Conservation of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Kenya
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• Modern popular culture expressions, e.g. pop music, shopp<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
fashion, media, design, technology;<br />
• Special <strong>in</strong>terest activities, such as pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, weav<strong>in</strong>g or<br />
photography.<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> the cultural tourism products outl<strong>in</strong>ed by Smith (2003) can be<br />
developed <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kenya</strong> to help diversify beyond beach <strong>and</strong> wildlife tourism.<br />
Moreover, there are numerous early <strong>and</strong> late Stone Age archaeological<br />
sites <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kenya</strong>, such as Olorgesaillie (Kajiado County), Kari<strong>and</strong>usi <strong>and</strong><br />
Hyrax Hill (Nakuru County) that can be developed as cultural heritage<br />
sites. Music festivals, carnivals <strong>and</strong> sport<strong>in</strong>g events can also be developed<br />
<strong>in</strong>to cultural heritage attractions for domestic <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
tourism.<br />
<strong>Cultural</strong> heritage <strong>and</strong> susta<strong>in</strong>ability<br />
The quality <strong>and</strong> attractiveness <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kenya</strong> as a dest<strong>in</strong>ation results from<br />
many centuries <strong>of</strong> development. This development has been shaped<br />
by the prevail<strong>in</strong>g physical (natural l<strong>and</strong>scape) <strong>and</strong> socio-economic factors.<br />
To susta<strong>in</strong> the attractiveness <strong>and</strong> competitiveness <strong>of</strong> the dest<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
requires recognition <strong>and</strong> development <strong>of</strong> the very factors that have<br />
shaped it –the key to the development <strong>of</strong> cultural heritage, the real raw<br />
material for tourism.<br />
Susta<strong>in</strong>able tourism has become a popular but ambiguous term. It<br />
is used to mean many th<strong>in</strong>gs, from recycl<strong>in</strong>g, waste <strong>and</strong> energy reduction<br />
to limit<strong>in</strong>g human impact on the natural <strong>and</strong> cultural resources.<br />
Countries <strong>and</strong> regions where the economy is driven by the tourism<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry have become <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly concerned with the environmental<br />
impact <strong>of</strong>, as well as the socio-cultural problems associated with, unsusta<strong>in</strong>able<br />
tourism. As a result, there is now <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g agreement on the<br />
need to promote susta<strong>in</strong>able tourism development to m<strong>in</strong>imize its environmental<br />
impact <strong>and</strong> to maximize its overall socio-economic benefits<br />
at tourist dest<strong>in</strong>ations. The concept <strong>of</strong> susta<strong>in</strong>able tourism, as developed<br />
by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) <strong>in</strong> the context <strong>of</strong> the<br />
United Nations susta<strong>in</strong>able development process, refers to tourist activities<br />
‘lead<strong>in</strong>g to management <strong>of</strong> all resources <strong>in</strong> such a way that economic,<br />
social <strong>and</strong> aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g cultural<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity <strong>and</strong> life<br />
158<br />
<strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Natural</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Cultural</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Kenya</strong>