Determinants of tourism destination development in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya

Abstract

Located on the Western Kenya tourist circuit, Elgeyo Marakwet County is regarded as a promising prospect for adventure tourism. Nevertheless, the realization of the county's tourist growth remains incomplete. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the growth of tourism destinations in Elgeyo Marakwet County. More precisely, the study aimed to determine the correlation between resources, infrastructure, tourist policy, support environment, and the growth of tourism in the county. The research was based on the Theory of Tourism Competitiveness. The research design employed in this study was both explanatory and descriptive. 437 respondents were selected from a target population of 99986 individuals, including households, visitors, county government, and National Government personnel, using stratified, simple random, purposive, and systematic sampling methods. Research instruments were sent to families, and interviews were carried out with visitors, County government personnel, and National government personnel. Analysis of the obtained data included descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multiple regression). Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Resource availability, infrastructure, tourism policy, and support environment were identified as drivers that accounted for 88.1% of the development of the tourist destination. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between resources (β 1 =0.371, p=0.001), infrastructure (β 2 =0.211, p=0.001), tourist policy (β 3 =0.096, p=0.001), and support environment (β 4 =0.380, p=0.001) and business destination development. The research findings indicated a substantial correlation between tourist destination development and factors such as resources, infrastructure, support environment, and tourism policy. The report advised that the Ministry of Tourism and Elgeyo Marakwet County should oversee the progress of destination development by giving priority to allocating resources that would enable the destination to effectively compete on an international scale. The Elgeyo Marakwet County should guarantee that its infrastructure is in optimal shape to facilitate the future growth of the destination. These findings will help the National government in guaranteeing the safety and security of tourists in the unpredictable Elgeyo Marakwet County.