Ecotourism has been suggested as a tool for the conservation and management of deserts’ natural and cultural heritage. As one of the fastest growing sectors of global tourism industry, ecotourism has a potential to serve as an environmentally, socioculturally and economically viable option for promoting sustainable development in the desert biome. Many factors provide opportunities to develop ecotourism in deserts, which need to be carefully considered for both nature conservation goals and local socioeconomic wellbeing. For this article, we start by contextualizing ecotourism and its research in deserts, and then describe possible attractions and constraints exhibited by deserts to develop ecotourism. We conclude with a discussion of the potential positive and negative impacts that ecotourism may derive on different desert facets.
Ecotourism Kenya promotes responsible tourism practices within the tourism industry. This entails encouraging tourism stakeholders the adoption of best practices with respect to the environment, socio, and cultural aspects.