Community tourism is a new concept which is picking up among the foreign visitors into Africa. Community tourism encompasses a visit to various tribes and communities within the African continent. Community tourism in Africa entails a visit to Africa tribesmen in order to understand the day to day livelihood and improvement of the same. It also incorporates visits to the National Parks and Reserves in Africa in order to witness the co-existence of human beings and wildlife. The case in this scenario is the Masai tribe of East Africa co-existing with wildlife within National Parks and Reserves. Community tourism also incorporates visits to the disadvantaged human beings in Africa which needs their livelihood to be improved. The church Missions, which includes, the church missionaries and the NGO’s are doing a lot in the alleviation of property with the African rural setups and the African rural and Urban Slums. These tours can lead to cultural immersion for foreign visitors. Niche African Holidays advocates that foreign visitors need to be informed accordingly before they are immersed in the African norms of culture. Community ecotourism is the in thing for community tours and safaris in Africa and Niche Africa holidays been a tour operator based in Africa is a member of the international eco tourism organization.

Community Tourism in East Africa

East Africa, comprising of the five states, namely Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania which incorporates Zanzibar and Pemba islands is a beehive of community, cultural and tribal tours. The communities which encompass tribes in this region of Africa are enormous and each has its own culture and pride. To a foreign visitor, community tourism in this region will mean a lot as to the livelihood of day to day existence of these communities in the rural and urban centers within this region of Africa. The Masai tribe of East Africa, the Bushmen lake Eyasi in Tanzania, the Pigmies of the Congo’s tropical forest which elapses into Virunga Mountains of Rwanda where we find the remaining Mountain Gorillas, the Luo’s of Lake Victoria who are fishermen, the Bantu’s of East Africa and other tribes, each of which have there individual cultural behaviours. The foreigners, mostly for community tourism come to East Africa for charity tours where they donate for Communal charity to alleviate poverty and livelihood of these communities in addition to wildlife and other tours which they perform annually. Ecotourism in the communal areas of East Africa is encouraged by the International Ecotourism Organization which has its branches in East Africa. The Buganda and the Banyankole in Uganda are well known for there banana farming and Ankole cattle rearing, the Tutsi and the Hutu’s of Rwanda and Burundi are also known as herders and farmers respectively. Niche Africa Holidays customizes a package suitable for every client’s needs as far as community tourism is concerned in East Africa.

Community tourism in Kenya

Kenya with its 42 tribes is quite rich in Cultural and Community based ecotourism. Being a new concept in the tourism industry, community tourism in Kenya is gaining momentum among the foreign visitors who come to Kenya not only to see animals, but also to witness’ the livelihood of the community which forms Kenya as a country. The Masai who live in Kenya play the pivotal part in community tourism in this country whereby the Maasai co-exist with wildlife within Wildlife Sanctuaries and National reserves. The Masai are not hunters but herdsmen who migrate with livestock to various parts within their jurisdiction. Due to their co-existence in wildlife sanctuaries, the Masai tribes are regarded as neighbours by the wildlife since they also reciprocate the same. It is the Masai in Kenya and East Africa as a whole whose culture has never been influenced by the modern western culture. The Samburu tribe in the northern part of Kenya, the Turkana and the Elmolo all of which are in habitants of the Northern tourism circuit in Kenya do co-exist with wildlife in their day to day livelihood activities. The western Kenya tourist circuit which is the grannary basket of the Kenyan population is inhabited by the Luhya Community, Kalenjin community and the Luo’s of Lake Victoria. These tribes are farmers and fisherman respectively. They have different cultural norms since the Luhya’s are Bantus and the Luo’s are Nilotics. The Kisii and the Kalenjin are both farmers and herders respectively. The Kikuyu are the real farmers of Kenya, farming coffee, tea and other horticultural produce which are meant for both local and export markets. The Digo, the Giriama and the Taita of the coastal region are farmers. The Kambas are Bee keepers and farmers. The above tribes are the major tribes in Kenya with different cultural and community backgrounds which interest the visitors who would want to learn the community and tribal livelihood in Kenya. Of resent, Slum tours, regarded as community based Eco-tourism, being a new concept in tourism industry in Kenya has started to pick up among the foreign visitors. The founder of Slum tours in Kenya, Mr. James Asudi of Victoria safaris who is one of our tour consultants; have since encouraged Niche Africa holidays to incorporate pro-poor tours and slum tours in its New Packages list. The most favorable, Community ecotourism adventures in Kenya include:- 8 Days / 7 Nights - Rift Valley & Western Kenya Ecological Community Safari

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