Insecurity impacts, effects and implications for the Tourism industry – a survey of selected incidences of terrorism, and safety issues during election years in Kenya.

Abstract

Over the years, the tourism industry has witnessed emerging issues that influence the business of travel. One of the most notable is the surge in global terrorism and insecurity. While travelers can avoid risky destinations for safer ones, the repercussions of detrimental events on touristic destinations are ineluctable and can be profound with the resulting events causing a tourism crisis. This paper sought to theoretically, through systematic review, analyze terrorism/insecurity issues in Kenya over the past years to find correlates between insecurity incidences, its frequency and magnitude, and tourism numbers and trends in order to explore ways of coping with that. From the review findings, it was found that there is a direct inverse relationship between insecurity and tourism trend in the country where a series of past insecurity incidences and fears have negatively affected the tourism and hospitality industry in Kenya. The research recommends a diversification of the Kenyan tourism product while engaging alternative source markets; employment of proactive strategies in dealing with insecurity; aggressive marketing by the department of tourism to rebrand the country as a much safer destination; and promotion of domestic tourism among local consumers.