Local Community Engagement with Geodiversity and Geotourism in Unprotected Areas: Insights from Baringo County, Kenya

Jackson Mengich Rerimoi; Francis Nyongesa Wegulo; Stanley Maingi Makindi

doi:10.37284/ajthm.4.1.3874

Jackson Mengich Rerimoi Egerton University
Francis Nyongesa Wegulo, PhD Egerton University
Stanley Maingi Makindi, PhD Machakos University

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Résumé

Kenya’s tourism has long centred on wildlife, overlooking the potential of geodiversity-rich landscapes. Despite geotourism’s global rise as a niche market, Baringo’s unprotected areas, with iconic geological features, remain underutilised. Moreover, little is known about local community understanding of the geodiversity and the potential of geotourism in the study area. This study, therefore, assessed local community’s knowledge of geodiversity and geotourism potential in Baringo County. Anchored on Kirkpatrick’s perception model, this study used a mixed methods research design. This study adopted purposive sampling, and primary data was collected from eight local community participants through focused group discussion and 385 tourists. Data were analysed using the Kirkpatrick perception model and validated using Student’s t-test. Findings revealed three knowledge topologies and that the local community knowledge significantly influenced geotourism perception (p < .05). The study concludes that varying community knowledge significantly influenced perceptions of geotourism potential, underscoring the importance of knowledge topologies in shaping community engagement. This study recommends strengthening community-based geotourism awareness and fostering stakeholders’ collaboration to promote geotourism, including the potential establishment of a UNESCO Global Geopark in Baringo County, Kenya

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