The Nexus between environmental knowledge and ecotourism attitude among the local youths in Co-educational Secondary Schools in Bondo Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya

Abstract

Kenya’s pursuit to be among the top tourism destinations globally require strategic focus as envisaged in Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Ecotourism supports environmental conservation as well as generating economic opportunities. It additionally emphasizes benefits to the local community and suggests that the involvement of the residents is important for the effective management of tourism. Bondo district is endowed with vast ecotourism resources yet the residents lavish in poverty. The objectives of the study were: To investigate the relationship between youths’ environmental knowledge and ecotourism attitude in Bondo district; to propose a structural relationships between, environmental knowledge and ecotourism attitude; and to recommend an appropriate strategy for community capacity building for promotion of ecotourism in Bondo District and its environs. This study used students enrolled in Form Three at 16 co-educational day secondary schools in Bondo district. Random sampling technique was used to derive representative sample from the target youth population. Structural equation modeling using AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures) was used to develop structural models for the relationships. A strategy for community capacity building was proposed based on the relationship between environmental knowledge and ecotourism attitude (.70). Analysis indicated that residents’ environmental knowledge strongly influence attitudes towards ecotourism. Residents’ involvement in ecotourism may be stimulated through: appropriate management strategies aimed at increasing their environmental knowledge; encouraging positive ecotourism attitudes, and environmental planning that promotes residents’ affinity for local attractions.