Tourism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism - Assignment Example There are greater challenges to the ecology and environment of the tourism destination with increased tourist activities in developing nations. Climate change, and global warming create potential long term consequences on tourism. Conservation and protection of natural resources and wildlife habitats form an important part of the agenda. Similarly, sustainable solutions have to be undertaken to reduce the increased environmental pollution caused by growing tourist traffic. Bhatia (2006) reiterates that it is vital for authorities at the local and national levels to carry out destination planning, management, and marketing strategies, and ensure international cooperation. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to consider the main issues affecting the international tourism sector, and examine how these have challenged conventional forms of tourist activity. Tourism in Kenya will be investigated as a case study, to assess the implications of a responsible tourism agenda, and it s implementation. Case Study: Kenya as an International Tourism Destination Issues and Challenges According to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), tourism is â€Å"a vehicle for economic development and poverty alleviation (EDPA) in developing countries† (Manyara, Jones and Botterill, 2006, p.19). The strategies for economic development and poverty alleviation include small enterprise development, with the help of governmental support. In examining Kenya as a case study for international tourism development, it is primarily important to note that tourism in Kenya is foreign-owned, hence economic benefits are channelled out of the local economy. The industry focuses on safaris and coastal products, and â€Å"exploits the southern and coastal regions in an anachronistic and colonial model of tourism development† (Manyara et al, 2006, p.19). Ondicho (2000) states that the introduction of international tourism in Sub-Saharan Africa has been a recent development. In Kenya , the tourism industry is considered as a successful domain, in relation to the large numbers of visitors, and the country’s capacity to accommodate them. At the same time, although there has been considerable progress in this respect in recent years, the international tourism sector in Kenya has been limited by particular internal and external factors leading to troubles in development, and setbacks to the growth of the industry (Ondicho, 2000). To modernise conventional forms of tourism in Kenya, a new postcolonial model of tourism development â€Å"involving small indigenous enterprises, and promoting cultural products to new markets† (Manyara et al, 2006, p.19) is expected to support economic development and help in the alleviation of poverty in Kenya. The authors examined the promotion of indigenous enterprises, and the obstacles confronting tourism entrepreneurship in Kenya, utilizing for the study 12 indigenously owned Kenyan tourism enterprises and six support organisations (Manyara et al, 2006). The 12 enterprises are divided into two categories: community-based enterprises (CBEs), and formal as well as informal individually owned enterprises