Figure 4.24 Lamu Island current issues

4.4 Tourism and Heritage Sector Action Plan

The tourism and heritage sector is one of the economic backbones of the Municipality, principally founded on the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lamu Old Town and its wide array of marine and terrestrial wildlife. This unique offering of both heritage and natural assets attracted many international tourists to Lamu County prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly from Europe and the USA.

For the tourism and heritage sector to reach its full potential, there are several key challenges that must be overcome. This includes a critical requirement for enhanced marketing of Lamu County to improve the public image of the area, both nationally and internationally, as well as upgraded tourism infrastructure – including accommodation, transport links and leisure facilities.

From the Diagnostic Report analysis, site visits, stakeholder engagement workshops and business consultation, the following key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were established. These were used to determine the actions proposed in the following sections. Any actions implemented should be embedded with climate change resilience and resource efficiency at their core, taking into account the environmental impact of new assets and activities. In addition, social inclusion should be a focus to enhance SIGs and vulnerable groups’ access to job opportunities.

Strengths

Lamu Island’s land use can be broadly subdivided into five distinct character areas marked by historic and natural landscape and various landmarks. The island is surrounded by natural channels on its west, north, and east side. To the south side of the island lies Lamu Bay which connects to the Indian Ocean. The land features include a historic urban centre stretching along the eastern coast of the island, with the key hotspots of Lamu Old Town and Shela. To the east across the channel is Manda Island where the local airport is located. To the south of historic Lamu old Town lies the resort town of Shela which is joined towards to the south and west by sand dunes, a natural gazetted/protected area which also shelters water springs. To the West, a small resort and two fishing villages namely Kipungani and Matondoni are on the island. Mokowe, on the mainland, to the north across the channel, is the main trading centre and ferry link to the island. The island is surrounded by dense mangrove forest all around its periphery, whilst some key points of interest on the island are Lamu Fort, Shela Fort and the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. These, together with the long coastline both on and off the island are the main tourist destinations which have attracted both domestic and foreign tourists. (See Figure 4.24).

Figure 4.24 Lamu Island character areas as main strengths for tourism

Source: Atkins analysis