Ecotourism Kenya is a civil society organisation that was founded in 1996 to promote ecotourism and sustainable tourism practices in Kenya. Founded with enormous industry support, the society was charged with the responsibility of providing the required support for the development of ecotourism and sustainable tourism in the country.

Today, the society continues to pursue the vision of making Kenya's tourism sustainable, in terms of concern for the environment and the welfare of local populations. As a membership organisation, Ecotourism Kenya brings together individuals, community based organisations (CBOs) and corporate organisations in a forum where they can discuss the concept of ecotourism and use this knowledge to improve practices in their respective fields.

Vision

To be a leader in the knowledge and practice of ecotourism.

Mission

To effectively link communities, tourism and conservation for sustainable tourism development.

Goal

To promote tourism practices that will conserve Kenya's natural environment and improve livelihoods of associated communities.

Values

• Respect for the environment
• Respect for local people and their cultures
• Equitable sharing of responsibilities and benefits

Programmes

• Community Outreach
• Information Dissemination
• Eco-rating Scheme & Safari Code

Current activities

• Managing the Eco-rating Scheme, a certification system for tourism accommodation facilities in Kenya
• Managing the Eco-warrior Award, an annual award that recognises outstanding tour operators, accommodation providers and community groups in Kenya
• Conduction educational and training programs for stakeholders in the tourism industry, with an emphasis on community groups
• Conducting surveys and research on ecotourism and sustainable tourism
• Providing advisory and consultancy services in areas of research, planning, management and policy development on issues relating to ecotourism
• Supporting communities implementing community based tourism initiatives
• Maintaining a database of ecotourism initiatives in Kenya

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