Strategic Responses To Changes In The External Environment In The Implementation Of Kenya Vision 2030 By Kenya Tourism Government Agencies

Abstract

The study set out to establish how the Tourism Government Agencies had responded to changes in the external environment in the implementation of the Kenya Vision 2030 by the tourism Government Agencies. In order to address the objective the study made use of both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected through a self administered questionnaire to the five tourism government agencies. Secondary data was obtained from the agencies in house publications, websites, strategic plans and newspapers. A descriptive statistic analysis of the data obtained was carried out and findings were presented in form of a brief discussion on the environmental changes and key strategic responses identified. The study found that the agencies have managed to adopt strategies which include new product development, new markets development, product and market diversification, product and brand differentiation, rebranding and repositioning, strategic partnering/ co-operative marketing, research and development and increased destination awareness. The findings further indicated that the following strategies were not fully utilized which include, Resource Mobilization, Crisis management, Competency Development, Technological innovation, Quality management. The study also found that the vision highlights that the Government will promote aggressive advertising to inform potential tourists about Kenya’s attractions and facilities in order to increase her global market share. The study concluded that political and economic are the external environmental factors that are adversely affecting the tourism industry in Kenya; it is recommended that there is dire need to mitigate the specific variables that are hindering the growth of the destination. The theoretical underpinning was based on the Resource-Based View and the Chaos theory. The research finding revealed that the basis of an organization’s competitive advantage lies primary in the application of the bundle of its valuable resources. While on the Chaos theory, the study affirmed that systems no matter how complex they rely on underlying order and any disruption to that order can make the industry very volatile.