Influence of Collaborative Tourism Governance on Beach Tourism Performance in Kwale County, Kenya
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Date
2024-08
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Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Collaborative tourism governance among the stakeholders is one of the approaches used to
manage tourism destinations. This approach is not devoid of bottlenecks. This study sought
to establish the influence of collaborative tourism governance on tourism performance in
Kwale County. The specific objectives were to; profile tourism associations involved in
tourism collaborations in Kwale County, review the impact of tourism partnerships on the
performance of tourism in beaches of Kwale County, examine factors associated with
influencing the successful operations of tourism partnerships for better tourism performance
in Kwale County and find out the effective tourism collaborative governance process for
better tourism performance in Kwale County. This study adopted a descriptive research
design and mixed methods of collecting quantitative and qualitative primary data. The study
was conducted at the beaches of Kwale County which have a wide range of tourist
attractions and a variety of tourism stakeholders. The target population of the study were
senior officers working involved in tourism activities working for the National government
and its affiliated tourism agencies; senior tourism and trade officers working for Kwale
County Government and private associations involved in tourism activities in Kwale
County. A total of 16 key informants (2) from each stakeholder category were targeted for
in depth interviews while a total of 100 respondents from 25 local beach associations were
targeted. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select 2 senior officers or officials
for interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select 4 respondents in each association for
the survey. Primary data from senior officers was collected using key informant interview
schedule. On the other hand semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative
and qualitative primary data from representative of local associations. A pre-test of the
questionnaires was carried out in Kilifi County to determine their reliability. Descriptive
statistics such as frequencies, modes, means, variances, and standard deviations were used
to analyse quantitative data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. Cross tabulation was used to determine the relationship of study variables. Multiple linear
regression fitness model analysis was used to predict the influence of the independent
variables on the dependent variable. Quantitative findings were presented in tables and
charts. Based on the findings of this study and the testing of the four research hypotheses
that formed the framework of this study and the results of the regression model used it can
be concluded that: tourism associations and alliances, the impact of tourism partnership,
factors associated with influencing the operations of tourism alliances and effective tourism
governance process play a critical role in the performance of beaches in Kwale County. The
study recommends that a profile of tourism partnerships in Kenya be done and their role and
mandate in the tourism industry be established. Secondly, the study also recommends for a
SWOT model be developed to ensure that all the positive and negative attributes of a beach
destination concerning collaborative governance are identified. Thirdly, the study
recommends transparency and seamless communication amongst all tourism stakeholders.
Lastly, the study recommends the government, and other private tourism stakeholders
develop clear policies regarding collaborative governance, especially in beach tourism
destinations.
Description
A Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Science in Tourism Management in the School of Business, Economics and Tourism of Kenyatta University August, 2024
Supervisors:
1. Albert Chege Kariuki
2.. Sisinio Kiria Muthengi