Incentive Travellers’ Preference and Their Influence on Destination Choice in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

Incentive travel mostly addressed under MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) tourism, is widely considered a cornerstone of niche tourism, which combines both leisure and traveller’s needs. This study was carried out with the aim of identifying and exploring incentive travellers’ preferences and, most especially, how they influence the choice of Nakuru County in Kenya as a destination. Findings from the research were to be used as a reference basis for incentive travel promotion and development. Adopting a descriptive research design, the study sought to achieve the following objectives; (i) To profile incentive tourism dynamics in Nakuru County, Kenya, (ii) To assess whether preset tourism conditions in Nakuru County had a positive influence on incentive travellers’ preference for choice of destination, (iii) To determine the potential difference in preference among incentive travel earners and incentive travel earners’ manages for choice of Nakuru County as a destination and (iv) To derive strategic options for promotion and development of incentive tourism in Nakuru County and Kenya by extension. In addition, the correlational research design was employed to identify whether there was an association between variables as enlisted in the study objectives, for instance, incentive traveller’s choice and preset conditions in Nakuru County as a destination choice. Considering the study was based on existing incentive travel consumers’ decision-making process, the stratified sampling method of data collection was adopted, with the respondents classified into three strata; (i) incentive travel earners, (ii) incentive travel earners’ managers and (iii) destination management organisations’ managers. Based on the research findings, the study concluded that uniquely diversified programs, activities as well as quality amenities play a key role in the consumer decision-making process on the choice of destination. In line with its purpose, the study generated strategic and progressive recommendations for the promotion and development of incentive tourism as a niche product in Kenya