Tourism has been recognized to play a major role in the economy improvement of many countries. It basically means the act of persons traveling to other countries or regions for leisure, businesses or other purposes. The tourism sector has continually grown over the years due to the favorability of the industry. The sector has been exploited by different companies in different countries in the world. Amongst the things that contribute to the growth of the sector is the international arrival of people into the various countries where this sector is doing well.
There are regions that have not been exploited by the tourism industry although they have what it takes to attract tourists from all over the world. East Africa is one of those regions that have a variety of tourist attraction features. East Africa has been established as potential region for tourism development. Apart from the peace and stability that is experienced in the region, the region has warm and friendly people. East Africa has a diversity of both natural and man-made features that will make any tourists’ dreams come true. The quality attractions that the region possesses make it a potential tourism development area.
The stability that the region has in terms of being a tourist destination should be exploited to benefit the community at large. (Smith, 1998) Economic importance of tourism development The community in the region has a lot to gain if the region welcomes tourism industry. Tourism is usually defined by the customer it attracts rather than the products it produces. In East Africa, it is expected that tourism will have a significant impact on the facilities, institutions and people who are engaged with tourism activities. Likewise, the local community is likely to benefit from the outcomes of tourism activities in the region.
The host community will benefit from the employment that will be created by this industry in the region. Tourism is an industry which is very labor intensive. It can only succeed when it has technical, semi-skilled, skilled, and managerial level staffs. East Africa has most of its labor force as being semi-skilled and non-skilled. The labor force in this region is mostly idle as many industries and companies prefer skilled labor to non-skilled one. Therefore the tourism sector will give them a chance in employment. (Morris, 2005) Tourism in the region will lead to the creation of many businesses which will rise to exploit the sector.
Although the industry has been dominated by large companies, local medium sized business and multinationals, it has also been noted that the sector is favorable for small business to invest in it. This has been illustrated by the large numbers of small-scale businesses which have been seen to exist predominantly in the tourism sector in other countries. The East African region needs economic development. This problem has been addressed many times and some solutions have always come up which are thought will improve the economy of the region. The solutions have constantly failed and the region has remained with a rundown economy.
Tourism seems to be the answer to the improvement of economy in the region. The tourism sector has been described to be a highly decentralized industry which has the ability to diversify any regions’ economy. Therefore East Africa can only attain an equitable development if it embraces the tourism sector/industry in the region. (Smith, 1998) East Africa has a rich cultural heritage that exists up to date. The region is also blessed with natural resources which are in abundance. These two features need to be preserved to prevent them from being irresponsibly exploited.
Tourism industry can easily ensure that these two features are preserved indefinitely. The sector is a less-pollutant industry that can not harm both the natural flora and fauna. If the industry is properly managed and well operated it can serve to conserve and promote the region’s natural and cultural heritage which is so important to the local community. The people who reside in the East African region are generally warm and friendly people. There needs to be a way in which they can be connected to people in other regions for goodwill and friendship.
Tourism seems to be the vehicle that will allow the local community to be able to interact with the international community with ease. This will create international understanding between them and other diverse communities of the world. According to various research carried out, it has been established that tourism plays a role in enhancing and establishing peace and stability that exists between many nations. The tourism industry will be able to make other sectors of the economy in the region develop. One of the ways in which it can do this is by strengthening the backward and forward linkages that exist in the region.
The sector has been known to act as an incentive in improving the macroeconomic status in the region. All these factors are known to motivate development in any region. The improvement in the economy will be of benefit to the local community in that they will be able to afford basic goods and services. (Smith, 1998) The local community will also benefit from infrastructure and superstructure development. Some of the facilities which are bound to be improved by the tourism sector include: restaurants, hotels, airports, road networks, water supply, communications, and power supply.
Public utilities that are shared with other economic sectors are also bound to improve leading to what is referred to as economic efficiency. Therefore it is with no doubt that developing the East African region as a potential tourist attraction area will have many benefits to the local community. Tourism has been associated with economy development in other regions. Hence, there is no doubt that it will improve the region’s economy. Provided that tourism activities are properly handled and conducted, the region will reap the benefits associated with it.
In conclusion, the region should welcome this sector if it wants to further develop by creating employment opportunities to the local community and work towards distributing wealth to the many sectors found in the society. For the region to experience the full benefits of the tourism industry it should ensure that it plans and co-ordinates tourism on a regional basis. (Morris, 2005) Current Resources The region is blessed with both man-made and natural resources in abundance. Wildlife animals in the region include: Buffaloes, lion, leopard, Giraffe, Elephant, various species of birds and snakes just to mention but a few.
The region has the biggest lakes and the highest mountains ever seen. That being not enough, the region also boasts of marine resources with exotic islands, diving areas, deep- Sea, Sand beaches, unexploited minerals, some which can only be found in this region. East Africa has many archaeological sites and Architectural tours that are man-made which serve as tourist attractions. (Smith, 1998) It has been established that the region has the most astonishing diversity of wildlife in the whole world which is hardly touched. Most of the environs are still natural since man interference in the flora and fauna resources is very minimal.
Thus, the region can be exploited for cultural tourism. Hot sulphur springs have also been noted in the region. Aside from this, the most important feature which can really serve to attract tourist in the region is the large wild beast immigration often witnessed in the region. This feature has been documented to be among the eight wonders of the world. The region has a wide diversity of flora which includes: sweet smelling plantation of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other species of plants that can only be found in the region. Mountain Kilimanjaro is also found in the region.
This is the highest mountain in Africa and it can also be said to be the highest free standing mountain in the world. The mountain has peaks which are usually permanently snow capped. This feature is very beautiful and it can serve as a large tourist attractor in the region. The other natural feature that is found in the region is the Ngorongoro Crater. Animals have been established to live in this crater a feature that has not been seen anywhere else. Some people have been able to describe this feature as being among the hundreds wonders of the world. The region has a very rich culture.
The local community stills participates in traditional hand craft. Some of the things that result from handcraft include: Batiks, Carvings, Paintings, baskets, jewellery, just to mention but a few. Many tourists enjoy knowing more about new cultures. They like to be associated with other communities’ cultural experiences. Therefore, it is with no doubt that the handcraft in this region can work towards attracting tourists. (Smith, 1998) Mountain Ol’doinyo Lengai is the only volcano which is still active in the world. The mountain has been identified to be in the East African region.
When the volcano erupts, it emits a rock which is called carbonate. Such a feature will definitely serve to attract tourists in the region. The region is surrounded by Lake Victoria which is known to be the largest lake in Africa. It has been established that it is the second largest fresh water lake worldwide. It comes second after the North America’s Lake Superior. Last but not least, the region is blessed with excellent harbors in the world. A lot of the region’s history can be easily accessed by the many ruins it exhibits. In summary, the region is quite blessed with natural and man-made resources that should not be left to go to waste.
Multinationals, companies and small-scale businesses should fully invest their resources in developing the region as tourism destination. (Morris, 2005) Visitor Base The region will mainly target tourists from Europe and America. This is because residents of these two continents mainly value culture. The cultural difference that exists between the local communities in East Africa and these two continents is great. It is expected that Americans and Europeans will have great interests in learning cultural activities present in the region.
Another factor as to why the region will target tourists from Europe and America is because the tourists are affluent. Hence they can easily afford the services that the region plans to offer. On the other hand, the region’s tourist attraction features are open to everyone the local community included provided that they can meet the costs charged for tourism services. (Smith, 1998) According to research carried out in the year 2003, it was established that the old people in the society are the ones who participate greatly in the tourism industry.
This is because most of them are through with raising children and hence family responsibilities become minimal. Another factor that could be used to explain this is that at that age, most people are retired and the possibilities of being tied down with work are also not there. Therefore, it would be correct to say that the sector mainly benefit from the input of people slightly older that sixty five years of age. The region will target customers who are slightly older by incorporating services in its operations that will greatly be valued by the old people.
Tourists who are above the age of sixty five travel widely without paying too much attention to the traveling expenditures they incur. Many tourists are usually after seeking to create and maintain a certain class in the society. It can be part of a show-off as many will consider such a move as extravagance. To these people, it is more about creating an image of importance that will lead to them being respected in the society and being held in great esteem. This will necessitate the region to plan on strategies of offering undisputable excellent services to their customers if it wants to attract this group. (Morris, 2005)
Competition in the industry The East African region has a great potential to be developed as a tourist destination area. But before the region considers such a move, it has to analyze the competition that it is likely to experience from other players in the field. This is very important if it wants to establish itself a niche in the tourism industry. Competition in the industry has been analyzed to be very healthy as it has led to product development and innovativeness within the industry. The regions’ choice on which segment of the market it will serve will determine the kind of competition it is likely to encounter.
For instance, various companies in other countries and regions have been enlightened about the potential market that comprises of old people. Therefore, if the region chooses to target this group of customers then it has to be ready to compete with the other regions in winning the loyalty of the group. The old people in Europe prefer local tourism to international tourism. Therefore, Europe will have an upper hand over East Africa in winning the customers. At the same time, there are some resources which the old people in Europe would wish to access which are only present in East Africa.
Thus, this calls for experts’ opinions to determine the appropriate decision to make concerning the matter. It has been established that competitiveness in the tourism sector comes about as a result of the differences that exist in the natural resources, public infrastructure, Legal administrative framework and quality of marketing and advertising. Some of the competitors that the East African region has to consider include countries like: Estonia, Romania, Finland, Italy, and Switzerland. These countries have well established infrastructures and public amenities.
Apart from a few more resources that these countries have, they have properly established tourism sector that is highly innovated. Tourism companies found in these countries were among the first companies to be established in the industry. Owing to this reason, they are better placed in the industry, having the first mover advantage. (Smith, 1998) East Africa needs to analyze the competition existing in the industry and improve on the areas it feels inadequate. For instance, the region is well endowed with both man-made and natural resources as compared to its competitors.
Most of its natural resources are still untouched and man has not interfered with the region’s ecosystem to a large extent. This makes it have a competitive advantage when it comes to this matter. On the other hand, the well established infrastructures in the other countries serve to woo customers. East Africa is a very peaceful region with very minimal reports of violence. Tourists are usually drawn to destinations that have political stability. Hence the peace enjoyed in this area makes the region have a competitive edge over other regions that have recorded violent incidences.
The region plans on offering prices which will be found to be surprisingly friendly and affordable by international tourists. The region plans on offering lower prices as compared to the other regions so that it can be able to attract more customers. Research carried out on tourism industry in the other region reveals that customers are charged exorbitant prices. Therefore the plan by the East African region to charge low prices is actually a marketing strategy. (Smith, 1998)
Qualified staff has been associated with customer acquisition and retention since time immemorial. This is because they offer professional and quality services that serve to attract and retain customers. Therefore, the region plans on getting the most qualified staff to be involved in the managerial positions of its tourism sector. The quality services offered by this staff will definitely improve the number of tourists that will visit the region. The competitive low prices that the East African region plans to charge on its services, is also another marketing strategy that it will employ to lure customers to the region.
Slogans such as “Experience the beauty and diversity of the East African National Parks, and explore East Africa” will go a long way in attracting customers when they are incorporated into the advertising plan. (Morris, 2005) Most of East African advertisements will be done on the region’s website to ensure that most of the people in the world are reached. According to research done by Morris k. it was found that most people in the European and American countries have an access to internet. Therefore, the plan by the region to put its advertisements online is a smart move.
Questionnaires can also be posted online when the region wants to find out opinions of different people regarding its plans of developing itself to be a tourism destination area. Recommendations East African region needs to improve on its public utilities and infrastructure if it hopes to attract a large segment of tourists in the tourism industry. The improvement of infrastructure will also serve to open new marketing opportunities which the region can fully exploit. Another issue that the region needs to improve on is the technology it intends to use in its tourism operations.
Innovation is vital for tourism and it influences tourism demand and supply. Many of the region’s competitors have been able to realize an increase in tourists’ arrivals due to the technological innovations they have employed in the sector. It has been established that innovation in the tourism sector improves the quality of services provided and lowers production costs which increase competitiveness. Technology will also enable tourists to make orders and online bookings which will be convenient to them. (Morris, 2005)
Conclusion
The East African region has a potential of developing as a major tourism destination. It has many resources that can attract many tourists. Companies and multinational companies should take advantage of the fact that tourism industry in this region is not fully exploited. Competition in the industry is quite stiff and this calls for the region to come up with marketing strategies that will be able to give it a competitive advantage over the other players in the industry. The move to make the region a tourism destination will be of benefit to the local community. (Smith, 1998)
