Effects of tourism vulnerability to drought on performance of wildlife tourism in Maasai Mara, Kenya

Abstract

 The study aimed at determining the effects of sector vulnerability to climate change on performance of wildlife tourism. Drought was chosen as an indicator of climate change in Maasai Mara. A pragmatic approach using mixed methods research design was adapted for the study. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire that was randomly administered to 783 respondents stratified into tourists and community members in the study area. Qualitative data were also collected from 30 key informants purposively sampled for study. The questionnaire response rate was 58.51%. Quantitative data were analyzed by use of SPSS version 22 and AMOS version 21. Measurement and structural equation models were developed for the analysis. The results show that vulnerability mediated the relationship between drought and tourism β = -0.143, t= -3.666, P < .05. The results of the study are important to wildlife tourism policy makers as a guide for future research and decision making because climate change is global new normal.