The Role of Tour Guides in Promotion of Sustainable Tourism Practices in Kenya

The Role of Tour Guides in Promotion of Sustainable Tourism Practices in Kenya Kabii Francis, John K.M. Wandaka (PhD), Ann Wamathai (PhD), Naghea Jilo Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of tour guides in the promotion of sustainable tourism practices when visiting protected areas in Kenya when visitors watch wildlife. Although many scholars agree that tour guides have a role in satisfying visitors and promotion of a destination, limited studies have been conducted to find out the role of guides in promotion of sustainable tourism practices. The objective of the study was to examine the influence of tour guides work experience and their level of education on the way they implemented sustainable tourism practices. It also sought to examine whether tour guides adhere to their rules and code of ethics and whether their level of education and work experience had any influence. The target population was practicing tour guides who were randomly selected. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected. The findings from the Chi-square test of independence indicated no significant relationship existed between the tour guides experience and their opinion on their role in protecting wildlife and the environment, and promotion of sustainable tourism practices (χ2=1.66, df =3, p=0.647 ) since the p-value was greater than 0.05. The study also noted that there existed a significant relationship between guides work experience (χ2=11.71, df =6, p=0.069), guides level of education (χ2=0.147, df =2, p=0.092) and their knowledge on visitors impact on the environment and wildlife. The study recommends regularly training of tour guides who then can educate the visitors on the impact of their activities on wildlife, environment and the local communities as a way of mitigating negative impacts Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jthm.v7n2a5