Challenges facing revival of community home based Ecotourism in Kenya: a case of Runyenjes District, Embu County

Abstract

As much as tourism could uplift the living standard of the Runyenjes District it may not form a lasting solution, as it has been known to be destructive. It is for this reason Ecotourism has over the past two decades become a solution to this destructive tourism as it is not only promotes tourism but it also conserves the natural resources as well as the culture. Despite the fact that community home based ecotourism was introduced in Runyenjes District in Kyeni North and south Location in 2005 and in Gaturi North and Kagaari south in 2006, there has been no other activity on community home based ecotourism in the District. This is as per the records held in the ministry of wildlife and tourism Runyenjes District office. This shows that there have challenges in reviving community home based ecotourism in Runyenjes district.

The purpose of the study was to establish the challenges facing the revival of community home so as to determine if community home based ecotourism can be a success in Runyenjes District it revived. The main objectives of the this research was first to establish if the exiting tourist attraction sites would support revival of community home based ecotourism in Runyenjes District from the research it was clear that there are tourist attraction sites in the district though these have suffered a lot of degradation in past. Second to find out if the effects of community home based ecotourism that exists in the district would influence revival of community home based ecotourism. The researcher noted that there were positive effects that would support revival community home based ecotourism in Runyenjes District as well as negative effects that needed to be addressed if community home based ecotourism was to be revived in Runyenjes as they would pose a challenge. Thirdly it was to establish how the funding of community home based ecotourism would influence the revival of community home based ecotourism. The research established that funding is a challenge to the revival of community home based ecotourism. Last but not least the study was to find to out if communication would influence community home based ecotourism. From the study it was clear that commination needed to be addressed if community home based ecotourism was to be revived. This researcher used descriptive coupled with naturalistic survey to carry out this study with a sample size of 180 out of a population of 280 villages.

From the study it was clear that there are challenges that influence the revival of community home based ecotourism and it is for this reason that this study recommends that government should come up with ways to fund community home based ecotourism in the district by proving soft loans to the residents , it should also come up with ways to conserve the tourists attraction sites so that they do not become extinct, construct electric fence around Mt Kenya so as to prevent human wildlife conflict and finally it should create job opportunities for the youth so as to keep them from immoral activities. During this study the researcher established that there were challenges facing revival of community home based ecotourism and wishes to recommend further study to look into ways in which these challenges may be overcome so as to revive community home based ecotourism.