Combining coffee and tourism is a new niche in the tourism industry and much has not been explored to bring the full potential of the aspect to potential tourists who seek to adventure new sceneries in the world.
What is Coffee tourism?
Coffee tourism is a broad spectrum of experiences by tourists from coffee production to consumption, history of coffee, coffee festivals, and cultural practices in coffee growing zones. Coffee tourism in Kenya is sold as a tour and travel package to holidaymakers. The package involves guided coffee farms and factory visits at specific times.
Where to experience Coffee tourism in Kenya?
In the coffee farms, coffee tourists do what farmers do on daily basis from planting coffee in the nurseries, transplanting the seedlings, pruning the coffee plants, harvesting the coffee berries, and finally taking them to the factory for processing. In other words, coffee tourist becomes coffee farmers for a day under the guidance of the farmers. The adventure in coffee farms and coffee factories enables coffee enthusiasts to explore their daily drink source. Apart from coffee farms, coffee tourism can be experienced in coffee theme parks and coffee museums in Kenya. Several branded coffee shops and restaurants are keeping the spirit of coffee tourism high by serving the best-graded Kenyan coffee in their outlets. The landscapes where coffee is grown are also scenic adventures due to their uniqueness in how they appeal to tourists’ eyes.
Who benefits from coffee tourism in Kenya?
Coffee tourism is an industry by itself and benefits coffee farmers by being a supplement source of income. Coffee tourism benefits tourists who experience what the farmers go through on daily basis and get fresh produce from the farm. The local government earns extra revenue from coffee tourism. Hoteliers benefit from the bookings made by tourists. Locals in general benefit from the economic spillover of coffee tourism. Due to coffee tourism coffee trees are preserved thus environmentally benefiting the region. Socially coffee tourism enables coffee farmers to interact with tourists from different countries. The infrastructure in the coffee-growing zones is improved to facilitate coffee tourism.
Does coffee tourism have any disadvantages?
Tourism, in general, has both advantages and disadvantages. In the aspect of coffee tourism, it can impact the locals negatively when it interferes with the day-to-day lifestyle. The environment can be negatively affected by degradation caused by mass tourism. Economically goods and services charges might go high to tourists' pricing notion.
Coffee tourism as an alternative source of income for coffee farmers should be considered a long-term approach in the tourism industry. Though the Kenyan population does not consume coffee in large quantities, if coffee tourism can be given full publication and intensity by relevant governing bodies it has the potential for to locals can consume the coffee produced locally in quantities.