ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses alternative tourism — or ecotourism — in Kenya and assesses its prospects for raising rural incomes and sustainable development. Alternative tourism is partly aimed at empowering local communities in managing their natural resources in ways which contribute to rural development. Rural people will have greater incentives to conserve the biological resources in their environment if the beneficial effects from tourism filter down to the individual families and households. Alternative tourism is seen as "forms of tourism that are consistent with natural, social, and community values and which allow both hosts and guests to enjoy positive and worthwhile interaction and shared experiences". Kenya's tourism is nature-based. The Kenya government gives priority to environmental conservation and management in tourism development. This discussion of community-based tourism development shows clearly that there are many impediments to making community groups real partners in ecotourism development.
