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Nature Interpretation and Visitor Management Objectives: A Survey of Tourist Attitudes at Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

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  • Leanard Otwori Juma

    (Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Nyeri 10143, Kenya)

  • Izabella Mária Bakos

    (Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Szent István University, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary)

  • Aniko Khademi-Vidra

    (Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Szent István University, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary)

Abstract

Nature interpretation has been advocated as a soft and non-obtrusive on-site visitor management strategy to enhance visitor knowledge and understanding of the resource, mitigate visitor impacts, encourage the conservation and improvement of attraction areas, and assist visitors in enjoying their visit. However, the way in which nature interpretation programs are implemented, and the subsequent attitudes created amongst visitors can pose a challenge to the effectiveness of nature interpretation as a visitor management strategy. The situation becomes more complicated with limited resources to implement, monitor, and evaluate nature interpretation in expansive wilderness areas like Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR). The question therefore is, does nature interpretation in MMNR create favourable attitudes amongst wildlife tourists, consequently leading to enhanced visitor experiences and satisfaction of the support for conservations, or not? This research, therefore, sought to establish the extent to which the attitudes created by nature interpretation affect visitor satisfaction or the enhanced visitor experience and support for conservation, broadly termed as visitor management objectives in MMNR Kenya. Thus, H o 1 postulated that attitudes created by nature interpretation do not influence visitors’ support for conservation in MMNR, and H o 2, that attitudes created by nature interpretation do not enhance visitor experience and satisfaction in MMNR. This study used a structured questionnaire for the survey to collect data from a sample of 351 respondents as a proportion of visitors into MMNR. Research findings revealed that a moderate relationship between attitudes created by nature interpretation and support to conservation with rs = 0.426 and p = 0.000, thus null hypothesis H 0 1 was rejected. Secondly, results showed that attitudes created by nature interpretation moderately affected visitor satisfaction rs = 0.478 and p = 0.000, while similarly, null hypothesis H 0 2 was rejected. The research concluded that various forms of NI result in the formation of attitudes that moderately affect support for conservation and visitor satisfaction. The study concluded that enhanced nature interpretation training and awareness creation, along with continual improvement initiatives, could unlock its full potential as a visitor management strategy. This consistent, well-coordinated, and diligent implementation of nature interpretation initiatives by all stakeholders in MMNR would sustain a cumulative, long-term impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Leanard Otwori Juma & Izabella Mária Bakos & Aniko Khademi-Vidra, 2020. "Nature Interpretation and Visitor Management Objectives: A Survey of Tourist Attitudes at Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-24, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7246-:d:408813
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bayliss, Julian & Schaafsma, Marije & Balmford, Andrew & Burgess, Neil D. & Green, Jonathan M.H. & Madoffe, Seif S. & Okayasu, Sana & Peh, Kelvin S.-H. & Platts, Philip J. & Yu, Douglas W., 2014. "The current and future value of nature-based tourism in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 75-83.
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    3. Xu, Feifei & Fox, Dorothy, 2014. "Modelling attitudes to nature, tourism and sustainable development in national parks: A survey of visitors in China and the UK," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 142-158.
    4. Connell, Joanne & Page, Stephen J. & Meyer, Denny, 2015. "Visitor attractions and events: Responding to seasonality," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 283-298.
    5. Nuria Rodríguez-López & M. Isabel Diéguez-Castrillón & Ana Gueimonde-Canto, 2019. "Sustainability and Tourism Competitiveness in Protected Areas: State of Art and Future Lines of Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-32, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joan Nyagwalla Otieno & Vittorio Bellotto & Lawrence Salaon Esho & Pieter Van den Broeck, 2023. "Conserving the Sacred: Socially Innovative Efforts in the Loita Enaimina Enkiyio Forest in Kenya," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, August.
    2. Leanard Otwori Juma & Anikó Khademi-Vidra, 2022. "Nature Interpretation as an Environmental Educational Approach in Visitor Management; The Application Dilemma for Different Target Groups at Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-21, March.

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