INCENTIVIZATION OF COASTAL TOURISM PRODUCT THROUGH HERITAGIZATION AS A VALUE-ADDITION STRATEGY FOR KENYA'S COASTAL DESTINATIONS

Kenya's coastal strip has not yet developed a tourism product beyond the three Ss (sun, sand, and sea). Consequently, Kenya's coastal tourism has been regarded as "tired" and less competitive product in today's marketplace. This is despite the coastal strip boasting of rich untapped heritage tourism potential. Thus, even though heritage tourism has gained attention in academia and generated a growing body of literature, its application as a value-addition strategy has hardly been investigated. This study explored how Kenya's coastal tourism destination, with a declining touristic appeal, can be incentivized using heritage to stimulate an enhanced tourism experience. The study conveniently sampled seven heritage sites at the Kenyan coast. Within the sites, a site manager/representative and a tour guide were purposely sampled. In total, 15 heritage site managers and 10 tour guides participated in the study through unstructured in-depth interviews. Systematic literature review as well as field observations were also done. The article argues that traditional coastal tourism products can be enhanced through heritagization to spur sustainability. The study concludes that for Kenya's coastal tourism to rebound, beach tourism cannot continue to be a stand-alone tourism product. Instead, heritage sites need to be integrated into the existing beach tourism offer to create a holistic presentation of Kenya's coastal destination with enriched customer experience.