The Perceptions of Low, Middle and High Income Socio- Economic Groups in Nairobi on Tourist Attraction Sites

Kenya is among the developing countries of the world and has actively supported the development of tourism to promote its economy and the livelihood of the people. Kenyans lack the perception that tourism is essential to life, unlike their counter parts in Western Europe and North America where travel is a symbol of socio-economic status. Tourism products and services are not well understood by many Kenyan’s and therefore not well utilized. The study was conducted in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya The groups and the study population were selected using the systematic random sampling technique from the zoning map by the Nairobi city council urban policy plan (NCCUP). The study adopted a descriptive survey design using both quantitative and qualitative research methods to gather data. Data were collected using the questionnaire, likest-scale and the interview schedule. This study purposed to investigate the factors that contribute to the minimal participation by locals in domestic tourism among low, middle and high income socio-economic groups in Nairobi, Kenya. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 12.5. Factors affecting perception of domestic tourists were subjected to Kaiser Criterion principle component (factor analysis) to reduce the number of variables by varimax rotation. Efforts to promote domestic tourism have continued to bear little fruit. Majority of Kenyans believe that the tourism industry and the hospitality industry that goes with it belong to the white man. This attitude was contributed by the ownership and management of economic activities related to the touris