An Evaluation of Influence of Historical Sites in Promotion of Archaeotourism in Bungoma County, Kenya, 1964 - 2021

Abstract

Various studies attest that historical sites can be utilized in the promotion of Archaeotourism, generation of revenue for investment in social and economic activities improving the quality of life for citizens of any nation. However, the ability of any country to tap revenue from Archaeotourism activities depends on:

• The attractiveness of historical sites,
• Measures put in place to promote awareness of the existence of such historical sites, and
• The state of the environment to support the security and comfort of the potential tourists

Bungoma County is among the Countries endowed with historical sites that may be harnessed to promote the generation of revenue from Archaeotourism. Kenya's economic blueprint, dubbed Vision 2030, envisages a Country with high-quality life for its citizen through marked socio-economic development at a growth rate above 10 percent by 2012 and to be exceeded or maintained thereafter. Such an ambitious level of economic development demands tapping of financial resources from all possible sources for the purpose of investment. This study aimed to establish how Bungoma County generated revenue from Archaeotourism activities. The study was guided by Resource Dependence Theory and Expectancy Theory (ET). The study targeted the working class population of local residents, residents living around unmanned historical sites, and the management of Game Parks. Primary and secondary data were used to capture critical information for the study. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire, observation, and interview schedule. The study found that the County has good roads and security-critical attributes for the enhancement of attractiveness of a tourism destination. However, poor publicity and hotel facilities were critical barriers to the exploitation of the potentiality of the tourism sector. As such, despite the existence of historical sites, there was little revenue generated for investment in socio-economic activities. The study recommends scaling up awareness about the tourism potential of the County and putting up quality hotels to boost the image of Bungoma County as a potential target tourism destination.