Coast Tourism and Beach Management Program Report
Author:
Date: 14 Apr 10
Whereas the beach management plan is crucial for the beach management strategy, it is only 1 part of a wider management strategy that incorporates various efforts to enhance the coast tourism product, explained Catherine of Tourism Trust Fund. She further explained that the TTF, formed in 2002 by ministry of tourism and the EU, ''for the diversification of sustainable tourism'' is cooperating with partners in the development and implementation of the Beach Management Plan. Key to the Beach Management Plan is the effective relocation of beach operators (informally referred to as beach boys) from the beach access roads to organized businesses housed in wood sheds, measuring 2.4m length and 2.4m breadth, with facilities such as storage in built. security lighting, compacted sand to ease walking along the length of the access roads occupied by the shops, and carbo paving on the outer edges of the rows of shops. In the plan, there will be a perimeter wall restricting movement from the shops to the beach plots. Responding to a question, architect Kimaru of ministry of local government who gave detailed architectural illustrations of the planned sheds, said the shops are planned to be built using local timber- Mvuli (which is rather expensive), and mangrove (still in consultation with ministry of environment), will have a wood look finish. Saying the plan's concern is the security of the public, Ms Catherine said they will update on that issue once talks with partners such as Tourist Police Unit and KWS are complete. It was stated the traders have their own organized security system for their wares. Regarding sustainability of the project, Ms. Catherine said there will be a management committee, and traders will receive training on how to manage these sheds, with the possibility they will be asked to remit a fee to the management committee towards maintenance of the sheds. The project will be implemented in phases, funded by government of Kenya. Ownership of the sheds shall be closed to individuals; it shall be through associations. This project, it was stated, shall only relocate registered traders. |
