Strategic Factors Influencing the Destination Choice for Domestic Tourists in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to find out the strategic factors that influence the destination choice for domestic tourists in Kenya. The study objectives included, assessing the effect of community based tourism on domestic tourists decision to travel within Kenya, determining the effect of infrastructure development on domestic tourists decision to travel within Kenya, evaluating the effect of safety and security on domestic tourists decision to travel within Kenya and finally determining how the price of a tour package affects the domestic tourists decision to travel within Kenya. The importance of tourism to the Kenyan economy cannot be over emphasized, it being one of the countrys biggest foreign exchange earners and providing thousands of both direct and indirect employment. It is also through tourism that the country embarks on its efforts at protecting one of its major sources of pride - Wildlife. The population of interest in this study was Kenyan holiday goers within Nairobis CBD. The study used primary data collected using a structured questionnaire. Data obtained from the research was coded and keyed into the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) analysis software using multiple linear regressions. Results showed that 73.7 % of domestic tourists visit areas because of the local communities and their way of life, 54.9 % of domestic tourists will choose a destination if it has well developed infrastructure, 59.2 % of domestic tourists will choose a destination if it is safe and secure and that 68.4 % domestic tourists will choose a destination because of the pricing. The study recommends that the government should increase security in the tourist attraction areas so that the tourism sector can be revived by attracting domestic as well international tourists and that players in the tourism industry including hotels and national parks should price their services reasonably in order to attract large number of domestic tourists to increase revenues now the international ones have been scared away by terrorism and insecurity. The study also recommends that communities should exploit their culture and tradition to attract domestic tourists.