The Effect of Ecotourism Initiatives on the Livelihood of Local Community around Kit Mikayi Site in Kisumu County, Kenya

Pleasure Chebus

Abstract


Abstract-Eco-tourism is primarily a low impact nature of tourism which contributes to the maintenance of species and habitats either directly through contribution to conservation and/or indirectly by providing revenues sufficient for local people to value, and therefore, protect their wildlife and heritage areas. This paper presents a study done in areas adjacent to Kit Mikayi cultural site about the effect of ecotourism initiatives on the livelihoods of local community living adjacent to it. Study targeted 500 people and used a sample size of 70 heads of households drawn from target population, who were randomly selected in the interval of every 4th homestead within the study area. For key informant interviews purposive sampling was used to identify the respondents by virtue of the roles they play in tourism sector. This paper relied on both primary and secondary data to provide an account of ecotourism initiatives and improvement in the livelihoods of the locals. Most outstanding result from the local community’s perspective is that ecotourism activities can create jobs and generate wealth as well as facilitate the growth of social networks locally known chamas which in turn improve the livelihoods of the local community.

Keywords: Ecotourism, livelihood, local community and conservation


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.52155/ijpsat.v7.1.354

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