16. Post COVID-19 Pandemic Coping Strategies of Tourism-Dependent Households Along Kenya’s Coastal Tourism Circuit

Tourism is a key sector in Kenya’s economy that creates networks for stakeholders. These networks create a complex supply chain that supports over 35% of the total job opportunities in the country. Unfortunately, COVID-19 pandemic restrictions diversely affected these networks at the organisational and household level. This study aimed to establish the post-COVID-19 pandemic coping strategies of Tourism-Dependent Households (TDHs) along Kenya’s Coastal Tourism Circuit (KCTC). Though the Kenyan government formulated measures to mitigate the pandemic and revamp the tourism Industry, negligible effort was made to cushion these TDHs. Based on the stress and coping theory, this study adopted a qualitative exploratory approach. The oral responses were collected using three FDGs each consisting of between 16 and 24 respondents, represented by segments of TDHs within KCTC. Data was thematically analysed using both inductive and deductive coding techniques. In each destination, the TDHs derived a livelihood from either of the 24 tourism-related activities. The resultant effects of the pandemic restrictions were both positive and negative. To cope, the study unravelled both short-term and long-term strategies. While some of their short-term strategies; change in diet and depending on other family members helped equalise and bond the families respectively, involving children in seeking a livelihood exposed them to social ills. The long-term strategies such as forming self-help groups, and updating themselves with current marketing trends will help them have a stronger financial base and enable government agencies to formulate contingency plans that can mitigate future crises.