Resources and Attractions for Sports Tourism in North Rift Region in Kenya

Abstract

The priority segment for the North Rift region in Kenya is the sport- related type, and therefore, it is necessary to develop the existing athletics events in the region as well as develop others. Destinations with a wealth of resources may sometimes not be as competitive as a destination with lack of resources. The most important is the ability of the tourism sector to add value to its products. This study sought to establish the core resources and attractions available for sports tourism in the North Rift region. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and was guided by the integrated model for destination competitiveness by Dwyer et al. (2004). The target population included all the athletics camps as well as the tourism facilities in Uasin Gishu and Nandi districts. Simple random sampling was used to select 25 athletics camps from which 50 athletics officials were selected using simple random sampling techniques. Simple random sampling was also used to select one manager from each of the tourism firms selected for the study, making a total of 35 tourism firm managers. Primary data was collected by use of structured questionnaires, while secondary data was collected through critical examination of public or private recorded documents that are related to the study. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques which  included frequencies, means, modes, standard deviation and percentages and multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the independent variables used in this study and the dependent variable and also test the hypotheses. The study found out that the North Rift was endowed with a good climate, natural wonders, flora and fauna, unspoiled nature as well as some national parks and reserves. Keywords: Resources, Attractions, Sports Tourism, North Rift, Kenya