Information communication technology is changing how hotels conduct their business in the global ... more Information communication technology is changing how hotels conduct their business in the global tourism market prompting a number of hotels to use ICTs to improve their business operations. The aim of this study was to identify factors that determine ICT adoption among hotels in Kenya. Multiple case study approach was used to collect and analyse data from hotel managers drawn from 10 hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa regions in Kenya. The interview data was thematically analysed and five factors namely organization needs and perceived benefits, organizational capacity, technology characteristics, market characteristics and organization characteristics were identified as key determinants of ICT adoption by hotels in Kenya. The study findings provide useful insights for guiding ICT adoption and application decisions at the hotel, particularly for developing countries.
ICTs are considered strategic tool for business management worldwide and fast finding wider appli... more ICTs are considered strategic tool for business management worldwide and fast finding wider application within the hotel industry. However, their use has not always been fruitful due to poor application of the ICTs. This study therefore sought to determine management practices that influence actual ICT application among three to five star hotels in Kenya. The study adopted multiple case study approach to data collection where face-to-face interviews were conducted with 36 hotel managers drawn purposefully from hotels 36 hotels in Nairobi and Coast regions in Kenya. The data was thematically analysed and two themes namely operational management practices and human resource management practices identified as influencing actual ICT application among three to five star hotels in Kenya. The study provide insights to hotel managers on management practices they should focus on concerning ICT use in hotels.
Tourism being one of the most intriguing sustainable development themes has become popular econom... more Tourism being one of the most intriguing sustainable development themes has become popular economic development tool in many countries today. Tourism related activities are widely regarded as key-tools for rural development, especially in developing countries. Villages are today some of the places, attracting the attention of tourism planners more than ever before. Those villages with specific natural or social-cultural appeal have strong potential for attracting tourists from close or far off areas and this can have significant role in rural development if well planned and integrated. This research sought to find out ways through which tourism can be integrated with rural development strategies in Western Kenya and what the resultant benefits of the integration could be in the long run to the local communities studied. Qualitative method was used to collect and analyze data for the study. In particular, three focus group discussions consisting of 27 key stakeholders (9 individuals in hospitality and tourism enterprises in the region, 9 individuals from community based organizations (CBOs), and 9 participants from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) concerned with rural development in Western Kenya) were conducted. The study identified several integration approaches that can be adopted in rural development through tourism.
Entomophagy is now a growing industry in many parts of the world especially in the developing cou... more Entomophagy is now a growing industry in many parts of the world especially in the developing countries. Entrepreneurs in several parts of the world are making edible insects both palatable and marketable for income generation. The traditional use of insects as food continues to be widespread in tropical and subtropical countries and to provide significant nutritional, economic and ecological benefits for rural communities. Consumption of insects is considered to be a more efficient use of the world's resources to feed the growing population. Insect consumption is growing in many parts of the world and the winged termite in particular is consumed widely in various part of East Africa especially in the western part of Kenya. The traditional methods of collecting these termites vary considerably from one region to another. This paper highlights the indigenous ways of collecting Macrotermes subhylanus locally known as Agoro in the Lake Victoria region. The method was developed by integrating modern technology and the indigenous technological knowledge. The variation in the yield of the sample of Agoro mounds selected and the traps used are presented and discussed.
Information communication technology is changing how hotels conduct their business in the global ... more Information communication technology is changing how hotels conduct their business in the global tourism market prompting a number of hotels to use ICTs to improve their business operations. The aim of this study was to identify factors that determine ICT adoption among hotels in Kenya. Multiple case study approach was used to collect and analyse data from hotel managers drawn from 10 hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa regions in Kenya. The interview data was thematically analysed and five factors namely organization needs and perceived benefits, organizational capacity, technology characteristics, market characteristics and organization characteristics were identified as key determinants of ICT adoption by hotels in Kenya. The study findings provide useful insights for guiding ICT adoption and application decisions at the hotel, particularly for developing countries.
ICTs are considered strategic tool for business management worldwide and fast finding wider appli... more ICTs are considered strategic tool for business management worldwide and fast finding wider application within the hotel industry. However, their use has not always been fruitful due to poor application of the ICTs. This study therefore sought to determine management practices that influence actual ICT application among three to five star hotels in Kenya. The study adopted multiple case study approach to data collection where face-to-face interviews were conducted with 36 hotel managers drawn purposefully from hotels 36 hotels in Nairobi and Coast regions in Kenya. The data was thematically analysed and two themes namely operational management practices and human resource management practices identified as influencing actual ICT application among three to five star hotels in Kenya. The study provide insights to hotel managers on management practices they should focus on concerning ICT use in hotels.
Tourism being one of the most intriguing sustainable development themes has become popular econom... more Tourism being one of the most intriguing sustainable development themes has become popular economic development tool in many countries today. Tourism related activities are widely regarded as key-tools for rural development, especially in developing countries. Villages are today some of the places, attracting the attention of tourism planners more than ever before. Those villages with specific natural or social-cultural appeal have strong potential for attracting tourists from close or far off areas and this can have significant role in rural development if well planned and integrated. This research sought to find out ways through which tourism can be integrated with rural development strategies in Western Kenya and what the resultant benefits of the integration could be in the long run to the local communities studied. Qualitative method was used to collect and analyze data for the study. In particular, three focus group discussions consisting of 27 key stakeholders (9 individuals in hospitality and tourism enterprises in the region, 9 individuals from community based organizations (CBOs), and 9 participants from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) concerned with rural development in Western Kenya) were conducted. The study identified several integration approaches that can be adopted in rural development through tourism.
Entomophagy is now a growing industry in many parts of the world especially in the developing cou... more Entomophagy is now a growing industry in many parts of the world especially in the developing countries. Entrepreneurs in several parts of the world are making edible insects both palatable and marketable for income generation. The traditional use of insects as food continues to be widespread in tropical and subtropical countries and to provide significant nutritional, economic and ecological benefits for rural communities. Consumption of insects is considered to be a more efficient use of the world's resources to feed the growing population. Insect consumption is growing in many parts of the world and the winged termite in particular is consumed widely in various part of East Africa especially in the western part of Kenya. The traditional methods of collecting these termites vary considerably from one region to another. This paper highlights the indigenous ways of collecting Macrotermes subhylanus locally known as Agoro in the Lake Victoria region. The method was developed by integrating modern technology and the indigenous technological knowledge. The variation in the yield of the sample of Agoro mounds selected and the traps used are presented and discussed.
Uploads
Papers