Lake Victoria Integrated Pro-Poor Tourism-Led Poverty Eradication, Social Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Programme

The main objective of this project is to alleviate poverty, promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, provide social protection, reduce loss of biodiversity, conserve ecosystems, preserve natural and cultural heritage resources to enhance sustainable livelihoods and Community based natural resource management to diversify Lake Victoria region rural economy through sustainable community based tourism enterprise development henceforward stimulate a speedy achievement of Post 2015 UN SDGs and the Paris declaration on climate change mitigation and adaptation. This objectives will be achieved by: - by supporting integration of SCP patterns / principles in County Integrated Development Plans, tourism related policies, regulatory frameworks, projects and activities. -Promoting collaboration between target devolved county governments, host communities and all tourism stakeholders to enhance tourism's SCP performance to promote data sharing and exchange of information; to foster stakeholder collaboration for joint action; training & Capacity building and and establishment of monitoring frameworks -Foster application of guidelines , instruments & technical solutions to enhance, prevent and mitigate negative tourism impacts, mainstream SCP among tourism stakeholders and destinations through evidence based research action on issues along the tourism value & supply chain to influence consumer choice and behavior. - Enhancing sustainable community based tourism investment and financing by establishing the first Kenya Pro-Poor Tourism-Led Social Enterprise business model with a well defined benefit sharing mechanism to reduce economic leakage in the tourism sector by ensuring that a greater % of benefits accrued in the tourism sector is locally retained and fairly distributed. - developing scoping low carbon tourism projects, products and services, identifying issues, developing standards, audits and preliminary - create conditions necessary to increase private investment in rural and community based tourism and strengthening women and youth tourism enterprise development in the Lake Victoria Region -Relating tourism to natural and cultural heritage & enhancing sustainability of tourism development and operations - Giving sufficient attention to climate change in tourism - Measuring and monitoring tourism impacts -Prevention of negative social impact & inclusion of disadvantaged groups -Strengthening pro-poor tourism activities 1. Baseline Survey incorporating Situational analysis, assessment of the position of tourism in National policies and County Integrated development Plans, effectiveness of county tourism policies, quality standards, institutional setup and governance structures, study of the National Vision 2030 Tourism Blue print and Kenya Climate Change Act 2016,, SWOT analysis, stakeholder analysis, gender mainstreaming, community needs assessment, training needs and capacity gap assessment, identification of tourism home-stay tourism policy & regulatory gaps. 2. Formulation of Lake Victoria Basin Region Long-Term Framework (10 Years) for Rural & Community based tourism enterprise development with emphasis on policy and strategy, low carbon tourism planning, integration of SCP patterns & principles, collaboration among stakeholders, capacity building, monitoring frameworks, institutional strengthening, legislation and regulation, low-carbon product development and diversification, human resource development and social-cultural and environmental impacts in the tourism sector. We have already developed a short-term 9three-yer) action plan for priority actions to be undertaken to jumpstart sustainable rural and community based tourism enterprise development and intiated the First Kenya Pro-Poor Tourism_led Social Enterprise Business model and preparation of several demonstration projects for pilot Counties. - We instigated the K10YFPSTD consortium which has conducted several consultative and planning meetings with the state department of tourism, tourism associations, relevant target County Government authorities, host communities and key tourism stakeholder regarding community based tourism policy gaps, home-Stay scheme policy and regulatory gaps and are in the process of preparing an issue paper which encompasses a detailed review and assessment of the current rural and community based tourism scenario in Kenya, policy constraints and challenges facing community based tourism enterprises and homestay operators in Kenya. The issue paper identifies opportunities and benchmarks for the future growth of eco-tourism, rural tourism and community based tourism as well as the homestay tourism scheme. -Key issue to be addressed are community based tourism policy and startegy; institutional strengthening; legislation and regulations; carbon free product development & diversification; economic impact and CBTE invetment, Capacity Building; marketing & Promotion - Greater SME start-up activity in rural and community based tourism enterprise development ,and increase the share of tourism in the GDP of devolved county governments in the Lake Victoria region -.Contribution of ecotourism, rural and community based tourism to the prosperity of target pilot Counties including the proportion of visitor spending retained locally maximized - Widespread distribution of socio and economic benefits from ecotourism, rural and community based tourism enterprise development through through improved local incomes, and services available to the poor - Respect for traditions, authentic cultures, natural, cultural and historical heritage and distinctiveness of host communities has been enhanced - Use of scarce resources in the development and operation of tourism as well as degradation of biodiversity, ecosystems and pollution of rivers and generation of waste to Lake Victoria has been minimized. -Community based natural resource management has been promoted to support conservation of natural areas, habitats and wildlife to reduce damage to them. - -Quality of life for target community groups have been strengthened including social structures and access to resources, amenities and life support systems that prevent any form of degradation or exploitation. - Local communities engaged, empowered and involved in planning and decision making about the management and future development of rural and community based tourism in their area in consultation with Relevant County Governments and Key stakeholders. - quality local jobs created and supported by community based tourism and the homestay tourism scheme with enhanced level of pay, better conditions of service and availability to all without discrimination by gender, race, disability or other ways. - Viability and competitiveness of community based tourism enterprises and tourist destinations enhanced and are now able to contribute to deliver benefit in the long term. - inclusive decision making -appropriate & sustainable Eco-tourism rural and community based tourism development - Appropriate Home-stay tourism regulatory frameworks, criteria, categorization and code of conduct - Respect for ingenious rights and obligations -low carbon tourism products and high-quality visitor expiriences. - investment in host communities and destinations -Heritage issues incorporated in development and business planning -importance of historical and cultural heritage resource - Support the development of legal and policy frameworks to support diversification of Lake Victoria regional economy through ecotourism, rural tourism and community based tourism enterprise development - Building the capacity of stakeholders to deliver low carbon tourism services and products in line with UN SDG 8, 12, 13 and 14 and the Paris declaration on climate change mitigation and adaptation in the tourism sector. - Developing a business plan for the First Kenya Pro-Poor Tourism-Led Social Enterprise business model with a well defined benefit sharing mechanism to reduce economic leakage in the tourism by ensuring a greater % of benefits and profits are locally retained and fairly distributed. - Supporting the integration of Sustainable Consumption and production principles (SCP) in target County Integrated Development Plans to stop loss of natural resources and encourage their revitalization. -Providing guidance in sustainable community based tourism investment and financing - Strengthening the capacity of target pilot devolved county governments to integrate sustainable consumption and production patterns in their County Integrated Development Plans(CIDPs), tourism related policies and frameworks - Fostering the application of guidelines, instruments and technical solutions to improve, prevent and mitigate negative tourism impacts and to mainstream SCP patterns among tourism stakeholders and tourism destinations -Support the development of a community manage Eco-loge - development of cost-effective adaptation measures in the tourism sector. supporting the development of of innovative financing mechanisms for funding adaptation interventions and demonstrating how adaptation interventions focused on biodiversity and ecosystems can reduce vulnerability of local host communities to a changing climate. - Building institutional and technical capacity to identify, implement, and maintain and upscale adaptation interventions in the tourism sector. - Stengthening regional and target county knowledge base on climate change adaptation and mitigation in the tourism sector. -Knowledge sharing at national, regional and target pilot county levels on innovative financing mechanisms and cost effective adaptation approaches. - Mainstreaming of climate change adaptation into County Integrated development plans and tourism policies. - Incorporating climate change into new target county development proposals to reduce climate change risks