumn when even the instability of the weather cannot spoil the beauty of the yellow-red clothing of the surroundings. This means that Yosemite National Park is worth visiting not only because it has numerous beautiful places, but because these places are available in any season of the year.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Yosemite National Park is worth the attention of any tourist and should be necessarily visited by every person who lives in the United States. This place strikes with its vastness and beauty of the surroundings. The tourists can have a great time visiting the Yosemite Valley, three groves of sequoia trees, Mount Lyell, and other beautiful areas of Yosemite. This park has a special value for people from big cities, because they can visit it all the year round depending on the schedule of their weekends and holidays.
Although tourism has been an economic factor in Australia for a very long time, nowadays it has expanded to the level that it is acknowledged as the main source of employment and economic activity. In the past decades, the country has witnessed a substantial growth in the number of international tourists. With this growth, the need for sustainable development in tourism industry has been a concern.
Sustainable development is defined as a growth that satisfies peoples’ wants without compromising on the future generation’s wants (Rogers & Jalal 2008, p. 42). Based on this definition, sustainable development should be able to satisfy the economic and social needs of the people with the regenerative capacity of the natural environment. Through sustainable development initiatives, the tourism industry has been encouraged to reduce their negative impacts on the environment and the local cultures.
This report focuses on Kakadu National Park. Through the report, social, economic, and environmental impacts that will result from an increased in the number of tourists visiting the area in the future are highlighted. The report identifies tourism stakeholders in the region, their attitudes towards the growth, and recommends ways for ensuring the sustainability in the industry.
Kakadu National Park is situated in northern Australia. The national park was established in the early 1960s. For the last few decades, tourism has created a significant disadvantage for the Aboriginal people in the area.
From the time it was created, Kakadu has been a centre of attention between environmentalists, tourism stakeholders, and the miners situated in the region. In the last decade, the number of domestic and international tourists has significantly increased. As the number of tourists increases, the need for adoption of sustainable tourism policies in the region increases.
With the increase in the number of tourists, more economic activities and employment opportunities will be created in the region. More Australians will be employed to work in the booming tourism industry. Notably, the indigenous Aboriginal people will benefit financially from the influx of tourists in the area. As such, they will be employed by the tourism industry to work as guides and informants.
Equally, some entrepreneurs among this minority community will get an opportunity to open their own tourism enterprises. The community’s produce such as paintings, carvings, and other artefacts will be sold in large quantities increasing their revenues. Not only will the local community benefits from the increase in the number of tourists, but the government also will benefit because international tourists destined for the region will enhance foreign exchange.
In the last three decades, cultural changes have been witnessed in the region because of the establishment of a national park. Throughout this period, the deaths of traditional owners of the region and the rise on new owners with at little educational backgrounds have been witnessed. Notably, these individuals remember little of their historical background. Therefore, in the future when the number of tourists increases the Aboriginal culture will be at risk of being extinct (Nile 2008, p. 45).
With the increased number of tourists, social amenities, new technologies, schools, and hospitals will be created. This will aid in the degradation of Aboriginal culture. Currently, most Aboriginal individuals employed in the tourism industry live around the parks, travel using vehicles, shop, and ride in the same boats as their white counterparts. This is a clear indication that in the near future, when the number of tourists will have increased, these individuals will adopt their white counterpart’s culture.
According to the Aboriginal history, it is alleged that the ancestors of the modern Aborigines used to lit fires in the region during the cooler months as a way of appreciating the ownership of their land (Keen 2010, p. 174). Because of the collapse of Aboriginal culture, the habit has now become extinct. Backed by the western science, park managers have been simulating these fire regimes with the use of helicopters dropping small fires as they fly across the park during the cooler months.
More often, some Aboriginal people have tried to mimic or rebel these simulations during the hot seasons resulting in huge fires that burn for several weeks. With the increase in the number of tourists in the future, more simulations will be carried out. In return, more people that are indigenous will set up more fires as a revolt to the simulations.
These fires will cause huge environmental losses as they have done in the past. Vegetation cover will be destroyed as well as the animals that depend on them. By building social amenities in the region, land animals and migratory paths will be destroyed endangering their future survival.
The main stakeholders in the region are the Aboriginal community, tourism investors, and the government. Tourism investors are excited about the projected growth. The growth will see an increased number of tourists visiting the region, increased in number of investments, increased business opportunities, and increased returns.
With the projected growth, the Aboriginal landowners and authorities are worried about their traditional clan estates and their cultures. Some of them have foreseen the effects and the conflicts that will result from the expected growth of tourism in the region.
Currently, the Aboriginal share of the tourism economy is very small. This implies that ownership issues will increase in the near future. On the other hand, the government has admitted that in the future the Aboriginal share in the tourism industry in the region must be recognized. This implies that in the upcoming years the government will fight for the Aboriginal community to be part of the park’s plans.
For sustainable tourism development in the region, the stakeholders must ensure that the needs of the indigenous communities, their culture, and their history are given the top priority in the growth of the sector (Newsome 2002, p. 241).
If the Aborigines are taught on the need to preserve their culture and be made to feel that they are part of the industry, more conflicts and cultural losses will be avoided in the future. Therefore, the stakeholders must be ready to enhance cultural reinforcement and environmental preservation policies in the region. Equally, the stakeholders should increase the Aboriginal community’s shares in the industry.
On the other hand, the government should enforce a law that will mandate the tourism industry in the region to adopt renewable sources of energy in the park. Through this, pollution will be curbed. Tourists visiting the region should be given brochures encouraging them to conserve the environment in and outside the park.
When the indigenous Aboriginal community will be able to manage the development process, preserve their culture, preserve their environment and economy, sustainable tourism development will be achieved in the region for the benefit of all the stakeholders and the future generation.
References
Keen, I, 2010, Indigenous participation in Australian economies: historical and anthropological perspectives, ANU E Press, Acton, A.C.T.
Newsome, D, 2002, Natural area tourism ecology, impacts, and management, Channel View Publications, Clevedon.
Nile, R, 2008, Australian Aborigines, Wayland, London.
Rogers, P, P, & Jalal, K, F, 2008, An introduction to sustainable development: Earthscan, London.
Introduction to national parks and resorts in Kenya and worldwide
Kenya has been noted as one of the most dominant and famous tourist destinations across the world. It is an original safari country that has attracted tourists from all corners of the world. The country is currently well endowed with wildlife reserves and national parks that stretch from the coastal region to the drier northern parts of the nation.
As it stands now, wildlife reserves and national parks are over forty in number. These memorable sites have been specifically set aside for the sake of preserving the natural habitat and wildlife. There are myriads of animals and indigenous plants that have been conserved in these natural habitats. For example,
Selenkay Conservancy and the Amboseli National Park is one of the most renowned national parks in Kenya. This park is located near Mt. Kilimanjaro on both the Kenyan and Tanzanian borders. Towards the northern side of the Amboseli National Park, the Selenkay Conservancy can be found there.
In this particular conservancy, there are quite a number of restrictions to visitors especially in regards to those who are allowed to visit the site. It has been described as an ‘unspoiled’ wilderness largely due to its distinct physical features and animal kingdom that have not been interfered with at all.
As already mentioned, Amboseli National Park is apparently the largest point of alluring visitors who are keen in observing wild animals and the general natural habitat. The entire park is part and parcel of the attraction that encompasses Mount Kilimanjaro. This mountain is known worldwide due to its vantage and snowy view that has been captured for several years. One of the most outstanding features of this mountain is that it can be vividly viewed at dawn or dusk.
During these moments of the day, the iced summit of the mountain can be observed quite easily due to low hanging clouds that hardly obscure any kind of viewing. The mountain is undoubtedly the highest point in Africa. This explains why the Amboseli National Park has earned its reputation and global recognition. The presence of the Mountain has also enabled the park to be one of the most desired and visited tourist destinations in Kenya.
In spite of the high traffic to the Amboseli National Park, the routes leading to the park have been downgraded, eroded, overused and generally unsuitable for local road travelling. There are several off-road excursions that do not appeal at all to visitors making their way into this park. Perhaps, the poor state of the roads can be remedied by re-carpeting the eroded sections of the road and establishing a program that can take care of road maintenance to the park throughout the year.
It is also interesting to mention that Lake Amboseli is part of the attraction of the Amboseli National Park. This natural habitat derived its name from the lake. The lake is largely composed of volcanic soil deposits that are crusted and dull in appearance. The depth of the lake hardly goes beyond 50 centimeters even when there is plenty of rainfall in a season.
The lake bed is probably a dry patch in spite of the lush green vegetation that grows around it. Lake Amboseli is also the main source of water to wild animals and other living organisms residing in the habitat. Elephants, cheetahs, leopards and lions are found in this tourist destination. There are also birdlife such as eagles, herons, and vultures.
The Selenkay Conservation area is a host to wild animals such as yellow baboon, giraffe, porcupine, mongooses, bat eared fox, leopards among others. Its ecosystem is a lot similar to that of the Amboseli National Park.
There are quite a number of resorts at the Amboseli national Park that can be used for safari accommodation. These include the Ol Tukai Lodge, Tortilis Camp, Amboseli Serena Lodge, Game watchers Adventure Camp, and the Amboseli Porini Camp.
The Aberdare National Park is also another popular natural conservancy in Kenya situated near mount Kenya and along the Aberdare ranges. The landscape around this location is quite diverse and stunning (Riley and William 65). There are several forested slopes and deep ravines with jagged mountain peaks that range between 3500m and 4000 m above sea level.
As a matter of fact, trout fishing, picnics, walking and game viewing are all ideal in this location. A large variety of wildlife has been supported by the attractive streams and the green rainforest. Some of the key wildlife found at the Aberdare National Park includes sykes monkey, white Colobus monkey, black Colobus monkey, baboon, leopard, Black Rhino, buffalo and elephant (Malloy and Fennell 459).
There are more than two hundred and fifty species of birds found in this natural habitat. This explains why bird watching is one of the main tourist attractions in this location. Some of the birds found here entail plovers, sunbirds, and Francolin. Others include Mountain Buzzards, Hawk, Rufous-breasted Sparrow, Eagles, Hawk, Ayres, and African Goshawks.
When it comes to the accommodation of visitors, the Ark and the Tree Tops lodge happen to be the main resorts at this place. Both the night game viewing and game drives are carried out with the assistance of these lodges and resorts. Additional national parks and resorts have been discussed below.
The Meru National Park is a natural habitat. The accompanying resorts are positioned along the equatorial region. It hosts crocodile and elephants alongside other rare animal species. It is a commonly visited destination and that is why there are limited safaris that head in this park.
The Tsavo National Park is a global center for tourist attraction in Kenya. It is a well established park that is endowed with wooded grassland, plains, rivers and numerous hills. It is a home for myriads of wildlife species such as elephants, lions and birds.
Lake Nakuru National Park is easily accessible by both road and air from the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi and even the coastal town of Mombasa. Although it is commonly known for one type of bird species, others such as pelicans, eagles, and African fish are also found in this national park. There are grassland areas and woodlands that surround the Lake Nakuru National Park. The latter are a home to lions, zebras and rhinos.
The Maasai Mara Reserve and resorts are closely located to Serengeti park on the Tanzanian side. Although it is a game reserve, there are several conservancies and resorts that are used to attract and accommodate tourists visiting the destination. Some of the conservancies include the Olare Motorogi and Naboisho. Other resorts are found at the Samburu Reserve, the Lewa Downs Conservancy and the Ol Pejeta & Sweetwaters.
Brief about history of national parks and how it started
In order to fully appreciate the history of national parks in Kenya, it is vital to have a clear outlook of how wildlife was preserved since the early times when Kenya was still a protectorate under the British East Africa (Chongwa 39).
This will be followed by the modern re-orientation of wildlife conservation in Kenya. in particular, it is imperative to mention that the early conservation efforts were greatly hampered by monetary exchange of resources obtained from wildlife. As a result, wildlife conservation took a different turn altogether when the royal dominance was used to protect resources found in wildlife. In addition, massive transformation took place when community lands were converted to parks, tourist resorts, ecotourism and safari sojourns.
As it stands now, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Kenya is heavily driven by the presence of national parks and the associated foreign exchange derived from them. This is the reason why resource devolution and effective national park management strategies have been put in place in order to boost the net revenue. New pieces of legislations have also been adopted so that success is realized with the development of national parks in Kenya.
While exploring the history of national parks in Kenya, it is crucial to emphasize that there is abundance of wildlife resources within the Kenyan borders. Beginning form the Great Rift Valley to mountain peaks, vast savannah woodlands, forested ecosystems to the Indian Ocean at the coastal region, the country has rich resources in wildlife.
During the 1800s, wildlife was used as vital source of food by several local communities. These were the days when trading in wildlife was not prominent since there was no monetary attachment at all. However, man has continually influenced the immediate surrounding, their population, and the composition of the species.
Nonetheless, there are quite a number of aspects that may have boosted the cordial relationship between wildlife and early human beings in Kenya. For instance, the human population was still too marginal compared to the present day and as such, human-wildlife conflict was a rare experience. Secondly, various species of wildlife were not significantly interfered with since there was no serious demand for animal products.
Generally, wildlife has vast space for reproduction and habitation. In most cases, wildlife was used by human beings to merely meet basic needs such as food and clothing (animal skins). Monetary trading for wildlife products was absent during the 19th century era. Moreover, nomadic pastoralism and cultivation were the key sources of livelihoods for people. These practices were observed between the 19th and early 20th centuries.
When the British imperial rule emerged towards the end of 1890s, the desire to conserve Kenya’s wildlife came in handy. The British East Africa was created and as a result, the region gained popularity especially with the arrival of visitors from the western world who delivered positive report when they travelled back home.
Huge hunting safaris were undertaken by these visitors. In the process, wildlife was slaughtered in mass numbers. The big hunting game was the main reason why the British required the protected lands. The native people mainly played the role of servants, porters, and guides.
However, laws were passed by the British government with the passage of time so that the hunting safaris could be provided for in addition to meeting the recreational needs of individual participating in the hunting games. This occasioned the formation of wildlife game reserves after a a directive was given out by the colonial masters before the start of 1897. The game department was established in 1906 by the colonial regime so that more areas could be out under protection.
The National Parks Ordinance law was put in place by the colonial government shortly after the end of the Second World War. Consequently, additional protected areas were established. About 12 months later, the Nairobi Royal Park was incepted. Several protected areas in the name of national parks and game reserves were later formed in the country. These were considered to be royal efforts aimed at preserving wildlife.
For example, wildlife protection was mainly carried out in the Mount Kenya Royal Park and the Aberdare Royal Park. The two parks were also instrumental in providing settlers with exclusive recreation. Even though the protected areas were born in Kenya courtesy of the British East Africa, the indigenous communities were grossly affected. They constantly dealt with the problem of human-wildlife conflict and consequent displacement in order to pave way for white settlement.
With the passage of time, the trends of conserving wildlife and setting apart protected areas continued to grow in terms of popularity. Additionally, nostalgia was gradually griping the able individuals located in America and Britain especially in regards to the past experiences in hunting safaris.
Ever since Kenya gained independence, there are several rich and famous individuals who have come back to Kenya just because of hunting expeditions. Hunting safaris were common from the beginning of colonial times bearing in mind that the idea behind tourism had already penetrated in their minds.
After Kenya attained independence in 1963 and the subsequent internal self rule in 1964, the formation of national parks and game reserves took center stage with the dire urge to replace the colonial system of protected areas with African style of leadership. Nonetheless, recreation and promotion of wildlife safaris were still key parameters in the conservation of wildlife resources.
Over the years, Kenyan people have continually become proactive in the conservation of wildlife and ecotourism. This has been attained through the inception of sanctuaries that take care of wildlife. These sanctuaries include national parks and game reserves a well as the tourist resorts that accommodate visitors.
Objectives of national parks of Kenya
There are various objectives why the national parks were established in Kenya. These goals are presumably not within the protected areas. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) strongly articulates that the preservation of wildlife in regions that are not protected require more stringent measures.
For instance, when animals are protected, it does not guarantee the full conservation efforts of wildlife. This is attributed to the fact that not all wildlife species can be enclosed under protected areas. National parks in Kenya are specific enclosed areas that no human habitation is allowed to take place. This is contrary to the case of game reserves where animals are allowed to co-exist with human beings.
Secondly, national parks aim at avoiding issues that pertain to security of local communities that reside nearby. Most of the wild animals found in national parks are not friendly to human beings. For example, lions, buffaloes and elephants may hardly co-exist with human beings within the same environment due to their aggressive nature. This attempts to explain why national parks are usually protected as much as possible in order to avert the likely human-wildlife conflict.
When attempting to do away with the above type of conflict, it may be prove to be quite cumbersome to elude loss. To begin with, it is sincerely costly to erect fences and manage national parks that host dangerous wild animals such as leopards and tigers. When eliminating the conflict that emanate from wild animals, the Kenya Wildlife Service may be end up in losses. Alternatively, KWS may also opt to shoot and kill the wild animals that are not friendly to human beings.
If such an action is executed, monetary loss will still be attained since the much needed foreign exchange earnings will not come forth from international tourists. Therefore, the national parks in Kenya usually aim at striking a delicate balance between profitability and human-wildlife conflict. A common objective has been adopted by both the landowners and Kenya national parks so that wildlife management can be implemented using the best strategies.
A Community Wildlife Service has been initiated by the Kenya Wildlife Service with the broad objective of managing local wildlife resources, enhancing community partnerships and carrying out some pilot extension services on wildlife conservation and overall community well being. The community wildlife service initiative is also keen on urging individuals who own land to permit wildlife to occupy some portions of theor private pieces of land.
These landlords are also requested to embrace certain responsibilities alongside being trained so that the community partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service can be a resounding success. As part of the reward system, consumptive utilization enterprises and revenue sharing obtained from wildlife are offered to landowners so that the community initiative approach can be a win-win situation.
This implies that national parks in Kenya are keen in making sure that the local community benefits in one way or another when they integrate their activities with wildlife around them. This is undoubtedly a sustainability program aimed at improving the state of wildlife in Kenya since it is a major enterprise that earns the country foreign exchange.
So far, national parks in Kenya under the management of Kenya Wildlife Service have developed problem-animal control boards, local wildlife associations, and communities working on the management of wildlife. All these coordinated groups are instrumental in making sure that participatory procedures are put in place so that the development of national parks as key centers of attraction is maintained.
Another key objective of national parks in Kenya is to fund the necessary operations that are run under the jurisdiction of Kenya Wildlife Service. For example, COBRA is one of the subsidiary bodies that finance operations of national parks in Kenya. it funds the operations of CWS so that the socio-economic benefits can be obtained from prolonged management and conservation of wildlife.
The immediate benefits are supposed to trickle down to communities that border national parks. In order to supply adequate funding, national parks in Kenya have already created viable partnerships with other development partners such as IDA and USAID. This explains why land use coordination and efficient utilization of wildlife are currently under pilot study by COBRA.
National parks in Kenya are also keen in playing an oversight role in areas that sill need to be protected or conserved even though they are not within national parks and reserves. As already mentioned, conservation issues are duly addressed by the Kenya Wildlife Service. The local population and landlords are assisted with benefits accrued from wildlife revenues. KWS also works towards creating modalities that can lower the conflicts that emerge between animals and the indigenous people.
In most cases, land-use planning through intersectoral method is carried out. Moreover, physical barriers that can restrict the free movement of animals are constructed in order to minimize the conflict. Principal tourism has also been a major benefit for communities living next to national parks. It is vital to mention that there are several economic activities that are wildlife-based which the local communities can take advantage of.
Besides, the park revenue is shared to landowners and adjacent communities so that sustainability objective of national parks is maintained. Some of the programs that are currently in the pipeline include protection of the local communities from elephant attacks and the development of a sustainable program to protect wild animals from the effect of poaching. These are major programs that have also been aligned with the short-term, mid-term and long-term objectives.
The challenges to the national habituates in the Kenya and Africa
The national habitats in both Kenya and Africa at large are diverse. However, it is critical to note that most of these challenges are environmental in nature. The most dominant problems encountered range from industrial pollution to deforestation. The following section will discuss these challenges in details.
To begin with, it is evident that water resources are at great risk in Kenya and Africa as a whole. The fact that wildlife demands clean water resources implies there should be clean and adequate of this resource in order to sustain a healthy living of the wildlife species.
The current water resources in Kenya are under intense pollution and over-utilization for hydroelectric power, industrial wastes, urban wastes, and chemicals eroded from agricultural fields. Most countries in Africa are still in the developmental stage and as such, there is high demand for water.
For example, rural electrification program being undertaken in most rural parts in Kenya has led to high demand for electric energy generated from water resources. This trend has subsequently hampered sufficient supply of water resources to several natural habitats. It appears that this is a common challenge across the continent. Discharge of domestic and industrial wastes into water pathways have also contributed significantly towards the destruction of water quality.
As a result, several species of aquatic life have been eliminated from existence. A typical example of a challenge posed by poor quality water is the growth of water hyacinth in some lakes in Africa. In Kenya, Lake Victoria has been under attack of water hyacinth for some years now. The growth rate of this hydro loving plant is too high to manage within considerable length of time. Several types of fish species have consequently been endangered.
The prevalence of poor road network in addition to insufficient communication channels is a core challenge facing national habituates in Kenya. Several roads are in poor state and cannot be easily accessed during wet weather conditions. To make the matters even worse, some national parks lack viable viewing position because there are no sufficient road networks. In addition, tourists who find their way to national parks with such difficulties often do not desire of coming back.
Another momentous point of consideration in terms of transport network is the inadequate number of local and private chartered flights that can transport visitors from one location to another.
There are quite a number of parks that are located in remote locations. Hence, road transport can hardly be used in such locations. Therefore, tourists seem to be lacking efficient and rapid system of transportation. Kenya Wildlife Service does not operate local plane services for visitors. This has impeded the efficiency of transport system that are readily available for use by tourists.
Resource degradation has equally led to the decline in forestry output. Most of the varieties of wildlife discussed above depend on forested areas as their habitats. The timber in Kenya has been lowered by almost 50% in the last three decades or so. It is unfortunate to mention that the area under forest cover in Kenya is slightly below 3%. This implies that overexploitation of forest resources through lumbering, charcoal burning or for industrial use has led to major habitat challenges in Kenya and Africa.
It is estimated that each year, close to 50km2 of forested land is cleared for human settlement and other uses. As a result, the country is rapidly experiencing degradation in the natural system of the environment, extreme weather events, blocking of dams and intense wash away of the top soil. There are quite a number of forests that have been affected. Unless immediate action is put in place, some of the forests may end up into extinction.
Security is a vital issue of concern and also a key challenge facing national habituates in Kenya. There are several instances when the security of tourists visiting national parks has not been guaranteed. For example, attacks and robberies from criminals are not uncommon in Kenya’s national parks. Undoubtedly, a weak security platform is may scare tourists.
The Kenya Wildlife Service has not been fully able to secure tourists especially when they are visiting national parks. Although the security of visitors outside national parks is not under the care of Kenya wildlife officials, proper guidance and direction should be given to visitors on hot spot areas that they should not frequent. This implies that local travel advisories warnings should be given to tourists so that they can also be responsible for their own well being.
In addition, the Kenyan government with the assistance of the ministry of internal security is supposed to put in place strategies that can be used to improve security of both nationals and foreigners countrywide.
Lack of effective planning and management strategies is yet another challenge faced by national habituates in Kenya. This cannot be attained without the right type of leadership in place. It means that the Kenya wildlife society s yet to employ individuals who are well versed with the management of public institutions.
A solid working experience in the field of management is an integral requirement in the process of planning the daily operations of national parks. Experts who can deliver results in this area of operation are supposed to be passionate about their roles and responsibilities bearing in mind that it will demand personal commitment for such an endeavor to succeed.
In terms of leadership, it is worthy to underscore the fact that national parks require efficient leadership style. The type of leadership adopted when managing people working for national parks should be participatory in nature. The appointed leaders in various capacities are supposed to be individuals who are ready to listen to their juniors.
It is through effective leadership, planning and management that employees in national parks will feel motivated and ready to give their best input while at the place of work. When referring to boosting the morale of employees, it is critical to mention that any successful business entity is operated with the input of both junior and senior employees.
When workers are not motivated, the profitability of a firm is equally affected since employees do not commit their best physical and mental efforts in delivering the much needed results. Therefore, national parks in Kenya should embrace effective business leadership so that matters relating to planning and management can be handled in the most professional manner.
Global warming and the associated change in climate have continued to impact negatively on the development of national habituates in kenya. some scientists argue that climate has not really changed as perceived. They assert that the world is experiencing variability in climate. Even if climate is simply undergoing temporary changes, the ecosystem is still modified since the weather patterns have also changed significantly. For example, we understand that the two rainy seasons in Kenya is no longer clearly marked as it used to be in the past.
The weather patterns of the past few decades have been altered altogether and therefore, natural habitats where national parks are located are also being altered on a daily basis. The type and nature of vegetation found in the natural habitats are no longer the same as they were some four to five decades ago. While we may concentrate so much on climate change and forget about global warming, it is imperative to mention that the latter has caused significant interruption o the national habituates in Kenya.
When global warming takes place, the surface temperatures are generally heightened. As a result, the rates of certain natural processes are also increased. For instance, the rates of evaporation from both land and water are increased leading to rapid formation of clouds. Excessive evaporation eventually leads to heavy condensation and precipitation.
This explains why extreme weather events such as flooding in national parks and over cloudiness are becoming more prevalent than before. When national parks flood beyond normal, the natural ecosystem is also interfered with. On the other hand, global warming may lead to instances of drought and prolonged dry seasons especially after heavy downpour (Udoto 55).
Sustainable utilization of resources has been agitated by several pressure groups bearing in mind that massive ecological disruption has already taken place in the forest ecosystem. Some policies on environmental protection have been enacted with the aim of sustainable use of the environment. The natural habitats such as forests may eventually fail to support wildlife and consequently lead to extinction of certain plant and animal species.
Excessive human encroachment to wildlife resources has also posed a gross challenge to the national habitats in Kenya and Africa. The worst form of encroachment that has been witnessed across the continent is poaching. Illegal hunting and killing of wild animals has led to massive decline of some rare animal species in the country.
For instance, the population of elephants has been dropping considerably in spite of the strict anti-poaching laws in place. There are several poachers who reside in rural Kenya and are yet be arrested and prosecuted. Habitat reduction is also becoming evident among the Blue Wildebeest in spite of the fact this animal species was once known as a plenty variety in wildlife. Natural habitats such as national parks and game reserves can only be preserved if anti poaching campaigns are heightened.
Tourist resorts are vital facilities in national parks. It is still a key challenge in the Kenyan national habituates since most national parks do not have well equipped resorts for visitors. Private entities and the Kenya wildlife service can run tourist resorts in national parks with the aim of attracting and maintaining visitors. There are some cases when resort towns can be established with the sole objective of making visitors comfortable. This implies that tourist resorts ought to be well equipped with necessary facilities to be used by tourists.
Perhaps, it is crucial to establish different types of resorts at national parks so that the diverse needs of tourists can be taken care of. For example, a destination resort can be handy when it is not necessary for tourists to alight near a theme park, historical site or town. This type of resort has enough capabilities to accommodate visitors.
It is also possible to put in place a commercial establishment in a destination resort so that it can favorably compete with other enterprises. Examples of businesses that can be integrated within a resort include a gaming facility, a theme park and an area reserved for recreation. An all-inclusive resort is missing in several national parks in Kenya.
This is yet another challenge facing national habituates in Kenya. In this type of resort, all items required by visitors are charged on a lump sum plan as per a given fixed price. For example, entertainment services, sports activities, drinks, unlimited food and lodging facilities are charged as a complete package with a fixed price. When such resort services are offered in national parks and more so run by the Kenya wildlife services, the parks will automatically be turned into vibrant businesses with upward trends in profit making.
The limited natural resourced that host wildlife has been exploited due to the growing poverty index in Kenya and the entire African continent. When people are poor, they end up over- relying on natural resources in order to support their livelihoods. For instance, additional land needed for farming is obtained by cutting down of trees from forested land.
Quarrying and burning of charcoal are also other human-related activities that accelerate the rate at which the natural habitats are cleared. Most parts of the rural Kenya have been environmentally degraded due to intense human activities. This type of environmental problem has significantly impacted some sections of Meru and Bondo,
Erratic weather conditions such as flooding, low temperatures, desertification and high temperatures than normal do not auger well with wildlife found in national habituates (Nagle 92). For example, flooding conditions in regions wherfe non-aquatic animals reside may lead to mass deaths of offspring. This condition is sometimes accompanied by rapid spread of infections. In addition, desertifications coupled with extreme temperatures are known to lower the overall productivity of wildlife especially if prolonged for a lengthy period.
How can National parks in Kenya transfer to successful businesses?
Improve the transport and communication network to the national parks
From the discussion offered in the above section of the report, it is evident that poor road network couple with inadequate communication channels is a dominant problem facing national parks in Kenya. Most roads leading to some of the well known national parks are dilapidated and hardly passable during the rainy seasons.
Worse still, some parks do not have vantage viewing points mainly due to poor or lack of adequate road network (Hudson 389). If the transport and communication system could be improved, it is obvious that more visitors will be attracted to come back in these parks during holidays. Moreover, the total number of tourists making their way to national parks would improve every year leading to higher profitability from the revenues generated.
When it comes to converting the Kenyan national parks into successful businesses, the quality of services offered must be brought into sharp focus. It is not just enough to be well endowed with unique wildlife in the national parks while services such as transport and communication networks are poor.
Another integral point to note about the transport network is the inadequate number of local and private chartered flights that can move tourists from one point of attraction to another. It is imperative to note that some national parks are located in distant locations whereby road transport cannot be used.
In such cases, tourists require efficient and fast transport systems that can make their expeditions enjoyable. As it is the case now, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has not taken the full mandate of running local plane services for tourists. This could be another area of revenue generation instead of fully relying on wildlife resources.
Enhance security for visitors
Security is an integral area worth considering whenever setting up any type of business venture. There are myriads of cases when the security of tourists visiting the Kenyan national parks has been on the loose end. In other words, attacks and robberies from armed gangsters has been rife over the past few years especially in the coastal tourist destinations and some upcountry national parks.
Needless to say, a porous security system is highly likely to scare away visitors. It is the duty of the Kenya Wildlife Service to improve or guarantee the security of tourists especially when they are paying visits to parks. Additional and well trained park wardens and game rangers ought to be deployed in order to comb out criminals who may be on their hideout in thick and forested national parks.
While the security of tourists outside national parks is not under the jurisdiction of Kenya wildlife officials, proper guidance and direction should be given to visitors on hot spot areas that they should not frequent. This implies that local travel advisories warnings should be given to tourists so that they can also be responsible for their own well being.
Better still; the Kenyan government through the ministry of internal security should deploy strategies that can be used to boost security of both nationals and foreigners countrywide (Prins, Geu and Thomas 81). A secure country attracts investors quite easily compared to one that is not secured. National parks can be transformed into viable business opportunities if the numbers of visitors to the park continually increase each year. Volatile level of security will keep visitors away and eventually lead to poor generation of revenue.
Adequate and well equipped tourist resorts
A tourist resort is a crucial facility in any national park. Individuals or groups who visit national parks during vacation use this facility as a point of attraction, recreation and relaxation.
Private companies or the Kenya wildlife service can run tourist resorts in national parks with the aim of attracting and maintaining visitors (Gjerald and Øgaard 892). There are some cases when resort towns can be established with the sole objective of making visitors comfortable. This implies that tourist resorts ought to be well equipped with necessary facilities to be used by tourists.
Perhaps, it is crucial to establish different types of resorts at national parks so that the diverse needs of tourists can be taken care of. For example, a destination resort can be handy when it is not necessary for tourists to alight near a theme park, historical site or town. This type of resort has enough capabilities to accommodate visitors. It is also possible to put in place a commercial establishment in a destination resort so that it can favorably compete with other enterprises.
Examples of businesses that can be integrated within a resort include a gaming facility, a theme park and an area reserved for recreation. An all-inclusive resort is yet another type of self-contained resort that can be incorporated in national parks. In this type of resort, all items required by visitors are charged on a lump sum plan as per a given fixed price.
For example, entertainment services, sports activities, drinks, unlimited food and lodging facilities are charged as a complete package with a fixed price. When such resort services are offered in national parks and more so run by the Kenya wildlife services, the parks will automatically be turned into vibrant businesses with upward trends in profit making.
Effective leadership, planning and management of national parks
In order to transform national parks in Kenya into competitive business, it is necessary to put in place effective planning and management strategies. The latter cannot be achieved without the input of the right leadership. This implies that the Kenya wildlife society should employ individuals who are well versed with the management of public portfolios (Kim and Miller 945).
A solid working experience in the field of management is an integral requirement in the process of planning the daily operations of national parks. Experts who can deliver results in this area of operation are supposed to be passionate about their roles and responsibilities bearing in mind that it will demand personal commitment for such an endeavor to succeed.
In terms of leadership, it is worthy to underscore the fact that national parks require efficient leadership style. The type of leadership adopted when managing people working for national parks should be participatory in nature. The appointed leaders in various capacities are supposed to be individuals who are ready to listen to their juniors.
It is through effective leadership, planning and management that employees in national parks will feel motivated and ready to give their best input while at the place of work. When referring to boosting the morale of employees, it is critical to mention that any successful business entity is operated with the input of both junior and senior employees.
When workers are not motivated, the profitability of a firm is equally affected since employees do not commit their best physical and mental efforts in delivering the much needed results. Therefore, national parks in Kenya should embrace effective business leadership so that matters relating to planning and management can be handled in the most professional manner.
Lower the national park charges especially for local tourists
The cost of entering national parks in Kenya does not seem to favor the local population. Even though the entry rates for the Kenyan nationals are slightly lower than those of foreigners, most of the Kenyan population still lives below one dollar per day.
When other living expenses are considered, most ordinary Kenyan can hardly afford the cost of paying the national park levies. If Kenya wildlife service can think in terms of business, the current park charges ought to be lowered even further in order to encourage additional domestic tourism (Jolliffe 86).
An economy of scale is a business terminology that is used to denote improved profitability when business operations are carried out in bulk. When more local people are encouraged (through cheap levies) to access national parks, the overall output will obviously be higher than it is at the present.
Lowering the entry fees to national parks will also go a long way in attracting the local population that has never had any interest in domestic tourism. It is evident that domestic tourism in Kenya is not performing well at all. One of the possible explanations is that the indigenous Kenyan people have for a long time associated tourism with exorbitant charges that can only be paid by foreigners.
While the latter may not be case, the park fees ought to be revised downwards with the aim of capturing new category of clients. The fees can be revised upwards at a later date when domestic tourism has been fully embraced. such a measure will ensure that the Kenya national parks progress favorably just like other types of businesses.
Inject additional capital investment in national parks
The success of any business entity is largely dependent on resource availability and how best the same is allocated in running the daily operations. In the case of Kenyan national parks, it is extremely important for the Kenya wildlife management board to inject additional capital investment in areas that need service improvement. For example, tourist resorts are required in almost all the national parks in Kenya. these resorts are not merely places of accommodation.
They are additional sources of revenue that can significantly boost the profitability of the parks. In the event that tourist resort is not readily available in any national parks, the Kenya wildlife service is required to set aside investment capital that can be used to improve service delivery. The additional capital investment can also be used in hiring adequate staff and boosting the level of security needed in national parks.
Some Kenyan national parks also lack sufficient road network. If additional funding is made available, it will be possible to initiate and expedite repairs on these roads so that visitors can frequent the parks as much as possible. A high number of visitors to national parks will definitely translate to improved revenue collection and consequently high profitability. Furthermore, additional capital investment can be used to offer capacity building and training of employees on a regular basis.
The tourism sector is quite dynamic. This means that dynamic knowledge, skills and competences are required in order for this type of business venture to remain profitable. When employees receive additional and frequent training on their various areas of specialties, they are highly likely to remain productive at workplace and consequently boost the revenue margin.
Strict mitigation measures against poaching
Illegal hunting and killing of wild animals has been a major setback in the tourism sector. National parks can hardly perform as expected when the key attractions are no longer available or inadequate for viewing. Some of the wild animals that are prone to poaching include elephants, rhinos and leopards. When such animals are killed by poachers, it results into double loss to Kenya wildlife service and national parks at large (Marnburg 565).
Poaching is similar to taking away of invaluable stock from business in spite of the fact the same stock is required by customers. Wild animals such as elephants and rhinos tend to take long before reproducing. When they are eliminated through poaching, their numbers continue to fall down considerably. For instance, the population of elephants in Kenyan national parks has been on the declining trend since the past three decades or so.
Managers of national parks in Kenya under the guide of Kenya wildlife service are supposed to work hand in hand so that they can minimize the threat posed by poaching. As a matter of fact, enough game rangers should be deployed in areas that are prone to poaching. Individuals who are apprehended should be brought to book with immediate effect (Upchurch 230).
In effect, anti-poaching laws ought to be tightened so that more stringent penalties are offered to offenders. Unless strict mitigation measures are procedurally and timely put in place, the country may continue to suffer significant losses in terms of wildlife stock.
Reduce incidences of human-animal conflict
Human-animal conflict in the Kenyan national parks has made it difficult for the Kenya wildlife service to propel the much needed growth especially through community participation. As much as the tourism sector can employ professionals to manage the parks, the contribution of the local community adjacent to national parks cannot be ignored.
For example, there are several cases whereby the local community has assisted in extinguishing of mass fire outbreaks in parks. However, lending such a helping hand may not be guaranteed when the same animals cause havoc to communities residing in nearby villages. When fire outbreaks claim thousands of national park area, it is tantamount to total loss of profitability. Therefore, the local population should be assured of their security in regards to conflicts that arise from wild animals.
Secondly, human-animal conflict has occasioned mass killing of wild animals that wander away from national parks. There are some groups of animals that are dangerous and also destructive to crops. For example, elephants are known to spoil food crops in addition to being extremely unfriendly to human beings.
As a result, communities that border national parks are often compelled to take law into their own hands and kill some of these animals when they pose extreme risk to life. In some instances, the Kenya wildlife service officials may also find themselves killing estranged wild animals before they can cause havoc to human life (Yeung 256).
Incidences of human-animal conflicts usually lead to major losses in national parks especially when the Kenya wildlife service is to compensate for losses incurred or worse still, shoot and kill wild animals posing danger to human life. National parks can only transform into successful business if this type of conflict is eliminated altogether.
Wildlife vs. tourism
Wildlife and tourism are closely intertwined in the sense that tourists visit kenya with the broad aim of exploring the country’s unique wildlife. In other words, wildlife is the single largest source of revenue derived from wildlife resources. As a matter of fact, the Kenya’s economy is endowed with tourism as one of the largest drivers of gross domestic product (GDP).
On the same note, the foundation of tourism in Kenya is largely based on the vast and unique quantity of wildlife. The desire to watch the diverse wildlife in the Kenyan national parks is usually the main reason why most visitors pay visit to national parks. Currently, the GDP contribution that is derived from the tourism sector is almost 10 per cent.
This has made tourism the 3rd largest sector that contributes towards the gross domestic product. The top two contributors are the manufacturing and agricultural sectors (Frechtling and Boo 150). Even though the aforementioned sectors contribute immensely towards the country’s economy, it is imperative to mention that Kenya till secures a lot of revenue through tourism and wildlife that the country is well endowed with.
For example, Ksh. 21.7 billion were realized as foreign exchange in tourism in 2002 although this figure rose to approximately Ksh65.4 billion before the start of 2008. Safari tourism that is driven the Kenya wildlife service alone is almost at 90 percent. In addition, the latter is about seventy per cent of all the amount I revenue generated by the national parks.
In other words, the Kenyan wildlife is well endowed with the most varied species on earth. The country’s ecosystem is quite diverse and this explains the reason why it has been classified by the Convention on Biological Diversity as a mega-diverse nation. Tanzania, Madagascar, Congo, Brazil, and Indonesia have also been categorized under this classification due to their diverse and unique wildlife.
The rich biological and ecologically diverse Kenyan wildlife has been contributed by quite a number of factors. One of the factors is the favorable variability in terms of the prevailing weather and climate. The country has a relatively warm and wet as well as cool and wet climate conditions in most national parks and game reserves.
The drier areas are also fairly endowed with adequate supply of water resources required by wildlife for survival. Secondly, Kenya’s topography is conducive for most forms of biological life. The nature of topography in Kenya has managed to support various habitats and ecosystems. These include fresh water lakes such as Lake Victoria, marine waters along the Indian ocean, arid and semi arid areas as well as mountain ranges such as the Aberdare.
The geographically diverse landscape, scenic beauty, adequate wildlife in their natural settings and tropical beaches are some of the natural endowments that the country enjoys as a tourist attraction destination.
Across the economic segment experiencing rapid growth is wildlife and tourism. In countries that are well developed, the tourism sector exhibits major success especially in regards to in revenue generation. It also offers employment opportunities to local populations and even expatriates from other countries. It stimulates cross cultural understanding across various cultures. To some extent, this may not the reality in some African countries such as Kenya.
The benefits and associated impacts of tourism are not appreciated in some jurisdictions in Africa. The rich foreigners who pay visit to scenic beauty and tourist attraction destinations become easy prey to criminals who are keenly interested in their dollars. In addition, economic gains that may be experienced from tour companies, hotels and other tourism enterprises are yet to be visualized bearing in mind that most of the enterprises are owned by entrepreneurs from the developed world.
To make the matters worse, hotel levies are made in the west beore the actual travel takes place. It is also vital to mention that quite a number of international tourists who pay visit to Africa often opt using their own charter planes or private aircrafts instead of public airlines. This is attributed to the nature of security and safety while traveling using public planes.
In addition, it is vital to examine other challenges affecting tourism and wildlife in Africa and Kenya in particular. For instance, there are myriads of environmental challenges that are caused by harmful impacts of tourism, high cost of food and accommodation that negatively impacts the local population, interference of tourism by political instabilities as well as disproportionate effect on energy, water as well as other vital resources.
Nonetheless, the challenges facing tourism sector in Kenya can still be given an appropriate approach and strategies so that a final and most viable solution is reached. Most importantly, it is necessary for stakeholders and policy makers in tourism to undertake rigorous management and planning measures in order to improve the performance of the sector both locally and across the entire continent.
In spite of the well established natural resources that Kenya is well endowed with, there are still myriads of challenges that the sector is facing to date. A already pointed out in previous sections, wildlife still remains as one of the most dominant tourist attraction in Kenya and across Africa.
Unless this natural resource is well maintained and planned, it may be critically cumbersome to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as stipulated in the development agenda of this country. In addition, the growth expected in the tourism and wildlife sector should be in line with the vision 2030 as articulated in the country’s growth agenda for the 21st century.
If setbacks such as poor internal transportation network and lack of adequate security to tourists are not addressed urgently, then the sector may still face downward trend in terms of growth profile as projected by key stakeholders in the industry. It is interesting to note that there are quite a number of local airstrips that are used by tourists even though their conditions are yet to be improved in order to attract and accommodate the highest number of visitors reaching various destinations across the country.
There is a huge potential in the tourism and wildlife sector. If proper planning and management is put in place, it is undoubted that a double digit growth can be easily realized within a relatively short length of time. If the tourist resorts and environmental friendly transport system can be put in place, then the planning phase of the tourism and wildlife sector can indeed begin.
Unique water sports include fishing and whitewater rafting. The water related sports are carried out in beautiful wildlife spots. As a result, double attraction is created especially for visitors who are interested in both sports actions and viewing of wildlife. There are myriads of biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites and world heritage sites that have been preserved in Kenya. This makes the country to have one of the richest wildlife destinations across the world.
The diversity in wildlife is indeed one of the reasons why tourists from across the world prefer visiting Kenya. In addition, the ecosystem within the protected zones such as wetlands are still intact and least interfered with. It is important to underscore that Kenya is a key member of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The main objective of this convention is to offer alternatives and best practices on how wetlands can be utilized without interfering with the natural ecosystem.
There are myriads of cases when some wetlands have gone dry due to poor usage. Currently, there are five sites that are listed under Ramsar in Kenya. These sites have been considered to be critical wetlands that can be used to generate revenue out of tourism and also conserving the rare animal and plant species found on the sites.
The following lakes are listed under the aforementioned convention: Elementeita, Baringo, Bogoria, Naivasha, and Nakuru. The process of listing Tana Delta is currently in the pipeline. As it stands now, there are over one thousand species of birds that have been accommodated in these wetlands. This is why the wetland sites have been described as ornithologist’s paradise.
That explains how Kenya enjoys the diversity of wildlife in various scenes. For example, it is not easy to observe myriad types of birds such as pelicans and patrolling secretary. These variety of birds have been conserved in selected wetland with the aim of maintain the scenic beauty and revenue generation from the project.
The flamingoes of Lake Nakuru national park and the wetlands area indeed glitter on this rift valley lake. Although their number has been declining considerably over time, the local Kenya Wildlife Service authorities have taken corrective steps of ensuring that no affluent from farms and factories find their way into the lake and swamp waters.
Water pollution with excessive chemicals channeled into the lake is a major threat to the survival of flamingoes in Lake Nakuru. Moreover, human activities around the lake have led into the destruction of the natural ecosystem that has served various bird species for centuries.
For instance, Lake Nakuru is one of the wetlands national parks with the most widespread human activities ranging from fishing to sports. However, the worst human activity around this lake is the chemical pollution from nearby factory establishments and farmlands. Fertilizers and foliar sprays used in agriculture are washed into the banks of the lakes through soil erosion. When corrective steps are not taken, it will be critically difficult to maintain the huge population of birds found in this beautiful scenery.
The tourism and wildlife sector can indeed be integral in lowering the poverty index rate in Kenya bearing in mind that most of the country’s population is still living below the poverty line. The latter is attributed to the fact that marginal areas or regions that can hardly be put into fruitful use can easily be converted into wildlife conservation spots and consequently be utilized in attracting tourists both locally and internationally. Marginal areas include wetlands, arid and semi-arid areas, and savannah woodlands (Hultsman 562).
When tourist destinations are spatially distributed, it is quite easy to undertake equitable distribution of resources needed by local communities. For example, when a tourist site is made operational in one particular area, the local people will most likely be the first beneficiaries. Revenue will be evenly be distributed for the sake of developing regions that are visited by tourists.
When revenue generated from tourism and wildlife is equitably distributed, it will be possible to attain the multiplier effect bearing in mind that whenever wildlife is conserved, other resources such as water catchment areas will also be protected. When water catchment areas are given due protection, the ecosystem will be rejuvenated and sustained for a long period to the benefit of the entire country.
Tourism is closely related to wildlife in the sense that none of them can do well in the absence of the other. In other words, wildlife is the major growth factor in tourism and on the other hand, tourism is required in order for wildlife resources to generate revenue (Svensson and Wood 140). Moreover, tourism happens to be one of the most vital resources that are used directly at the site of production. However, in this case, visitors do ‘consume’ wildlife even as they tour the tourism destination sites.
Although tourism and wildlife are still major boosters in the gross domestic product of Kenya, the output ratio is still relatively small. The sector benefits from what may be describe as minimal capital since wildlife resources are usually naturally set in place. Nu human input is required to create wildlife.
Advantages and trip outcomes
The trip to Kenya had innumerable advantages to us bearing in mind that we learnt out while there. The trip outcomes were also worth to reckon with because it was a massive learning experience for all of us. We received and encountered more than we expected.
Economics and natural resources
To begin with, we gained additional knowledge on the relationship between economics and natural resources. In this case, we were able to relate how natural resources can be equitably used to satisfy human needs and wants. For example, a visit to Kenyan national parks opened up our minds on how wildlife can be converted into viable use by earning foreign exchange for a country.
When natural resources are scarce, conflicts usually arise. This was evident when we learnt that the human-animal conflict in Kenyan national parks is mainly occasioned by the scarce and diminishing natural resources. We found out that people living close to national parks heavily rely on the available natural resources in the park.
Some of the resources obtained from national parks include wood, charcoal, honey and game meat (Payne and Landry 77). When they encroach the natural habitats, they end up coming face to face with wild animals. The result is the conflict between the two. The same happens when wild animals go beyond their retrained areas and destroy food crops from nearby villages. This was a great lesson for us since we were able to relate how scarcity of natural resources (economics) can lead to conflicts.
Culture and heritage
the trip was an eye opener for us in learning more about the culture and heritage of the Kenyan people. Even though our trip was specifically directed to national parks, we had a chance to interact with Kenyan people in several instances. For example, we learned about their staple food (mainly ugali as it is known locally).
We also managed to engage some of them in getting to know that the country has 42 indigenous tribes. Out of these tribes, about five are the most dominant. English is the official language while Kiswahili is used as the national language that is spoken by almost every Kenyan. In terms of music, we were also lucky to learn that both the local traditional music and western hits are appreciated in this country.
The heritage of national parks
After visiting the national parks, it was evident that our understanding of wildlife in general was significantly boosted. Another vital lesson that we learnt during the trip is that ethics in the field of tourism is a critical requirement that cannot be ignored.
Ethics in the tourism industry is a vital concept required in running business operations bearing in mind that aspects such as strategic goals that may be either short or long term are required in order to expedite the success of a business entity. We appreciated tourism as a business because unless it is done using the best business skills and ethics, it cannot succeed.
When rules and regulations are put in place in order to control the operations of a business portfolio, ethics will have been followed. The trip provided us with a learning opportunity on how the Kenyan national parks are run with a high sense of ethics and decorum so that visitors can feel comfortable, loved and taken care of. Therefore, business ethics are varied and thus applicable in all levels of business operation.
It was interesting to learn that effective planning and management are also part and parcel for any success in tourism business. One of the challenges facing national parks in Kenya is planning and management of park activities. Although professionals have been hired to execute various functions on behalf of the Kenya wildlife service, there are still gaps in the overall management of wildlife resources and the business of tourism altogether.
Initially, we thought that tourism did not require any professional planning and management of operations because animals are readily available in the parks for viewing (Macbeth 970). As a matter of fact, it was advantageous for us to go through a thorough learning process when we were taken through various phases of tourism as a serious business entity that cannot be ignored.
Globalization has impacted all aspects of trade around the world and the tourism and wildlife industry is no exception. Research evidence indicates that globalization overrides trade barriers. For this reason, competition among player ns is enhanced, which creates myriad of challenges and opportunities for businesses.
Definitely, tourism and wildlife industry is subjected to competition pressures enhanced by globalization, and this has created pressure for tourism and wildlife producing countries with Kenya included to be innovative so as to counteract global competition.
One of the trip outcomes was the empirical study we came across that sought to identify the challenges facing by SMEs in the tourism industry in Kenya. In addition, we sought to investigate how individual SMEs business managed the challenges so as to survive the competition.
Random sampling was employed to come up with a representative sample of 198 businesses. The researchers used interviews and questionnaires to collect primary data. Following successful data collection, data was analysed descriptively and results presented graphically. From their findings, there are quite of challenges encountered by small to medium sized organisations that offer tour-related services.
Some of the challenges comprise of stiff in-house competition, absence of credit facilities, imports that are less costly and not original from the manufacturer and lack of better mechanisms for recovering bad debts. It is evident that SMEs make use of myriads of strategies in order to remain competitive and profitable among other companies that offer tourist-related services to visitors. From the research findings, it came out clear that various strategies are required in order to attain success in business.
Concurrently, several Small and Medium enterprises in Kenyan tourism and wildlife industry have adopted the widely embraced value addition activity so as to position themselves strategically amidst the rising global competition. The product differentiation, which is promoted through value addition, is a significant strategy to enhance businesses competitiveness.
During the trip, we noted this type of competitiveness in the tourist resorts that we visited. The concept of value addition in tourism and wildlife is an emerging phenomenon around the world owing to the increasing tastes sophistication of those who consume products from tourism and wildlife.
The implication of these changing tourist trends indicates that the present level of tourism and wildlife in Kenya is likely to vary significantly in the future owing to the fact that tourist demand for loose tourism and wildlife is on the decline as tourists seek tourism and wildlife destinations that are deemed to be convenient. It is important to mention that value addition in tourism and wildlife will capture the better portion of the markets as compared to bulk tourism and wildlife in the future.
The value addition strategy is not new and Sri Lanka which is classified under the same category with Kenya in terms of tourism and wildlife export output has embraced the concept. Therefore, SMEs in the Kenyan tourism and wildlife sector are not misguided in their decision to embrace value addition, as it has been attached to a myriad of financial benefits not just at the national level, but also on the global markets (Gjerald and Øgaard 893).
Despite this effort to embrace value addition concept, SMEs in Kenyan tourism and wildlife industry are unable to realize the full potential of value addition strategy due to the various challenges facing SMEs in Kenya. Although, researches to investigate the challenges and opportunities for SMEs in Kenya is greatly limited, findings from these studies as well as from those conducted in other developing countries, which are ranked on the same economic scale with Kenya were used to inform this study.
Previous researches have indicated that SMEs in Kenya experience various challenges ranging from financial constraints mainly because most credit facilities do not consider SMEs to be credit worthy. In addition, poor management practices have been blamed for the high rates of SMEs failure not just in Kenya but in almost all developing and developed countries.
This study had hypothesized that SMEs in Kenyan tourism and wildlife industry were likely to face similar challenges cited above and many more, and the challenges will be more pronounced in the businesses dealing with tourism and wildlife export. In addition, a study to evaluate SMEs in the tourism and wildlife industry would unearth additional challenges at the jurisdiction of value addition process.
As exemplified above, several studies have been conducted in Kenya to establish the challenges that face SMEs. Although the identified challenges can be partially replicated across all sectors, there was a need to carry out a research specific to SMEs in the tourism and wildlife industry. Empirical evidence indicates that SMEs hold a significant position in any country and they contribute positively to a country’s economy growth.
Their significance in the economy is attached to the myriad of benefits such as creation of jobs and promotion of entrepreneurship. Kenya being a developing country has no otherwise but to tap into this significant sector so as to drive her economy forward. Positive realization of SMEs economic benefits cannot be achieved if significant effort is not made to identify and address the challenges facing SMEs in the various sectors of the economy.
It is against this background that this report was compiled basically with the objective of identifying the various challenges specific to tourism and wildlife industry in Kenya. The research interest in the tourism and wildlife industry was mainly because income from tourism and wildlife production and export occupies a significant position in the Kenyan economy.
Kenya controls over 10% of the total tourism and wildlife export; hence there is need to promote emerging and developed SMEs in tourism sector to not merely maintain their pace and contribution but also expand the global market positioning of Kenyan tourism and wildlife .
As cited above, value addition is the new phenomenon for any tourism and wildlife exporter willing to survive the cut throat competition across the global market (Fennel and Malloy 930). However, despite the slow but gradual adoption of the same by various Kenyan SMEs in the tourism and wildlife industry, it is difficult to realize its full benefits if the challenges are not controlled.
Therefore, the significance of this current study cannot be overemphasized as the findings can be used to inform deliberate government policies seeking to address the various challenges (Hayes 191). Definitely, if the identified challenges are addressed, SMEs in the tourism and wildlife trading industry are likely to reap the full benefits of value addition strategy.
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