Tourism and its effects on cultural heritage: a case study of Lamu and Gede ruins at the Kenyan Coast

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of tourism on cultural heritage at the North Coast of Kenya. Specifically, it focuses on Lamu and Gedi sites which are major heritage tourist destinations. With the aid of interviews and properly designed questionnaires, observation and recording it has been established that tourism and related activities have had major negative impacts on the cultural heritage of these sites. The research also utilises models that explain the growth of the phenomenon of tourism and what it implies in terms of the impacts it has on cultural heritage especially on the area of study.