Professional Documents
Culture Documents
opportunitiestopeoplewhoareinterestedinexploringotherculturesinawaythatis muchmoreinvolvedthanjustreadingaboutthem.Ecotourismisabigdealinmany differentculturesduetothefactthatitsamajorwayforthespecificculturetobringin revenuetohelpstabilizetheireconomyforvariousreasons,andithelpspromote environmentalprotection.ForthispaperIhavechosentowriteabouttheuniquecultureof theMaasaicultureinKenya.EcotourisminKenyaisjustoneofthemanywaysthisspecific cultureconnectswithothers,andattempttoprotecttheirregionandbiodiversitylocated inthispartoftheworld.Bytheearly1990s,nootherAfricancountrywasearningasmuch asKenyafromwildlifetourism,1andKenyawasbeinghailedastheworldsforemost ecotouristattraction(Honey,2009). TheMaasaicultureislocatedintheSouthernpartsofKenya,Africa.Thepeoplethat
protection,conservation,andsustainabilityinAfrica.By2007,Kenyahadreemergedasa leaderinecotourism,withthecontinentsrstcerticationprogram,theoldestandmost successfulnationalecotourismsociety,andagrowingarrayofinnovativecommunityrun ecotourismdevelopments(Honey,2009).ThereisacampinKenya,AfricacalledCampi yaKanzi,thatparticipatesinecotourismactivitiessothatpeoplewhowanttotraveltothis partoftheworldhaveacomfortableplacetostay,andguidesthatinsurethatthevisitors getthefullpackageofadventure.Theexperiencethatthecampprovidescoversthethree nationalparksofKenyabeing,Chyulu,Tsavo,andAmboseli.Thesenationalparksmakeup 280,000acresoflandthatprovideshabitattomanydifferentkindsofwildlifeandbird populations(LucaSafariLtd,2009).Thecampsbasicmotivesforstartingthiscommunity basedecotourismenterprisearetoprotectandpreservetheirwildlife,land,andculture, forfuturegenerationsandotherculturestoexperience.TheMaasaicultureisfacingmany
TheinteractionbetweentheMaasaicultureandanyotherculturethatcomestovisit
theirecotourismcampdefinitelyimpactsbothculturesinapositiveway.Bothcultures wouldbenefitgreatlywhentheyinteractduetothefactthatpeoplebelongingtothese cultureswouldlearnalotofthingsabouteachotherthattheywouldhaveneverdiscovered before.Interactionbetweenthetwowouldchangehowbothculturesviewedeachothers genderroles,subsistenceactivities,andeconomicbase.Forinstance,whenmenand womenfromotherculturesseehowtheMaasaiculturesurvivestheymightpickupon differentwaystolive,andorsharesomenewideastothem.Gendersroleswouldalsobe impactedbecausegenderrolesofeverydaylifearedifferentinallcultures.Thegender rolesoftheMaasaitribemightmakeothershaveadeeperunderstandingaboutwhattheir rolesshouldbeineverydaylife,andtheymightappreciatethingsmore.TheMaasaitribe mightalsolearndifferentwaystoestablishaneconomicbaseormayalsoinfluenceothers tochangetheireconomicbaseforthebetter.Forinstance,theAmericancultureis economicallybasedoffofcapitalism,andcouldusesomedifferentideasandtechniquesto betterthemselves. Inconclusion,ecotourisminthecultureofMaasaibenefitsallwhoareinvolvedwith it.Ecotourismisawaytopromoteenvironmentalprotectioninmanydifferentcultures, whileprovidingalearningexperienceabouttheirculture,andtodevelopbetter relationshipsandunderstandingswithothercultures.Genderroles,subsistenceactivities,
RUNNINGHEAD:ECOTOURISMINMAASAI,KENYA References