Ecotourism is adding another feather to the tourism cap along the Kenyan coast enabling communities to earn a living from the industry while conserving the marine ecosystem.
As Mombasa and the entire coast region witness a resurgence with more tourists and tourism activities escalating ahead of the festive season this year compared to previous years, communities through Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs locally known as tengefu) are also getting slice of the tourism pie.
Katana Ngala, head tour guide and coral restoration lead in Kuruwitu, a project of the Kuruwitu Conservation Welfare and Association (KCWA) in Kilifi County said their conservation efforts driven by dwindling fish stocks and degraded corals in 2006 have turned a new leaf for them.
Factsheet
LMMA is community-driven approach where coastal communities manage their own marine resources (fish, biodiversity) for sustainability, often using methods like temporary fishing bans, gear restrictions, or creating no-take zones, proving highly effective in conservation and improving local catches, especially in regions like Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean.
“We now get local and international visitors who come specifically to look at the beauty that abounds in ocean. From the glass bottom boats our visitors are able to see the beautiful marine life including assorted fish among them the ornamental ones as well as corals and seagrass.
“Before we took this decision to hive off about 30 hectares of the ocean as a conservation area, the corals were dying through bleaching and destruction by the use of harmful fishing gear. We undertook coral restoration and we now have beautiful coral gardens in the ocean where we take tourists and other visitors for snorkeling and other excursions,” he said.
He says groups of students studying marine biology and fisheries from Kenya and other countries of the world have found a learning resource.
Among the high ranking global leaders who have patronized the Kuruwitu conservation area is King Charles III of England who left a mark in the coral garden.
King Charles III visited the Kuruwitu Marine Conservation Reserve in Kilifi, Kenya, on November 2, 2023, as part of his state visit to the country. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the community-led marine conservation and coral restoration efforts in the area
Kuruwitu Conservation Project Manager Daniel Mwangunya said ecotourism is gaining traction bringing in visitors throughout the year because apart from excursion for fun, there are groups that visit for learning purposes.
“This year, for instance, the booking have been impressive and for the festive season we are fully booked up to 31 December, 2025.
“This is a product that Kenya must fully embrace. On our part we want to fully harness this fully and market it through digital marketing, increase the number of boats while ensuring that the ocean is protected,” said Mwangunya.
LMMAs have been replicated in other areas of the Kenyan coast especially in Shimoni, Wasini, Kibuyuni and Mkwiro in Kwale County where communities are deeply involved in conservation while earning through ecotourism.
