Abstract:
While the World Tourism Organization asserts the potential of tourism for poverty alleviation, real-
life scenarios on the ground do not necessarily provide supporting evidence for such an assertion.
The anachronistic nature of current models of tourism development in Kenya, for example, do not
address the key issues of poverty reduction as the poor do not derive significant benefits from tourism
activity, either through employment or participation in community tourism initiatives. This study of
two alternative models of community involvement in tourism development in the Samburu-Laikipia
region of Kenya gives voice to the poor and develops a rich understanding of their aspirations for
tourism development and their involvement in it. The study uses ethnographic techniques to uncover
local people’s attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values as well as the unspoken cultural patterns that
shape their behavior and livelihood practices. Moreover, it explores the local people’s understanding of tourism and their perceptions of how poverty alleviation through tourism development could
impact their lives.
