The Politico-Economic Competition Affecting Ecotourism Development in Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem between Kenya and Tanzania by Dr. Godfrey Cotty Ungaya, Scientific Research Journal (Scirj), Volume IX, Issue II, February 2021 Edition

Scirj Volume IX, Issue II, February 2021 Edition
ISSN: 2201-2796

The Politico-Economic Competition Affecting Ecotourism Development in Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem between Kenya and Tanzania

Dr. Godfrey Cotty Ungaya

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the politics around revenue sharing dilemma which affects ecotourism development in Serengeti-Mara ecosystem between Kenya and Tanzania. Ecotourism is a form of tourism that is geared towards conservation of tourist destinations as opposed to traditional tourism of profit maximization from tourism activities by key stakeholders. The EAC Regional Tourism policy forms the foundation of ecotourism development in this transboundary ecosystem. Despite existence of this agreement, ecotourism development has been negatively affected by the politics of revenue sharing accrued from tourism activities among key players on both sides of the border. The study used questionnaire, interviews and focused group discussion to collect primary data while secondary data were collected using journals, documents, acts, legislations, sessional papers and conventions/protocols on tourism. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The qualitative data were analysed by consolidating emerging themes from the key informant interviews and topic analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. Data were presented in form of tables, pie charts and narrations. The results indicate issues of revenue sharing are yet to be sorted which has affected ecotourism in terms of tourist flow and conservation of this tourist destination. Findings demonstrate that Maasai Mara National Reserve receives 290,000 against Serengeti 116,000 foreign tourists annually. But a look at international receipts show that Serengeti revenue collection is more than Mara’s. Thus, lack of concrete structures on how to increase revenue generation and sharing within the EAC tourism policy has led to political and economic competition in this transboundary ecosystem. There is need for review of the EAC tourism policy such that the political and economic competition between the two nation-states is removed.

Reference this Paper: The Politico-Economic Competition Affecting Ecotourism Development in Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem between Kenya and Tanzania by Dr. Godfrey Cotty Ungaya published at: "Scientific Research Journal (Scirj), Volume IX, Issue II, February 2021 Edition, Page 1-9 ".

Search Terms: Revenue Sharing, Profit Maximization, Conventions, Transboundary, Ecotourism and Ecosystem

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