Jomo Kenyatta's government invested substantially in tourism infrastructure as a means of generating foreign exchange, creating employment, and promoting Kenya's international image. Kenya's diverse geography, wildlife, and cultural attractions made it a potential tourist destination. Kenyatta's government pursued policies designed to develop Kenya's tourism sector and to attract international visitors.
The development of tourism infrastructure included the construction of hotels, the establishment of national parks and game reserves, the development of transportation networks, and the training of hospitality and tourism workers. Kenyatta's government worked with international hotel chains and tourism companies to develop Kenya's tourism capacity. Major hotel chains established operations in Nairobi and in coastal areas, providing facilities for international tourists.
The national parks and game reserves, including the Serengeti, the Tsavo, and the Amboseli, became major tourist attractions. Kenyatta's government promoted these natural areas as places where tourists could experience African wildlife and landscape. The wildlife viewing industry became an important source of foreign exchange and contributed to Kenya's international reputation as a tourist destination.
Kenyatta's promotion of tourism also served to market Kenya's cultural diversity to international audiences. Kenya's ethnic communities were positioned as cultural attractions, with tourists visiting communities to observe traditional dances, visit markets, and experience what was presented as authentic African culture. This commodification of culture contributed to the development of tourism but also involved a kind of cultural reification in which diverse, living cultures were presented as static tourist commodities.
The development of tourism infrastructure contributed to the development of specific regions, particularly coastal areas and areas near national parks. Infrastructure development, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings from tourism contributed to regional development. However, the distribution of tourism benefits was unequal, with some regions and communities benefiting substantially while others received few benefits from the tourism sector.
Kenyatta's investment in tourism also reflected his broader development strategy of integrating Kenya into the global capitalist economy. Tourism represented a means of earning foreign exchange without requiring the development of manufacturing or industrial capacity. The tourism sector also allowed Kenya to benefit from its natural resources and from its location within Africa without requiring substantial industrial development or technological transfer.
The development of tourism infrastructure during Kenyatta's presidency established patterns that would continue throughout Kenya's postcolonial history. Kenya would emerge as one of East Africa's major tourist destinations, attracting hundreds of thousands of international visitors annually. The foundations for this tourism success were laid during Kenyatta's presidency.
See Also
Kenyatta Economic Policy Kenyatta Development Projects Nairobi Development 1963-1978 Kenyatta and sport Kenyatta Foreign Policy
Sources
- David K. Leonard, African Successes: Four Public Managers of Kenyan Rural Development (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991), pp. 112-145.
- Bethwell A. Ogot (ed.), Zamani: A Survey of East African History (Nairobi: East African Publishing House, 1974), pp. 234-267.
- Jeremy Murray-Brown, Kenyatta (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1972), pp. 280-315.