Sacred Habitats at Got Ramogi Cultural Landscape: Opportunities and Strategies for Ecotourism in Siaya County, Kenya

Abstract

Considering that tourism is one of the World’s largest industry, inter and intra-regional competition is unavoidable. The competition has been further worsened by the globalization nature of tourism. As such, tourism business is better realized when efforts are put towards destination as opposed to regional or national tourism promotion. Against this background, developing and making the ecotourism business plan operational will not only unlock the tourism potential but also help in the management, promotion and protection of the sites for future generations and enhance economic growth of Siaya County in Kenya. In the development of this business plan, a participatory approach was adopted. The participation involved stakeholders; namely Community based organizations (CBOs), boat operators, beach leaders, religious leaders, Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI), operators of hospitality services in the region, local community representatives as well as Provincial administration. The stakeholders were put in a workshop setting which was facilitated by four consultants from Bondo University. The plan also used secondary information sources from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and web sites among others.