SETTING AND OPERATING A SUCCESSFUL ECOTOURISM VENTURE IN KENYA

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SETTING AND OPERATING A SUCCESSFUL ECOTOURISM
VENTURE IN KENYA
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Setting Up a Business

• Have you counted the cost?
• For a successful business to begin and operate
  effectively, one should see the end from the
  beginning.
• Why am I getting into business?
• What is your vision for the business?

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• Cost
• Time
• Do you have a plan of how you are going to start
  and operate the business?
• Allocation of time for each phase of beginning
  the business.
• Designing operation systems of the business.

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• Resources
• Existing available resources.
• landscapes or flora/fauna which have inherent
  attractiveness or degree of interest to appeal
  either to specialists or more general visitors
• ecosystems that are at least able to absorb a
  managed level of visitation without damage

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• Skills
• What skills do you have and what will you need 
• help with? 
• One of the key success factors is having the
•  right business team. Good management skills are
• critical.  Consider whether you know how to do
  the following tasks, need some training, or need
  somebody else to do them for you 

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• General  Manage your time hire, supervise, and
   train employees delegate tasks build and 
• motivate a team and make appropriate 
• changes to keep the business successful. 
•  

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• Operational  Buy and manage inventory 
• schedule work negotiate agreements or
   contracts 
• and comply withregulations governing 
• employees and other aspects of the business.

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• Financial  Set up and keep records develop 
• operating budgets compile financial statements 
  project and monitor 
• cash flow prepare a loan/funding 
• proposal analyze financial performance 
• comply with payroll and tax requirements.
• requirements. 

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• Market
• Is there a market for your business?
• Do we have tourists or not? This depends on your
  definition of a tourist.
• Target customers?
• Market Trends?
• Marketing strategy?

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• consumer demographics
• competitive analysis understanding who the compe
  tition
•  is, what they offer, why people go to them, 
• and what you can do to get some of that
•  business

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• The patterns, profiles and interests of existing
  visitors to the area, based on visitor surveys.
• The location of the area with respect to
  established tourist circuits in the country
• The level, nature and performance of existing
  ecotourism products which are competitors

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• The activities of inbound tour operators and
  ground handling agents in the country and
  coverage by international tour operators.
• existing information and promotional mechanisms
  in the area.
• potential collaborators.

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• Business acumen
• a) Creativity
• Unique packaging of your products and
  services.
• Local produce and handicrafts although visitors
  may look for authenticity, it is very important
  to avoid the depletion of cultural artefacts and
  other resources. Quality products can be made and
  sold which reflect an areas traditions and
  creativity without devaluing them.

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• Participation some visitors value the
  opportunity to participate in activities.

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• b) Guiding and interpretation a fine balance
  between local colour and story telling, and
  scientific knowledge and accuracy is often sought
  b visitors. This may require involvement of
  different people, including an opportunity for
  local people to be trained as guides and
  interpreters.

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Sustainance of a Ecotourism Business

• Have a local community that is aware of the
  potential opportunities, risks and changes
  involved, and is interested in receiving
  visitors
• Have existing or potential structures for
  effective community decision-making
• There is no obvious threats to indigenous culture
  and traditions products developed should be
  based on the communitys traditional knowledge,
  values and skills and

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• The community should decide which aspects of
  their cultural traditions they wish to share with
  visitors.
• An initial market assessment suggesting a
  potential demand and an effective means of
  accessing it, and that the area is not over
  supplied with ecotourism offers.

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• Careful consultation within the community
  covering attitudes and awareness of tourism,
  possible opportunities and pitfalls, existing
  experience, concerns and level of interest

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• Ecotourism can be integrated with other sectors
  of the rural economy, creating mutually
  supportive linkages and reducing financial
  leakage away from the area. It can also be
  coordinated with agriculture, in terms of the use
  of time and resources and in providing markets
  for local produce.

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• National level support is needed in terms of
  linking conservation and tourism activities and
  responsibilities, appropriate legislation and
  assistance towards small enterprises and
  community initiatives, and national and
  international promotion.

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• Products developed should be based on the
  communitys traditional knowledge, values and
  skills
• The community should decide which aspects of
  their cultural traditions they wish to share with
  visitors.

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• Ensure that the visitor will feel safe and is
  assured of quality service.