Environmental Contribution of Urban Tourism Development in Nairobi City County – Kenya

Abstract

Urban tourism has been explored extensively in the past 20 years. Minimal attention has been directed to urban tourism which occurs in the urban areas. In recent years the impacts of tourism development on cities environment has been ignored. This study offers an exploratory analysis of impacts of urban tourism to the city environment. Starting from a broad examination of the literature on urban tourism and its related impacts, and focusing on primary attractions. Many of these positives are associated with the development of general infrastructure such as roads and airports, as well as tourism facilities such as resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, and golf courses. This paper focused on the on attractions in Nairobi County. It used qualitative research design while in-depth interviews were used to enrich research findings. Data was collected from a selected sample of 24 stakeholders in Nairobi County. The potential of Tourism to have a positive impact on the environment is immense through contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a method of raising environmental awareness and can be used to fund the protection of natural places and boost biodiversity. It is an approach of creating environmental consciousness, as well as a mechanism for financing the protection of natural zones and enhancing their economic importance.