Eco-tourists visiting Kwale County will have the opportunity to explore guided nature walks birdwatch visit aquaculture and apiculture facilities, and experience other eco-services at the Chale Community Boardwalk recently inaugurated.
The boardwalk is a part of a project that aims at promoting sustainable tourism and conservation of the environment.
Tourism and Wildlife CabinetSecretary, Rebecca Miano mentioned that the boardwalk when fully operational will provide the local community with various opportunities for generating income through tourism, conservation activities, and nature-based enterprises.
“We experienced the unwavering focus of the Chale people on conservation and the protection of their natural habitats . The Chale Boardwalk is officially on the map and this path allows tourists and researchers to walk deep into the heart of the mangrove forest.” said Miano
The Chale Community Boardwalk, a local ecotourism and restoration initiative by the Chale community, is financed by the European Union, via the United Nations Environment Programme Go Blue Project, in partnership with the Wildlife Research and Training Institute.
The project’s first stage comprises a 100-metre boardwalk through the Chale Mangrove Forest that allows visitors’ delight, while at the same time promoting the conservation of the coastal ecosystem.
Miano mentioned that the project has made the Chale Community be recognized as pioneers of sustainable coastal development as Kenya ushers into eco-tourism, one of the emerging niche tourism products.