RP-Department of Tourism Management

Permanent URI for this collection

https://repository.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1458

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 45

The all-inclusive holiday concept at the Kenyan coast
(2010-08) Mutisya, Mary M.
Purpose: This paper aims at profiling the application of the all inclusive holiday concept in Kenya, and identifying the positives and draw backs of the current mode of application. Design/methodology The study was a cross-sectional survey design and it targeted the hotels along the Kenyan coast offering the all inclusive holiday package. The study was carried out in between December 2008 and April 2009. The data was analysed descriptively. Findings: The outcome of the study shows that the application of all-inclusive concept had been varied from the original; these modifications have had both strengths and drawbacks to the hospitality and tourism industry. The current application of all inclusive in Kenya needs to be reviewed Practical Implications: understanding the strengths and draw backs of the modified mode of all inclusive is useful to the hospitality practitioners and the tourism industry at large. The study gives recommendations on how to improve service delivery to all-inclusive guests, this is more profitable to the economy and would yield greater customer satisfaction; does not stretch the limited resources, it would also result in sustainable tourism. Originality/value: The study will contribute to knowledge, especially in the of all inclusive holidays area where there very is little documentation.
Application of destination choice model: Factors influencing domestic tourists destination choice among residents of Nairobi, Kenya
(Tourism Management, 2012-12) Mutinda, R.; Mayaka, M. A.
The objective of this study was to assess the status of Kenya's tourist destinations and the factors that determine their choices among the residents of Nairobi. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey design that covered 118 respondents randomly selected from adult patrons at an up-market shopping mall in Nairobi. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. The Hypotheses were tested using chi-squares and Pearson Product–Moment Correlation at 95% confidence level. The results indicated that tourism in Kenya is almost exclusively centred on the south coast beaches and a handful of game reserves or national parks. The Kenya's domestic tourist market considered individual trait factors as being more significant in determining the choice of a holiday destination than the environmental factors. The findings further indicated that the factors that motivated Nairobi residents in the choice of domestic tourism destination in rank order include: knowledge and adventure; economic concerns; personal safety; destination information; travel arrangement; destination features; family and friends; leisure and relaxation; religious and cultural considerations and travel bragging. Statistical tests failed to reject the hypothesis that majority of Kenya's domestic tourist attraction areas do not fall within the evoked set of the destination choice model. Keywords Tourist attractions; Tourist regions; Tourist destinations; Destination choice sets; Holiday packages; Domestic tourism; Domestic tourism market
Aspects of Electronic Customer Relationship Management and Guest Satisfaction: A Perspective of 4-Star Hotels in Nairobi County, Kenya
(International Journal of Technology and Management Research, 2020) Siaw, Gladys Apreh; Gitau, John Kahuthu
Key among the aims of many service organizations are to establish and maintain stronger relationships with their customers. In recent times, organizations building strong communication networks with their customers by means of new electronic technologies to facilitate this process. The ultimate aim is to develop customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention. However, customer satisfaction and loyalty have been an issue for many hotels in the hospitality industry. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to establish the effect of aspects of e-CRM such as trust, convenience and security on customer satisfaction among classified hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional study of 384 customers through self-administered questionnaires was conducted. All variables were measured using constructs developed from the literature. Cronbach's Alpha was used to assess the reliability of the constructs. Pearson correlation technique was used to establish interrelationships between the study variables. The findings of the study revealed significant direct relationships between trust, convenience, and security of online transactions and customer satisfaction. The study recommends to the management of classified 4-star hotels to ensure that their online platforms have major tools such as regular review of websites and customers’ privacy that would ensure that services and transactions are believable and trusted
Benefits of Slum Tourism in Kibera Slum in Nairobi, Kenya
(2013) Chege, P.; Mwisukha, A.
The study focused on assessing slum tourism as a viable tourism option. The objectives were to: determine the main tourism attraction in Kibera slum, establish the perceptions of Kibera’s slum dwellers, Kenya Tourism Board and Victoria Safaris towards slum tourism, determine the benefits of slum tourism to Kibera slum dwellers. The exploratory and descriptive survey research design was used. The target population of the study was 800,000 residents of Kibera slum who live in a total of 12 villages, 160 employees of Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) and 38 employees of Victoria Safaris. The sample size was 472 respondents, 384 from Kibera, 50 from KTB and 38 from Victoria Safaris. Simple random sampling was used to select 6 (50%) villages in Kibera. Snowball sampling method was then used to select respondents in those six villages. The initial subjects were identified using purposive technique. The subjects from the KTB were selected using convenient sampling method while all subjects from Victoria Safaris participated. Data was collected by the use of questionnaire. A pilot study was run in Kisumu dogo slum village. Reliability of the instrument was determined during the pilot study using test re-test technique. There was a strong liking for slum tourism across all categories as majority, 396 (83.9%), view it as beneficial to the slum residents in improving their living conditions. Observing residents’ life style and taking photographs were identified as major tourist activities in Kibera slum. The study recommends that there should be a deeper participation of residents in running and making decisions on slum tours to increase benefits to the residents. There is also need for government to develop a policy whose aim is to guide on ways of conducting slum tours. There is also need for Ministry of Tourism to educate the residents on how to take advantage of the venture and open up businesses like tour firms and how to provide other services in order to reap the benefits of slum tourism.
The Choice Cognition and Its Relationship with Job Satisfaction: A Case of Guest House Supervisors in Mombasa County, Kenya
(International Tourism and Hospitality Journal, 2020) Kivuva, Alex Kyalo
‘Choice’ which is also known as ‘self-determination’ connotes autonomy in decision making in the workplace. Choice is a critical element of work for guest house supervisors. Guest houses have a bigger percentage of untrained staff, in comparison with the large star-rated hotels. For staff who have some hospitality training, they are usually recruited as supervisors. Despite this fact, managers and owners of guest houses tend to dictate every operation in their establishments. This has subsequently led to low employee empowerment, which has been a major source of job satisfaction. This study sought to explore the influence of the choice cognition of psychological empowerment on job satisfaction of guest house supervisors. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design, focusing on the seventy-six registered guest houses in Mombasa County. Census was utilised where all the supervisors of the registered guest houses in the county were included in the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was used in the collection of data. Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to establish the relationship between the study variables. Results of the study revealed that there existed a positive and significant influence (p< 0.05) of the choice tenet of psychological empowerment on job satisfaction (r= 0.734) of guest house supervisors in Mombasa County. This study would be crucial to guest house owners and managers who would be able to formulate and implement ‘choice’ strategies for their supervisors and other staff. In addition, it will be helpful to organizations such as Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Kenyan Employers, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers and Pubs Entertainment and Restaurant Association of Kenya in sensitizing their members on the importance of ensuring that employees have autonomy in making decisions (choice) concerning their work roles
Competence Cognition and its Influence on Supervisors’ Job Satisfaction: A Perspective of Guest Houses in Mombasa County, Kenya
(American Research Institute for Policy Development, 2019) Kivuva, Alex Kyalo; Nzioka, Alice Mueni; Pepela, Anthony Wekesa
Competence is the extent to which an employee can perform work activities skilfully and with the required knowledge. Competence is critical for guest house supervisors. This is because, compared to classified hotels, guest houses, which command a greater patronage, have a larger percentage of untrained personnel. For staff with hospitality training, they at best, serve as supervisors. This study sought to determine the influence of competence, a dimension of psychological empowerment, on job satisfaction of guest house supervisors. A descriptive survey study design, focusing on the seventy-six registered guest houses in Mombasa County was utilized. The study adopted census, where all the supervisors in all the registered guest houses in Mombasa County were included in the research. Primary data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to establish the relationship between the study variables. Findings revealed that there existed a positive and significant influence (p< 0.05) of competence on job satisfaction (r= 0.554). Other than guest house owners and managers, this study will be helpful to organizations under the Ministry of Tourism in sensitizing their members on the importance of the supervisors’ competence tenet of psychological empowerment in discharging their work roles.
Conference tourism in Kenya : towards tourism product development, diversification and extension
(2011-10-31) Maingi, S. M.; Odunga, P.O; Belsoy, S.J; Nthinga R,W
Kenya is predominantly a nature- based tourism destination with wildlife (concentrated in the southern part of the country) and beaches (along the Indian Ocean) accounting for over 85% of the international tourists visiting the country. Other attractions are based on the physical landscape of the country and the culture of the people. However, the emergence and constant growth of MICEtravelers on the demand-side have shifted the perceptions on tourism marketing globally. Unfortunately, the full potential of conference tourism has not been exploited locally. The development, marketing and promotion of conference tourism in Kenya have been disparate. This has been entrenched further by the lack of a co-ordinated, targeted effort to market conference tourism in global markets. This paper seeks to highlight and assess venues for the development of conference tourism in Kenya. It also seeks to isolate strategies for harnessing even greater potential of conference tourism in Kenya. The paper acknowledges the emergence of M.I.C.E tourism as an alternative tourism strategy of choice for Kenya’s tourism diversification and development strategies. The paper recommends that properly structured foundational activities need to be put in place towards building a strong destination-based ‘Conference tourism’ brand. These activities would include the establishment of a conference bidding team composed of the major stakeholders in the meetings industry. Further, the establishment of a fully-fledged and government supported conventional bureau would be the best intervention in the promotion of conference tourism in Kenya. By de-centralizing tourism promotion and marketing, the government would essentially harness the advantages related to outsourcing. By combining, sharing and expanding core competencies, these networks enhance K.T.B.’s efforts of efficiently marketing Kenya’s tourism sector drastically
Contributions of Partnerships to Conservation and Development: Insights from Amboseli
(Cognizant Communication Corporation, 2021) Mugo, Tabitha; Visseren-Hamakers, Ingrid; Dui, Rene van der
For several decades, both academics and practitioners have fiercely debated how to reconcile conservation and development objectives. In Sub-Saharan Africa, efforts to align biodiversity conservation and livelihood goals have triggered a shift from pure protected area approaches to a hybrid scenario, including diverse partnership arrangements that consider livelihood needs of communities neighboring protected areas. These partnerships often include tourism to provide income and jobs. The future of the Amboseli landscape in Kenya has been an integral part of these debates, since it has faced long-lasting conservation and development challenges. Many initiatives, often in the form of partnership arrangements, have tried to address these challenges. By using the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF) and a set of indicators to measure the contributions to conservation, we examine two of these partnerships—the Amboseli Ecosystem Trust (AET) and Big Life Foundation (BLF)—with the aim of understanding the extent to which they contribute to addressing these challenges. Data were collected using document analysis, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, nonparticipant observation, and informal conversations. Findings show that both AET and BLF have been able to address direct drivers of biodiversity loss (such as human wildlife conflicts, poaching, unplanned infrastructural developments) and—to a much lesser extent—the indirect drivers, such as poverty and land subdivision. Through the workings of both partnerships, more community members have gained access to specific community capital assets, through employment opportunities and other monetary incentives and education. However, it is not clear if and how the livelihood benefits transfer to real and long-term support for wildlife conservation.
A critical outlook of tourism sector performance management reforms in Kenya -: (results or ,value based management?)
(Kenyatta university, 2009) Maingi, Donald K.; Ondigi, Alice. N; Maingi, Shem W.; Ondigi, S. R.
Tourism in Kenya is a key driver towards the attainment of the socio-economic blueprint, which is achieving the goals of Vision 2030. In the recent past, such were achieved with sector reforms that critically assessed the roles and functions of public servants where performance would be used as the sole indicator for resource allocation and usage. This was perceived as a means for conditioning reinforcement; therefore creating a results based philosophy in public sector management strategies. However, this is contrary to the thesis that when public sector management emphasizes exclusively on results, attention to socio-cultural, environmental and economic values is reduced by default. Therefore requiring a fundamental understanding on the sectoral values and attributes, before customizing a performance management strategy. This paper, seeks to advance such dialogue further by assessing the dynamics involved in tourism organizational settings qualified according to the needs and demands of the Tourism industry.
Effectiveness of Compensation Recovery Strategies in Enhancing Customer Experience in Star-Rated Hotels in Mombasa County, Kenya
(MJTUM, 2023-12) Keya, Judith; Pepela, Anthony; Kivuva, Alex
Since today’s customers not only purchase goods and services for their utilitarian but also hedonistic benefits, service recovery has become an integral part of any hotel that wishes to remain competitive. In a bid to remain competitive, most hotels have developed service systems. However, none of the systems in place are perfect. Though compensation has been proposed as a means of securing competitive advantage, scant evidence exist suggesting that the same can be used as recovery strategies to enhance customer experience. While using star rated hotels in Mombasa, Kenya, this study sought to adduce the effectiveness of compensation recovery strategies in enhancing customer experience using descriptive research design. Staff from10 front-line sections within the 17 rated hotels in Mombasa County formed the sampling frame. Data were collected by the use of an on-line questionnaire due to COVID-19 pandemic that prevailed during the study period. A pre-test of the questionnaire was done on one of the hotels, and the results were subjected to the Cronbach formula producing a reliability index of 0.989. Data were analysed by the use of inferential and descriptive statistics and the findings presented in tables, bar graphs and pie charts. From the findings, descriptive analysis on customer experience indicated that front line managers agreed and strongly agreed that when customers are pleased with their recovery effort, they receive referrals from them, they spend more money in the establishment, they show eagerness to return on, they become more loyal, they share with others about the good services, and they trust that any offer given to them in the future will go right. Descriptive analysis on the dimensions of the three strategies (compensation, staff actions, and communication strategies) produced high means and low standard deviations, indicating that front-line managers often and always applied the three recovery strategies whenever a failure occurred. The regression analysis of the three hypotheses indicated that the three strategies have a statistically significant influence on the customer experience if used effectively. Other than advancing scholarly work in the field of service recovery, the findings inform Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and hotel stakeholders as a whole by guiding in policy review and formulation so as to help in minimizing service failures. Key Words: Effectiveness, Compensation, Recovery strategies, Service recovery Paradox model, Customer experience, Rated hotels Introduction Though hotel operators continuously work hard to achieve competitive advantages over their rivals, it is extremely hard to offer customers a reliable, first-time, errorfree service. This is because of the nature of services (Ali et al., 2021) and the high degree of personal interaction between customers and employees (Ali et al., 2021), thus the need of service recovery. Service recovery involves actions taken by an organization in response to service failure (Zeithaml & Bitner, 2009). In Kenya, the hospitality industry, one of the top three revenue earners among Kenya’s economic sectors, is driven by S
Effects of Employee Behavioral Factors on HACCP System Practices in Four and Five Star Rated Hotels in Nairobi County, Kenya
(International Knowledge Sharing Platform, 2020) Chege, Peninah Wanjiku; Miricho, Moses; Gesage, Bichage
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a globally recognized food safety program advanced as a suitable program to minimize or eliminate the risk of food contamination. Successful implementation of HACCP System requires appropriate employee support. This study sought todetermine the influence of employee behavioral factors on HACCP system practices in four and five star-rated hotels in Nairobi County.A total of 255 hotel cooks and 33 chefs participated in the study. Analysis of the data utilized a set of descriptive statistics that provided detailed description of the study variables. To establish the statistical significance of the hypothesis,multiple linear regression analysis was conductedat 95 percent confidence level (α = 0.05).The study established the existence of a statistically significant positive relationship between employee behavioral factors and HACCP system practices. Rrecommendations to hotel managers and other food production industry practitioners on enhancement of employee behaviour for effective HACCP system implementation are provided.
Effects of Supermarket Delis on Established Restaurants in Nairobi’s Central Business District
(IISTE, 2014) Kungu’u, Samson Kuria; Kirathe, Teresa Wangui; Wangeci, Charles Gitari
The most notable change that has taken place in supermarkets in the recent past is the emergence of the delicatessen. Over the years, the deli has grown from a small service department that primarily focused on meat, cold cuts and prepared salads to a department that sells a wide variety of products including pizza, assorted sandwiches, hot entrees, chilled RTE foods, salads and other specialty food items. With the entrant of the deli into the RTE food market, restaurants as a matter of fact are getting a run for their money.The main objective of this study was to establish the effects that the deli concept had on established restaurants within NCBD. Other objectives of the study were; to determine the prevalence of the deli, examine their popularity among city residents and to profile the clientele of the supermarket deli. The literature review made it clear that the deli indeed affected the normal operations of restaurants especially in terms of sales and guest turnover. The review also served to highlight the gaps that exist in previous studies on the same.The research was conducted in NCBD where the researcher identified three supermarket branches from various chains and nine restaurants around the targeted supermarkets. Both the supermarkets and the restaurants were purposively selected due to the fact that they had the desired characteristics for the study. City residents were randomly picked from the targeted restaurants and were interviewed to examine how popular the concept was.Data that was collected was grouped and presented in form of tables and pie charts and an analysis followed. The findings showed that despite the concept being very new in the region; it has been adapted by nearly all supermarket chains and is spreading quickly. The concept proved to be very popular among residents as more and more are shifting to deli dining. Response from the restaurants shows that their operations had been affected in one way or another since the emergence of the deli. The study also showed that the deli customers were mainly students and office workers. The study recommends that both the restaurant and the delis should come up with marketing strategies instead of relying on word of mouth and manipulating the impulse buying behavior of customers. It also recommends that restaurants should revise their prices for take-out meals so that they are cheaper than meals consumed on the premises. Decent packaging for takeaways was also emphasized. Considering the short period that the delis have been in operation and the effects already being felt by the restaurants, it is evident that in the near future the impact will be greater. It is therefore time that the restaurants re-strategize if they want to remain in business.
Examining Kenya’s Tourist Destinations’ Appeal: The Perspectives of Domestic Tourism Market
(journal of tourism and hospitality, 2012-09-27) Ndivo, R. M.; Waudo, Judith N.; Waswa, F.
Kenya’s tourism activity has always been centered on the coastal beaches and a few game parks despite of being endowed with a unique combination of tourist attractions spread throughout the country. Noting this skewed nature of tourism development, this study aimed at investigating the status of appeal of the different Kenya’s tourist regions from the perspective of the domestic market with the goal of examining the efficacy of the destination appeal enhancers. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and analysed using mainly descriptive statistics. The study found out that while majority of Kenyans considered taking a holiday as being important to them, a significant majority of them were not be aware of most of the country’s touristic attractions and hence, frequented only a few of the country’s attractions, mainly the coastal beaches. Further, the study found out that the most important sources of travel information available to Kenyans were personal experience and information from significant others; travel marketers were considered as being the least significant source of information. The study thus, concluded that the limited scope of tourist activities available within most of Kenya’s attractions, coupled with the limited sources of travel information may actually be leading causes of the lack of awareness and popularity of most Kenya’s tourist attractions. This study thus, recommends a deliberate effort on the part of the tourism policy makers and marketers to enhance the appeal of all the country’s attractions and position them as destinations in their own right. This would call for the adoption of a tourism development strategy that not only seeks to promote the country as one destination with varied tourist attractions, but one that would adopt a bottom-up approach, primarily focusing on developing the individual tourist attractions as a way of ensuring a country-wide competitiveness.
Foreign Scholars Activities and Their Impacts on Sustainable Tourism Development in Nairobi Metropolis, Kenya
(Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Book Publishing, 2023) Bitok, Jane Jebet; Ondigi, Alice; Munyiri, Esther
Foreign scholars moveto international destinations and enrollin institutions for academic courses ofstudy. The students form apromising niche’ market and is the third export earner in Australia. Africa is endowed with unique geographical features which attract the students who enroll in programs such as; eco-tourism, heritage tourism, rural/farm tourism and student exchanges between educational institutions.Africa recognizes educational tourism as a promising niche’ market segment to cushion out the fluctuating numbers of other market segments. The region receives about 14% foreign scholars yearly to add to those existing in their institutions of learning. Kenya receives 50,000 of the students distributed as 1% admissions to public universities and 12% to private universities, a constant 200,000 international students annually. The reasons why scholars from developed nations do not prioritize Africa should be investigated toincrease Kenya’s market share. The study purposed to establish the tourist activities that are of interest to the scholars. Thescholars from all over the globe joinKenya’s institutions of higher learning and throughout their course of study, they will be attached to attraction sites either as part of their study or as leisure activities.UNESCO supports travel of students to foreign destinations in order to enhance and promote culture and international understanding. International students visit several tourist attraction sites and can be classified as oreign or local tourists. Questionnaires were administered to the scholars, the heads of foreign student offices were subjected in-depth interviews while the communities offering tourism participated in focus group discussions.Only 29.7% (98) had involved themselves with various activities in the communities while a considerable number (65.2%) did not involve themselves in the activities within host communities. However, there was a significant relationship between tourists’ activity options and sustainable tourism development, the P-value 0.029 (P-value<0.05). When tourists’ activity options and economic impact were cross tabulated, no significant relationship was displayed because P-value is 0.301 (P-value>0.05). Majority 58.7% of the students were self-driven to the local communities.The study shows that most of the activities linked to educational trips are organized in relation to the products of tourism available within destinations.
From National to Regional Tourism Development Focus in Kenya: Examining the Challenges and Opportunities
(Tourism Planning & Development, 2012-10-11) Ndivo, R. M.; Waudo, Judith N.; Waswa, F.
Despite Kenya's unique combination of tourist attractions spread throughout the country, the tourism activity in the country has always been almost exclusively centred on two geographical regions: the coastal beaches and a handful of game reserves and national parks. The goal of this study was thus to examine the reasons for the country's skewed tourism development and explore strategies of addressing the skew. The study was primarily based on documentary review of existing empirical and official government reports and other related documents. The study revealed key factors as being responsible for the lopsided development of Kenya's tourism. First and foremost, the country's tourism development policy proved to be a leading obstacle to the development of the country's tourist attractions and regions. Further, the centralised focus of Kenya's tourism planning, governance and marketing was also noted as being responsible for the skewed tourism development in the country. In addition, there was an evident lack of consensus on the demarcation of the different tourist regions in the country by the key tourism development agencies and stakeholders. It was also noted that Kenya lacks a tourism master plan, a roadmap to guide the development of the industry. Other factors included lack of awareness of the different attractions in the country and the passive role of tourism marketers in packaging and promoting the different tourist attractions in the country, only concentrating on the traditionally popular ones. The study thus recommends the adoption of a regional tourism development focus in Kenya that would facilitate the development and positioning of the different tourist attractions and regions as destinations on their own right. Unlike the centralised approach, this model would recognise the varied needs, level of maturity and vision of each region and be supported within the context of the existing national and county framework.
Guest House Supervisors’ Meaning Cognition and Its Influence on Job Satisfaction in the Context of Mombasa County, Kenya
(African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 2019) Kivuva, Alex Kyalo; Pepela, Anthony Wekesa; Nzioka, Anthony Wekesa
The alignment between an employee’s work role and his/her beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviours (meaning) are critical human resource issues in guest house operations. This is because, compared to classified hotels, guest houses have a larger percentage of untrained personnel. For those with hospitality training, they are usually recruited as supervisors. This notwithstanding, the owners of guest houses tend to dictate and control almost all the operations, thus lowering employee empowerment; a major source of job satisfaction. This study sought to determine the influence of meaning, a dimension of psychological empowerment, on job satisfaction of guest house supervisors. A descriptive survey study design, focusing on the seventy-six registered guest houses in Mombasa County was used. The study utilized census, where all the supervisors in all the registered guest houses in Mombasa County were included. Primary data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. Pre-testing was done in three guest houses and the remaining seventy-three were included in the study. Data was analysed by means, percentages and standard deviations. Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to establish the relationship between the study variables. Findings revealed that there existed a positive and significant influence (p< 0.05) of meaning on job satisfaction (r= 0.765). This study could well be of critical importance to guest house entrepreneurs and managers who would be able to formulate and implement empowerment strategies for their supervisors and other staff. In addition, it will be helpful to organizations such as the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Kenyan Employers, the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers and Pubs Entertainment and Restaurant Association of Kenya, in sensitizing their various members on the importance of aligning employee’s work roles to their beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviours.
Guests’ satisfaction with non-classified hotel product: the Kenyan coastal perspective
(AJTHLS Open Access, 2016) Kivuva, A.K.; Ondingi, A.
Non-classified hotels which comprise small hotels and guest houses are important accommodation providers. They offer reasonably affordable hospitality products as compared to classified hotels. Through guest satisfaction, non-classified hotels can achieve repeat business and get new business through word of mouth from previous guests. If they do not provide quality hospitality products, non-classified hotels must be ready to experience low occupancy levels. This study aimed at establishing the levels of guest satisfaction in non-classified hotels. The study site was Mtwapa town in Kilifi County (Kenya) with a population of 25 non-classified hotels. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The research findings indicated that business guests were dissatisfied with non-classified hotel products in Mtwapa town. Issues such as cleanliness, staff professionalism, speed of guest service, recognition of returning guests among others had low satisfaction levels. The study recommends that non-classified hotels operators should put more efforts in providing quality hospitality products to meet guests’ expectations
Influence of Cognitive Destination Brand Image on Wildlife Park Attractiveness: A Case Study of the Amboseli-Tsavo Ecosystem, Kenya
(IJRISS, 2023) Okumu, Paul O.; Amwata, Dorothy A.; Bulitia, Mathews Godrick; Wandaka, John K.M.
The attractiveness of a holiday destination motivates the development and growth of tourism in terms of tourists’ perceived value; however, the attractiveness of wildlife protected places, such as game parks, is little understood in previous tourism literature. The paper therefore explores the role of cognitive destination brand image on the attractiveness of wildlife parks in the Amboseli-Tsavo Ecosystem. The results showed a significant positive relationship between cognitive destination image and park attractiveness (β = 0.446, t = 6.661, p = .001). The study concludes that tourists exhibiting higher levels of cognitive destination image are more likely to perceive a tourist destination as being attractive. An embedded mixed-method research design was adopted to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 440 park visitors and 28 tourism experts. Simple and linear regressions were used to test the hypotheses, whereas qualitative data were analyzed using content analyses. This study aims to add to knowledge to tourism marketing literature on wildlife park attractiveness as perceived by tourists and gives recommendation on policy of controlling the provision of accommodation, attractions or activities within the protected parks to safeguard the ecosystem.
The Influence of Contextual Factors on HACCP System Practices in Four and Five Star Rated Hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya
(Eastern Africa Journal of Contemporary Research (EAJCR), 2020) Chege, Peninah Wanjiku; Miricho, Moses; Gesage, Bichage
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system is an important food safety strategy that most food production entities throughout the world endeavor to implement. However, a variety of contextual factors influence its successful execution. This study sought to determine the influence of contextual factors namely food safety regulations, market forces, size of the hotel, management commitment and funding level on HACCP system practices in four and five star rated hotels in Nairobi City County. A total of 255 hotel cooks and 33 chefs in 16 four and five star rated hotels participated in the study as key informant respondents and units of analysis from whom data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Additional data was collected from hotel managers through an interview schedule for cross-validation. Analysis of data was conducted through a set of descriptive statistics that provided detailed explanations of the study variables as well as multiple linear regression to test the set null hypothesis at 95 percent confidence level (α = 0.05). The results of the study reveal that on the aggregate, the context within which the hotels operate significantly influences their HACCP system practices. In particular, regulatory framework, size of the hotel, management commitment and funding level were found to have a positive influence on HACCP system practices of the hotels while market forces had negative effect on the hotels’ HACCP system practices. The study provides significant insights for the advancement of knowledge on HACCP concept as well as appropriate recommendations to hotel managers and other food production industry practitioners on the effective implementation of HACCP system practices.
Influence of Cultural Festivals and Custom Artifacts on Tourism Development in Baringo County, Kenya
(Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Book Publishing, 2018) Chebotibin, Diana; Munyiri, Esther; Bitok, Jane
Culture and tourism have a mutually beneficial relationship which can strengthen the attractiveness and competitiveness of regions and countries. In Kenya, Baringo is a melting pot of cultures and the many communities including the Pokot, Ilchamus, Tugen and a host of other Kenyan communities makes them ideal definition of social and cultural diversity. Although Baringo is known for cultural diversity, there is generally a danger of cultural tourism studies being productbased rather than market-based in the perspective of assessing tourism development. The study sought to establish the influence of cultural festivals and customs & artefacts on tourism development in Baringo County. Exploratory research design utilizing mixed method that is both qualitative and quantitative methods was used. The target unit of analysis was the 7 resort managers, 3 county government officials, 399 Community members and 395 tourists. The sample size used was 804 respondents. Data was collected by administration of questionnaires and interview guide. Data was analyzed using content analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated that cultural festival was positively and significant related to tourism development (r=0.228, p=0.00). Result also indicated that customs & artefacts was positively and significant related to tourism development (r=0.223, p=0.00). The study recommended that cultural festivals should be prioritized in the tourism sector, so that it can boost tourism as well as conserving the culture. Customs & artefacts should be profiled and documented for easy access by the tourists.

Browse

Browsing RP-Department of Tourism Management by Title

Results Per Page

Sort Options