Residents' Perceptions of Responsible Wildlife Tourism in Kenya's Maasai Mara Conservancies
Overview
This research proposal investigates local residents' perceptions of responsible wildlife tourism within Kenya's Maasai Mara conservancies. The study employs an interpretivist paradigm with qualitative semi-structured interviews to explore how community members view ethical wildlife tourism practices, conservation efforts, and benefit distribution in community-managed conservancy tourism operations.
What this research proposal covers
- Background and context of Kenya's wildlife tourism industry and the Maasai Mara ecosystem's significance as a global tourism destination
- Literature review examining Maasai Mara conservancy tourism context, responsible wildlife tourism ethics, and identified research gaps
- Research methodology outlining interpretivist paradigm, qualitative approach, and semi-structured interview methods for data collection
Preview
LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY
Carnegie School of Sport
MSc. Responsible Tourism Management
TOTT719 – Masters Research Methods
Module Leader: Professor Neelu Seetaram
Level 7
Assessment 2 - Research Proposal
Residents' perceptions of responsible wildlife tourism in Kenya's Maasai Mara conservancies
Word Count: 3,668
*Word count excludes title page, contents page, information presented in tables, references and appendices.
Table of Contents
1.0 Background and Context of the Study 3
1.1 Rationale for the Specific Topic 4
1.2 Research Aim and Objectives 5
2.0 Basic Literature Review and Key Themes 6
2.1 Maasai Mara Ecosystem and Conservancy Tourism Context 6
2.2 Responsible Wildlife Tourism Ethics 7
3.0 Research Paradigm and Methodology 11
3.1 Paradigm: Interpretivist 11
3.2 Methodological Approach: Qualitative 11
3.3 Research Tool: Semi-Structured Interviews 11
4.0 Data Sources and Sampling 12
6.0 Expected Outcomes and Research Timeline 15
1.0 Background and Context of the Study
Kenya is internationally renowned for its wildlife tourism, which is one of the most potent components of the national tourism industry. Millions of visitors come to the country every year, most of whom come with the sole purpose of seeing wildlife in safeguarded ecosystems (Holland et al., 2022). The Maasai Mara ecosystem is one of the most iconic wildlife landscapes in the world, among the tourism destinations in Kenya.