Abstract:
Sustainable tourism development in the Serengeti-Mara region seemingly depends
largely on the wildebeest migration phenomenon. This is particularly due to its appeal to the
tourist and its classification as one of the new wonders of the world by UNESCO. The
phenomenon has over the years been used as a flagship/marketing tool to project the
ecosystem as a leading tourism destination. This has resulted in proportionate flow of tourist to
the region to witness this unique occurrence. Development of facilities to meet demands of
tourists has also grown in tandem. However, continuity/persistence of the phenomenon has not
been interrogated. Environmental management, resource use practices & other human activities
on either side of the Kenya-Tanzania boundary have begun to alter the spectacular nature of the
migration. Eventually, this trend may truncate the phenomenon altogether. This questions
sustainability of tourism development. The main objective of this study was to assess the role of
the wildebeest migration phenomenon in sustainable tourism development in the MSE. This was
done by interrogating continuity of the phenomenon from a transboundary resource use and
management perspective.
