Socio-Cultural Inhibitors to Beach Operators’ Quality of Life. A Case of Kenya’s North Coast Tourism Circuit

Abstract

Though tourism has been touted as a means of creating equality and improving the quality of life of host communities, negligible evidence relating to its trickle-down to the host communities exists. This is despite them being the ones living and doing business along Kenya’s North Coast Beaches. This study therefore sought to examine the socio-cultural inhibitors of Beach Operators’ quality of life within the North Coast Tourism Circuit. Based on the Social exchange theory, this study adopted a cross-sectional research design using quantitative data. It targeted registered beach operators found along Kenya’s North Coast circuit beaches. The study utilized stratified sampling by dividing the population into three strata representing beach sites, then sub-strata representing Curio Sellers, Water sports operators, Glass bottom boat operators and Massage parlour operators. Simple random sampling was then used to identify respondents to be engaged from each stratum. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the sampled beach operators. The findings from the regression analysis were; F (1,247) =72.110, P<0.000) with an adjusted R² of 0.226. This finding suggests that socio-cultural inhibitors accounted for approximately 32% of beach operators’ QOL. This implies that the socio-cultural networks of beach operators plying their trade along Kenya’s North Coast tourism circuit greatly inhibited their QOL.  This finding will help revitalise legislation at both the County and the National levels by including clauses that enable beach operators to utilise returns from their ventures sustainably and improve on their QOL.