News
Sustainable Blue Tourism in Diani-Shimoni, Kenya's southern coastline
April 2025
The Blue Tourism Initiative is advancing blue tourism in the southern coast of Kenya and empowering coastal community organisations to devise and manage sustainable eco-tourism ventures. This inclusive approach will entail the participation of select community groups in blue tourism problem and priority analysis, project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Through this, the Blue Tourism Initiative in Kenya aims to foster the socio-ecological resilience of blue tourism ventures, facilitating market linkages and supporting the establishment of essential governance mechanisms for success.
Diani-Shimoni
Grantee: CORDIO East Africa
Project Title:Development of an Inclusive, Participatory and Sustainable Community-Based Eco-tourism Venture
Duration: January 2025 – April 2026
Nestled along Kenya’s southern coastline, the Diani-Shimoni seascape stretches from the Kongo River in the north to Jimbo village near the Tanzanian border in the south. Renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, the region is home to some of Kenya’s most iconic coastal destinations, including Diani Beach, Chale Island and Funzi Creek. These pristine environments sustain vibrant communities whose livelihoods are deeply rooted in Blue Economy-spanning fishing, tourism and agriculture. The Blue Tourism Initiative, through CORDIO East Africa and in collaboration with local organisations and stakeholders, will support the region in developing an inclusive, participatory and sustainable community-based eco-tourism venture in Kinondo Chale locale of the seascape.
Project Objectives
- Promote Sustainable Practices: Encourage conservation of natural resources and develop eco-friendly tourism activities that minimize environmental impacts.
- Foster Community Inclusion and Participation: Empower local community and marginalized groups through training and the promotion of equitable benefit sharing.
- Enhance Economic Benefits for Local Communities: Generate income and livelihood opportunities through eco-tourism related enterprises.
- Capacity and Skills Development: Train local community groups in hospitality, marketing, and financial and eco-tourism management. Additionally provide digital literacy training to enhance market access.
- Establish Partnership and Market Linkage: Collaborate with government agencies, NGOs and private sector stakeholders to develop marketing strategies for eco-tourism products.
Key activities
- Training and Mentorship Program: Conducting training to build local community group’s knowledge, capacity and skills.
- Creating market linkages: Promote Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in tourism to enhance tourism infrastructure, services and sustainability; support branding and packaging of the eco-tourism products and the capacity of project participants to utilize digital marketing tools and social media in boosting brand visibility.
- Support the development of complete eco-tourism circuits and packages: Develop eco-tourism activities that can support the financial, social and environmental sustainability of the venture.
- Building and informing local governance mechanisms: Establish an eco-tourism multi-stakeholder forum engaging representatives from government agencies, NGOs, local communities and private sector in the collaborative implementation of project goals. Further review existing county tourism policies/strategies and best practices to identify opportunities and gaps in tourism governance and management.
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Expected results
- Increased participation of marginalized groups (women, youths, indigenous people) in tourism and strengthened community ownership in tourism initiatives.
- Improved income of the local community through the development of eco-tourism ventures.
- Enhanced the capacity of the local community to undertake an eco-tourism venture.
Impacts
The project will develop an inclusive, participatory and sustainable community-based eco-tourism venture in Kinondo Chale, Kwale County, Kenya. Training and mentorship programs will build the capacity and skillset of participants to undertake and manage an eco-tourism venture. A well-managed community-based eco-tourism venture will ensure nature is protected, communities thrive economically and tourists enjoy meaningful experiences.