Many of our members do not have alternative sources of income and rely solely on tourism
Ocean tours raise awareness about marine conservation among tourists and provide an alternative source of income to fishing for coastal communities. Diani Turtle Conservation Group in Kwale County is running a promising eco-tourism business, thanks to a grant from the KEMFSED project that enabled them to buy a customized boat and safety gear.
Mwangome Salim, 53, has been a tour guide most of his adult life. He recalls with nostalgia the heyday of tourism on the Kenyan coast.
In 2013, the guides formed the Diani Turtle Conservation Self-help Group. Although it was focused on conserving breeding sites, the group was also involved in environmental education for the community and continued to provide ocean tours.
The group used to refer tourists to other people offering boat services to various attractions in the ocean and along the coastline. Their earnings fluctuated with seasons and dried up altogether following the decline in tourism during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
As visitor numbers picked up again, Salim started thinking about how they could acquire a boat. They used to get customers, but most of the money they earned for excursions went to paying boat owners.
The group charges Sh2,500 per person for the tour and used to pay boat owners Sh1,000. Their expenses were higher if the customers were few and they had to pay for a taxi to take them to the boat.
“At times after paying for the boat, the profit is too little to share among the (25) members,” says Salim.
Luckily, the group successfully applied for KEMFSED’s grants for community sub-projects to enable them to buy their own boat at the end of 2023. They bought a glass-bottomed boat that can carry 30 passengers and two crew.
KEMFSED trained all 25 members in sea safety and other aspects of their trade through a course delivered by a multidisciplinary technical team from the Kwale County Government. One of them was sponsored for coxswain training.
The boat charges are Sh2,500 per person and the crew are paid Sh900 per trip. Other costs include fuel and wages for a watchman. All the profits are banked in the group account.
Members agree on the payouts later. During the Idd celebrations, for instance, each member got Sh5,000.
By March 2024, they had earned Sh160,000 from the twice-daily ocean excursions. “This was the largest amount we have saved as a group since we started the business 20 years ago,” says Salim, recalling their unsuccessful attempt to create a group fund to cushion members during the low tourism season.
Encouraged by the earnings, the group has become more cohesive and better organized.
Says Salim: “Before we got the boat, we competed amongst themselves for tourists. Now, we are united and direct all their visitors to our boat. We have a member who coordinates our operations and sales.”
The group opened their first-ever bank account. They meet twice a month and each member contributes Sh100 to its kitty. They recently shared Sh5,000 per member as profit. “Many of our members do not have alternative sources of income and rely solely on tourism,” Salim says. “With this boat, we can save enough money for a member to borrow for their own needs.”
