MOBILE-APPLICATION USAGE POTENTIAL FOR NATURE INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR MANAGEMENT AT MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE, KENYA; WILDLIFE VIEWERS' PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Visitor management is a vital aspect of destination management, and several ways are used to balance conservation goals and tourist satisfaction. In this regard, nature interpretation has been used to achieve this delicate balance of conservation and tourist satisfaction. Various nature interpretation approaches have been used, with each strategy having differing expense, knowledge, and human resource requirements. Indeed, advancement and extensive usage of cellphones and the internet present new opportunities to be exploited for smart nature interpretation practicalities. Thus, this study attempted to evaluate the potential for using mobile Applications for environmental interpretation in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve. 570 people were surveyed, including 413 tourists and 157 tour guides. The study indicated that while nature (plants and animals) draws people to the reserve, other elements of the suggested Mobile Application are crucial. Correlational statistics revealed that the proposed features were less affected by the respondents' demographic factors. The study revealed that smartphone Applications might sustainably distribute environmental interpretation information in natural environments.