Degree Project Master of Science in Tourism Destination Development Colonial Imagery and representation in tourism marketing of African destinations. A case study of Kenya Author: Anne Mundati Supervisor: Albina Pashkevich Examiner: Tara Duncan Subject/main field of study: Tourism Course code: TR3008 Credits: 15hp Date of examination: At Dalarna University it is possible to publish the student thesis in full text in DiVA. The publishing is open access, which means the work will be freely accessible to read and download on the internet. This will significantly increase the dissemination and visibility of the student thesis. Open access is becoming the standard route for spreading scientific and academic information on the internet. Dalarna University recommends that both researchers as well as students publish their work open access. I give my/we give our consent for full text publishing (freely accessible on the internet, open access): Yes ☒ No ☐ Dalarna University – SE-791 88 Falun – Phone +4623-77 80 00 Acknowledgement I would like to thank God for giving me strength, spiritually, mentally and for the patience required to pursue and complete this research thesis. I acknowledge that I am also here by the grace of my ancestors from the Githinji clan, reaching heights that women in my clan would otherwise wouldn’t be able to achieve. I acknowledge the Swedish Institute for granting me financial assistance to pursue my dreams. I would like to also express many thanks to my supervisor, Associate Professor Albina Pashkevich, Dalarna University, for her unfiltered guidance through my thesis and my academic life. Many more thanks go to my Family, first and foremost my Dad, Paul Githinji, for we began this journey together and I know you would be proud for it has now been accomplished. You’re always with me in spirit, look at where your ambitious genes got your ‘crazy’ daughter. I thank my Mum, Joyce Wairimu, for her continued words of encouragement and prayers, your guidance has made me what I am today. To my brother, Martin Mundati, you have been the small voice in my head providing colonial historical accounts and current affairs in the driver guide experiences. This thesis is dedicated to you, Dad and all who have served in the tourism industry. To my sisters, Caren and Sharon, I hope the bar has not been set to high, it’s just a masters, I promise it’s not that hard. To my cousin and friend, Eva Wanderi, thank you for holding my hand through my Masters application, I can’t believe that I almost didn’t apply. Your positivity, ‘never give-up’ and ‘will figure it out’ mindset should be a scented candle. I hope to laugh about this later. Abstract This research study is based on the visual marketing of African destinations and the colonial influence in a post-colonial world. Recent tourism research tourism has examined post-colonial realities in developing countries addressing the experience of British post-colonialism, however, only a few of those studies have examined the cultural consequences of tourism marketing image influence on culture and national identity. This study’s objective is to investigate the colonial imagery and visual representation of Kenya while evaluating the extent to which the colonial discourse has shaped tourism marketing in Kenya. To investigate the colonial imagery influences in destination marketing in Kenya, qualitative analysis tools such as content and discourse analysis were used to evaluate images in this study. By evaluating the images, the endeavour was to discern how marketing represents the tourism culture, the people and the place. The results conclude that the construction of Kenya’s tourism space in post-colonial times should be thought of from a neo-colonial perspective. The study mainly concludes that the images on Kenya’s tourism come out of a colonial fantasy and nostalgia that contributes to the manufacturing of ‘safari country’ initiated by the colonialist gaze. The colonial myths endure in Kenya’s tourism space and continue to shape the tourists’ fantasies as a majority of tourism marketer’s hail from western countries. The Kenya colonial myth is perpetuated through films and memoirs that depict Kenya through repeated images and analogies of beautiful prehistoric scenarios of fantasies. Like most developing countries and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenya will continue to rely on its tourism industry for foreign exchange. While this study was aimed at a practical problem, future research on this topic is recommended to find out how consuming different cultures especially of former colonies could be done ethically, and how hosts’ active inclusivity and tourist diversity marketing should be upheld as part of responsible travel for travel agencies and luxury camps. Key words: Colonial myth, photography, marketing, Kenya, destination. 1 Table of contents Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................. 0 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 1 Table of contents ................................................................................................. 2 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ 4 List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... 5 List of Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. 6 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Research Aim ................................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Research Objectives ......................................................................................................... 9 1.3 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 9 2. Literature review .......................................................................................... 10 2.1 Tourism as a colonial legacy .......................................................................................... 10 2.2 Wanderlust ..................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Photography in Tourism ................................................................................................. 12 2.3.1 The role of photography in the Tourist gaze ....................................................................................... 13 2.3.2 Destination Image and Identity ........................................................................................................... 14 2.4 Indigenous Tourism........................................................................................................ 15 2.4.1 Authenticity ........................................................................................................................................ 16 3.0 Study context ............................................................................................... 18 .............................................................................................................................................. 18 3.1 Exploration (1880s -1900s) ............................................................................................ 19 3.2 Colonial Involvement (1900-1962) ................................................................................ 19 3.2.1 Settler Colonialism .............................................................................................................................. 20 3.3 Post-colonial Development (1963-1987) ....................................................................... 21 3.3.1 Colonial Nostalgia .............................................................................................................................. 21 4.0 Methodology ................................................................................................ 24 4.1 The Case Study Research Approach ...................................................................................................... 24 4.1.1 Content Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 25 4.1.2 Discourse Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 26 4.2 Data Collection ............................................................................................................... 27 4.3 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 28 2 4.4 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 29 5.0 Findings ........................................................................................................ 30 5.1 Images on tourism marketing ......................................................................................... 30 5.1.1 Nature.................................................................................................................................................