INFLUENCE OF DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, ECONOMIC FACTORS, SOCIAL-CULTURAL FACTORS AND GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS ON DEMAND FOR DOMESTIC TOURISM IN KENYA.A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Purpose: Global Tourism destinations provide different products which satisfy tourists with different interests, needs and wants. The general objective of the study was to establish the role of forest diversification in promoting tourism.
 Methodology: The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes and to extract knowledge gaps.
 Findings: The study concluded that the accessibility of a tourist attraction is vital in determining the number of people that visit that attraction. Accessible destinations receive more tourists than inaccessible ones. Such destinations like the mountain tops may require advanced skills and equipment which may limit many would-be tourists from accessing them. Other destinations like parks where there are passable roads are visited more frequently and by a large number of people. This also applies to the topography of the land where extremely rugged terrains may not favour frequent visits by the local people. Proximity of an attraction site from the local market influences the number of domestic tourists in an area where attraction sites near settlements are more visited than those far from the settlements. This can be attributed to the less costs involved in visiting near destinations compared to the far ones. Finally, areas with favourable weather conditions are more frequented by local tourists than sites with extreme weather conditions such as very cold or very hot conditions. Climate may also contribute to seasonality of domestic tourism where there are more tourists during some weather conditions and fewer tourists during other weather conditions
 Recommendations: The study recommends that awareness about the existence of various tourists' attractions in an area is a key element in its promotion as a tourist destination, The players in the tourism industry should therefore," create awareness among the local people about the existing attractions to create the demand for them. Further, tourism education would be important in promotion of domestic tourism where it is offered in schools and colleges as well retraining of the players in the industry through seminars and workshops. Emphasis on the need for the participation of the local people in the tourism activities would also be vital in promoting domestic tourism.
 Keywords: role, forest diversification, promoting tourism