Thread by @alkags

I have just had an illuminating conversation with tourism expert and researcher, Mike Riungu about the impact of tourism decline on the environment, youth, women and livelihoods. It's armageddon. #Thread

This are @googleearth images of the wider Malindi in 1995, 2003, 2017 and 2022. In 1995 when tourism was thriving, it was lush and green. As tourism declined and people went from town to rural, they cut trees & sold charcoal to survive. #environment

Thousands who lost #tourism jobs in the past 10 years slid into #poverty, moved to their farms & sold charcoal. Now that there's barely any charcoal to sell, they are selling the land at throwaway prices. You keep seeing the ads for farm land in Malindi. t.ly/fyH8

Lots of research has been done on very high school dropout rates in Kilifi county, mainly because of extreme poverty due to massive loss of #tourism jobs in the coast. The youth have ended up dead or in jail because drugs. Many youth go for jobs in Arabia. Some go to al shabaab.

#Women & girls have carried the brunt of the challenges of #tourism. Many do manual labour, earning about Kshs. 200 / USD 2 per day. That is to feed their households. Girls get pregnant early as they seek money for pads.

What's the point? #Tourism has a major impact on thousands of real families and their well being and Mr. Riungu was at pains to show me that it has to with more than just foreign exchange. There are actual lives on the line. @magicalkenya @mohammedhersi