Strategic responses by tour operators to the changes in the business environment of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the strategic responses by tour operators to changes in the operating environment of the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya. The study took the form of a cross sectional survey and primary data was collected using questionnaires. The study findings show that the tourism industry being critical and hyper-competitive has attracted highly qualified and experienced staff at both managerial and non-managerial levels. The study findings indicate that the tour operators in the MMNR have vision and mission statements that guide their strategic planning processes, implementation of operations, and control processes. Additionally, most tour operators are members of stakeholder groups which help in maintaining high standards as well as corporate bargaining. Despite the importance of the MMNR in the Kenyan tourism circuit, there is no strategic master-plan in place to guide the management of the so called jewel of Kenya s tourism. The tour operators believe that the activities in the MMNR have had a positive social impact on the people of Narok County. The tour operators have affirmative policies of varying extent on diverse issues in the MMNR. The political and legal environmental factors, economic factors, technological factors, physical environmental factors, and other general factors have impacted the operations of the tour operators in the MMNR to varying degrees thus resulting in the operators adopting appropriate strategic responses in order to remain afloat in a sector characterized by an environment of cutthroat rivalry, complexity, turbulence, and dynamism