The Conflict between Conservation, Tourism and Indigenous Land Rights: The Case of the Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania

In recent decades, the conflict between conservation, tourism, and indigenous land rights has been a critical issue at the core of the international agenda for the protection of indigenous rights. Conservation and tourism efforts in Africa often coincide with land grabbing, rooted in colonial legacy and modern globalization. The intersection between these phenomenon impact indigenous land and natural resource rights, while having severe socio-cultural effects on such communities. The Maasai community’s historical presence in Kenya and Tanzania and their cultural ties to their ancestral land face challenges due to displacement from conservation and tourism development. Land laws in both countries play a crucial role in affecting Maasai land rights and in favouring the creation of national parks and reserves over indigenous fundamental rights. This thesis aims at observing how has tourism and conservation contributed to the phenomenon of land grabbing and how this affected the traditional way of life and cultural practices of the Maasai community. Moreover, it calls for alternative conservation and tourism models that prioritize indigenous community inclusion and sustainable and equitable practices that respect indigenous peoples’ rights.