Cultural Sites Impressions: A Market Niche for Ecotourism Destinations in Kisumu County, Kenya

Abstract

Cultural sites as ecotourism destinations and village settlements are a source of pleasure and delight for the local community and visitors to the destinations. Understanding the core attributes perspective of the cultural sites impressions is crucial to branding the sites as ecotourism destinations for sustainable and diversification of sources of livelihood of the communities living around the cultural sites in Kisumu county. This paper sought to examine cultural sites impressions and branding of ecotourism destinations for sustainable livelihood in Kisumu County and its environs. This study was premised on Expectancy-Theory and Place Branding Theory. The study adopted descriptive embedded case design and cross-sectional survey in the three selected units of analysis methodology with both quantitative and qualitative approaches to source and analyse data. The finding established that positive cultural sites impressions are key to branding of ecotourism destinations and sustainability of livelihood of the local community in Kisumu County and its environs.