Kenya’s tourism brand is Magical Kenya, and there is little doubt that most visitors experience beauty and inspiration during their visit to Kenya. All countries, however, have problems and specific regions have their own issues

The MCTA mandate is to help solve coast tourism problems in order to improve visitor experience and drive up arrival numbers. We are not philanthropists or idealists and our motivation is based on a realistic requirement that local communities derive equitable benefit from tourism.

Advocacy groups take on issues bigger than can be solved by individual action. Convincing governments on priorities and need for change is therefore what we do.
Kenya is a developing country and poverty is a massive issue with more than half the population existing on two dollar a day. Poverty is the main driver of problems and it leads to low job performance or illegal activity to make ends meet. Below are some of the Kenya coast issues.

Ring nets fishing inside the fringing reef and beach seining destroys the fishing grounds, coral and livelihoods of many. Together with groups of experts, we provide support & encourage various Government bodies to take action.
The sex trade thrives everywhere and the Kenya coast has a segment that has raised their living standards through the trade. Governments globally take different views. However exploiting children is a line that cannot be crossed. All responsible tourism service providers sign a code to fight this practice. Please help us by reporting anything suspicious that you see.

Mombasa Airport arrivals can be lengthy due to slack visa processing and all are advised to obtain a Visa before departure. Efforts are being made to improve efficiencies.
It’s natural for local people to see commercial opportunity in tourism and the beach can become a trading zone. This leads to harassment as beaches should be places of peace and quite. Plans are underway to relocate traders into smart markets close to the beach but not on them.

The bush meat trade has become worse during periods of draught but it’s on the rise and needs action. KWS, mandated to protect the parks & wildlife are taking the situation seriously.
MCTA works with stakeholders on all these issues. We depend on subscriptions and grants. If you have been a visitor and want to help, please go to our Questionnaire. It’s very brief but designed to help gather useful information.

If you have not yet visited the Kenya Coast….come & see for yourself the beauty of the land & our people. Ours is a tropical paradise that enchants in keeping with our magical brand value.