THE CONTRIBUTION OF COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN THE
SOCIO ECONOMIC WELL BEING OF RURAL POPULATION.
A CASE STUDY OF NZAMBANI VILLAGE KITUI COUNTY.
INTRODUCTION
This chapter highlights information and issues concerning the background of the study of the
contribution of community based tourism in socio-economic well being of rural population. It
also highlights the objectives of the study, scope of the research, and justification of the study.
Background of the study
Community Based Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. In
both developed and developing countries, CBT is frequently supposed to be a viable means of
raising the economic activity of regions, Eckhartd (2006). Additionally, the development of a
CBT industry has been noted to promote the destination's image, enabling the region to achieve
other objectives, such as business recruitment and retention. Given the expected growth of
tourism there is a great optimism for CBT. Numerous agencies and academic researchers have
identified tourism as a potential economic development tool, particularly for rural communities.
CBT is increasingly being used as a development strategy to improve the social and economic
well being of rural areas, Hamele, (2006).
Thailand is a popular destination for travelers. The country has seen large increases in CBT
tourist arrivals in the last three decades, and still the number of international arrivals is rising. In
2009, the total number of international tourist arrivals was close to 14.2 million, while in 2010
this was already close to 15.9 (World Bank, 2010). Over 50% of these visitors are from East Asia
and almost 28% come from Europe. In 2011, tourism revenues in Thailand accounted for 760
billion Thai Baht, which is an approximated 7.1% of the Gross Domestic Product (World Travel
& Tourism Council, 2012). CBT is therefore an important economic contributor in Thailand,
which facilitates many jobs. While a large part of the tourism industry in Thailand consists of
business travelers as well as the so called VFR (visiting friends and relatives) tourists, the
country is also known to have large resorts and to attract backpackers (World Travel & Tourism
Council, 2012). The large number of visitors has boosted the tourism infrastructure throughout
many parts of the country. The popularity of Thailand as a holiday destination can be attributed
to its beautiful scenery (including beaches and islands in the South and forest in the northern
parts), the friendly people (Thailand is often referred to as ‘land of the smiles’), and the relatively
cheap facilities. Bangkok, Chiang Mai and some other cities also draw many tourists because of
their cultural attractions such as temples and festivals, Hamele, (2006).
The economies of developing countries, particularly African countries, are highly vulnerable and
are affected by the processes of globalization and increasing dominance and control by
multinational corporations (Rodricks, 2001). Debbage (1990) postulates, ‘the increasing
oligopolistic structure of the international tourism industry indicates the intrinsic value of the
profit cycle in explaining how oligopoly can shape the product-cycle of a resort’. The
development of tourism in most African and other developing countries is increasingly being
influenced by the unpredictable processes of global oligopoly (the increasing control of the
tourism market by a small number of multinational companies). They can shift international
tourism demand among destinations in developing countries, depending on profit considerations,
causing unforeseeable disruption to tourism development in third world countries. In Uganda,
Prior to the establishment of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), the local communities
(Bakiga and Batwa) depended on the forest for such resources as weaving materials, medicinal
plants, hunting, honey collection, fruit gathering and building poles. Batwa (pygmies) are said to
have lived in the forests until the early 1960s. When Bwindi was gazetted as a national park, the
people were barred from removing forest products, some of which had played a crucial role in
their livelihoods. Currently, some villages have access to multiple use zones (MUZs) in the park
for the limited harvesting of some products (e.g., medicinal plants, honey and weaving
materials), projects (Brohman, 1996).
A lot of attention has been paid to the economic and ecological aspects of sustainable
development, especially at the national level (Roe & Khanya, 2001; Scheyvens, 2002), but little
has been given to the analysis of the implications of sustainable tourism on specific local
communities and on the industry’s impact on the quality of life and on socio-ecological aspects
of communities that are directly affected by the tourism industry, particularly in developing
countries such as Kenya. Kenya provides a good example of a developing country that has
embraced CBT as a tool for socio-economic development. Kenya has increasingly become a
popular CBT tourist destination for visitors from Europe, North America and emerging tourist-
generating regions, particularly South-east Asia. The country receives over 6% of the total
international tourist arrivals to Africa, and the relative importance of tourism in Kenya’s
economy has risen steadily over the last 40 years (Kenya Government, 2004). However, to be of
any meaning to marginalized local communities and individuals, especially in developing
countries such as Kenya, CBT development should be part of a broader alternative policy
framework that is designed to achieve a sustainable society. Sustainable tourism development
should, therefore, not be seen as an end in itself, but as one of the several alternative
development strategies that can assist local communities overcome their socio-economic and
developmental weaknesses, preserve their strengths and enhance their developmental
opportunities.
Mombasa is the leading tourist centre in Eastern Africa, with the highest concentration of
tourism and hospitality facilities and infrastructure. Mombasa and adjacent townships receive
over one third of international tourist arrivals to Kenya. However, Mombasa in particular, and
the Kenyan coastal region in general, is classified by the government as one of the regions with a
high incidence of poverty and poor living conditions for local people (Kenya Government,
2004). It has been estimated that over 50% of the residents of Mombasa live below the poverty
line, earning less than US$ 1 per day. In the Kenyan context, the poverty line is the level at
which an individual’s income does not meet ‘a minimum standard required to meet his or her
basic needs such as food, shelter, sanitation and clean water supply’ (Kenya Government, 2004:
195).
Over half of Mombasa’s 500,000 residents cannot afford a decent meal, do not have access to
clean water or basic sanitary facilities and can neither afford basic health care nor pay school
fees for their children. Often the people living below the poverty line have no regular
employment, their income is small and irregular and they lack basic capital to start micro-scale
business enterprises in tourism and other sectors. Quite often, the children of people living below
the poverty line do not attend school and even when they do, the dropout rate is quite high.
Hence, most of the children rarely go beyond elementary school. The consequences of this abject
poverty and social deprivation is reflected in an increased incidence of insecurity, theft, drug-
taking and trafficking, prostitution, hunger and malnutrition, high mortality rate, high levels of
illiteracy, an increased incidence of child labour, domestic violence and family breakups(Kenya
Government, 1999).
Community-based tourism (hereafter referred to as CBT), is often recognized as a perfect
example of sustainable tourism development. The reason for this is mainly that local community
participation in the development and practice of these projects is supposed to be high, and that
the whole community benefits from the tourism activities (Brohman, 1996; Hatton, 1999).
Community development is at the heart of CBT. Most CBT activities are small scale and they
often include community owned and operated lodges and other facilities. This would provide
positive economic benefits, such as income, for large parts of the community. Besides that, CBT
is regarded as being less harmful to the socio-cultural environment. Because the local population
is in control, they decide which cultural traits they share with their guests. The Kamba people are
a tribe with a rich culture. One of the main activities this tribe is known for is dancing. There are
therefore a lot of dance groups in the Kitui area and they are more than willing to both perform
and teach their special dance styles. There are two main styles you come across; the “shoulder
shaking”-tradition and the “booty shaking”-tradition. Within these traditions there are different
versions and dances used for special occasions like worship and birth ceremonies or just for pure
entertainment.
1.2 Justification of the Study
The nature and benefits of community tourism are often helpful to ensure continued
sustainability. Majority of the local communities in Kenya are benefiting from tourism activities
by earning income as well as employment. Local income and employment ranged from tour
guiding, selling of goods and service to the tourists, Akama (1997). on the other hand, a
community can escape poverty by increasing their levels of investment; higher investments leads
to higher incomes that translates to better living standards and higher savings that increase more
investments. As a result sustainability of the system will be self evidence as for the vicious cycle
of poverty theory by Todaro (1990).
Problem statement
Even though there are tourism resources in Kitui County, poverty has been highlighted to be
quiet high as 66% which translates to more than half of the population in the area are poor.
Rural communities are challenged to take full advantage of the tourism industry due to lack of
sufficient infrastructure to support year round visitors. Therefore, in a bid to exploit the cash
injection that CBT activities provide, with minimal additional resources, many rural
communities have opted to host tourism events on a yearly basis. The fact that community
tourism activities tend to be small scale and supply a highly seasonal market present a number of
other challenges for CBT development. Not all rural areas are equally attractive to rural tourists
and simply providing accommodation facilities does not guarantee demand.
Independent Variable Dependent Variable
Community Based Tourism Activities
1. (Here list at least three activities
that are categorised as CBT).
2. For each of the activities listed in
No. 1, list the indicators of each.
i.e the observable aspects of each
that you will be able to see in the
field.
Socio-economic Well being
1. List the indicators of socio-
economic well being i.e. how will
you observe socio economic well
being
