Research Trends and Perspectives on Domestic Tourism in Kenya: A Review

Abstract

The quantity and quality of research output available on the subject of domestic tourism in Kenya is yet to be sufficiently documented. This review evaluates trends in the studies carried out on this subject and establishes perspectives revealed in these studies' findings. Methodologically, this is a conceptual review of integrative nature in which the reviewer summarized the findings of other studies conducted on domestic tourism in different parts of Kenya. Both published and unpublished works addressing domestic tourism in Kenya, and authored in the English language from January 1990 to August 2020 have been considered in the review. The reviewer used keywords to search relevant databases, arriving at thirty two pieces of work that were reviewed. The analysis focuses on themes covered by previous studies, methodologies used, and perspectives revealed in key findings. The review established a gap in existing literature in terms of quantity, quality, and scope, as discussed in the document. Recommendations are highlighted on ways to improve future research on domestic tourism in Kenya. This review will inform future approaches to research on domestic tourism in Kenya, for better policies and practice.

The influence of marketing communication channels on the motivations, consumption behavior, and satisfaction of domestic tourists in Kenya

“…Before Covid-19 WTTC (2018) reported that this form of tourism was a significant source of tourism earnings in China, Brazil, India, Argentina and Germany, as well as Japan, Mexico, the UK and the US. Despite being a notable destination in Africa, Kenya in the past appeared to over-rely on international tourism (Manono & Rotich, 2013;MToW, 2018;Osiako & Szente, 2021). The tourism sector is a major economic contributor to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 10.4% and directly employs 990,000 jobs (TRI, 2021).…”

“…This has both been caused by and resulted from accelerated local leisure-related activities, especially in and adjacent to major urban centers such as Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret. Earlier studies carried out on domestic tourism in Kenya have exhibited a paucity of comprehensiveness in scope and content, leaving many aspects of domestic tourism in need of research attention (Osiako & Szente, 2021).…”

Push and Pull Factors Affecting Domestic Tourism in the Erongo Region, Namibia

“…Furthermore, domestic tourism plays an important role in a country's economic development because it supports formal, small-scale enterprises and informal sectors (Rwigema, 2024). It tends to lead to an increase in employment, improve the host community's standard of living, and develop attractions (Murima and Shereni, 2023). However, in some cases, domestic tourism has been neglected both as an area of development and as a subject of research (Rwigema, 2024), particularly in developing countries.…”

Motivational Decisions, Satisfaction, and Revisit Behavior of Domestic Tourists: An Empirical Analysis

“…Africa as a continent is yet to exploit her tourism potential fully, despite her tourism industry playing a key role in the global economy (KIPPRA, 2017). Among the Africa countries striving to improve both domestic and international tourism is Kenya (Manono and Rotich, 2013;Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, 2018), doing this in an effort to dispel the common notion that the country heavily recognizes foreign tourism at the expense of domestic tourism (Osiako and Szente, 2021). The domestic tourism council of Kenya (DTCK) was created in 1984 with the mandate of promoting tourism to a higher notch (Gachenge, 2007).…”