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Campaign to boost Maasai Mara begins
The Ewaso Nyiro South Development Authority has taken the first step towards making tourism in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve more sustainable and beneficial to local communities.

Under the newly launched Greater Maasai Mara Tourism Development Plan, the authority will involve major stakeholders in determining the region’s capacity to hold tourists and unexploited opportunities for development, unlike previous attempts which were steered by government agencies only.

The Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Tourism Federation and Tourism Trust Fund are involved in formulating the blueprint.

“This is our national jewel and it has to be preserved and protected for prosperity if we are to continue reaping the benefits of tourism,” the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Nabutola, said.

According to the PS there have been concerns on the management of the country’s reserves and parks. In a bid to address this issue ,General Management Plans have been drawn up, offering guidelines on the preservation of the attractions.

Currently, one for Meru National Park, Tsavo and Lake Nakuru has been completed and more are expected to be undertaken including one for Maasai Mara.

The Mara management plan will be specific to the reserve unlike the Tourism Development Plan that incorporates the whole area including the private ranches and takes into consideration of Serengeti.

The plans will be used to open up new areas as was done last year when the Western Kenya Tourism Development Plan was unveiled by the Lake Basin Development Authority.

The Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA) has unveiled a similar plan. The Maasai Mara is one of the most visited national reserves leading to concerns over high density population and vehicle movement.

 The 2007 Economic Survey showed that the reserve was the second most popular tourist destination after Lake Nakuru in 2006.

The reserve hosted 316,500 visitors while Lake Nakuru received 321,000.

This saw the government put a freeze on new developments but it was not enforced due to lack of a legal framework.

The council is now suspending the issuing of licences for new developments in the region until the plan is completed in eight months time. It will then be discussed and gazetted to become law.

The plan will cost Sh25 million and is being funded by the Tourism Trust Fund (Sh16 million) and ENSDA which has spent Sh9 million in facilitation.


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