Systems approach to tourism training and education: The Kenyan case study

Abstract

Kenya's tourism industry is relatively well developed (with first class hospitality establishments and tourist facilities that are juxtaposed in close proximity to pristine glistering tropical sand beaches and world renowned wildlife attractions in protected parks and reserves). Hence the country, in recent years, has become a popular destination for international visitors, especially European and North American tourists, haggling for safari tourism experience combined with relaxation in pristine glistering tropical sand beaches. Thus, Kenya provides a good case study in the examination of deficiencies in tourism training that characterises many countries in Africa and other emerging tourist destinations in different regions of the world. As this study shows Kenya, as the case is with many other Third World countries, lacks a well-coordinated tourism training strategy and educational institutions capable of providing much needed human resource training and capacity building, especially at supervisory and managerial level. This paper identifies existing deficiencies in tourism education and training in Kenya, and provides a framework that can be applied in the development of a well-coordinated national tourism training strategy and initiation of education programmes. Indeed, systems approach can be replicated elsewhere in Africa and other Third World countries where tourism is increasingly gaining momentum as a major socio-economic phenomenon.