The Mara Conservancy CEO Brian Heath spoke to James Kahongeh on tourism, arguing conservation could be the answer to the industry’s challenges.

Is it possible to quantify the extent of damage to local tourism as a result of the coronavirus pandemic?

The tourism industry has been turned on its head. Most hotels and lodges in Kenya are reporting between 95 and 100 per cent booking cancellations. Nearly all the camps and lodges have had to close down temporarily. While some say they may reopen in June during the peak season of the wildebeest migration, this seems unlikely as Covid-19 escalates around the world. The impact will be felt for far much longer.

It has affected the whole supply chain of support industries such as food producers and processors, flower business, transport and fuel. Thousands of people will be unemployed for as long as the disruption exists.

Overdependence on international tourism makes the industry vulnerable to disruptions. What solutions exist?

Overseas tourism has been crucial to East Africa, not only in terms of visitor numbers but as a foreign exchange earner. In recent years though, we have seen a significant increase in locals visiting national parks, reserves and beaches. Ultimately, local tourism will help to fill in part of this gap. That said, we will never fill the high-end hotels and lodges developed for the international market. More people are opting for virtual safaris, where people can watch "live" shows.

How can conservation help to promote regional tourism?

Sadly, conservation has always been seen as tourism’s poor relation. The emphasis has always been on promoting tourism, often at the expense of conservation, while it should be the converse. Conservation, whether at the coast or in our formal or informal protected areas, is the backbone to the region’s tourism. Conservation initiatives like the Greater Serengeti Association, where an ecosystem is being looked at in its entirety, is a brilliant approach. Hopefully this will help to break down barriers.

What can governments do?

The national and Narok County government have been working with our neighbours to make travel easier between the Mara, Serengeti and Uganda. Other initiatives such as cross-border negotiations and the Greater Serengeti Association are working towards harmonising regional tourism policies.

Where is EAC failing in its conservation agenda? What setbacks do efforts face?

The region has different conservation and management models ranging from hunting and utilisation to strictly no hunting. No one model fits all and we have seen major decline in wildlife numbers throughout the region. There is a common thread though: wildlife belongs to the State. In order for wildlife to thrive and conservation to be really meaningful the states need to relinquish some control and provide more incentives to people who live with wildlife and/or next to important habitats.

How can the gains made so far be safeguarded for posterity?

States need to recognise that conservation is a legitimate form of land use. This way, they must provide people with the same support and incentives as they do to farmers and livestock owners. Without these, conservation areas will continue to shrink. We also need to get out of the mind-set that conservation is a donor-funded endeavour or one for wealthy landowners. This isn’t sustainable in the long-term.

What lessons can tourism learn from model countries about conservation?

In southern Africa, landowners have far more stake in the wildlife on their land. They are able to protect, utilise and trade in it. There is abuse in South Africa, from canned hunting to massive rhino poaching. But then no system is perfect. Wildlife has value and when managed and traded in a controlled manner, there is a significant increase in numbers. Ultimately, we must negotiate what models works best for us.

How can the region reconfigure its tourism approaches?

For years, the Maasai Mara, the Ngorongoro crater and parts of the Serengeti faced the significant danger of over-tourism. This was due to uncontrolled proliferation of camps and lodges, with little to no regard for the environmental impact. In the Mara, we need to reduce the over-dependence on game drives and the migration. Instead, we must promote alternative activities such as forest walks and birding in some sections.

We also need to look at pricing, especially in the high season, to limit visitor numbers.

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BIO

Current position: Director of Seiya Limited and CEO of the Mara Triangle in Maasai Mara

Previous position: Member of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) board

Others: Worked with cattle and wildlife in ranches and conservancies across Kenya for the past 40 years

Education: Degree in animal health and reproduction, Edinburgh University

In 2015, Heath was appointed as a member of the KWS board, where he served for three years.