The Influence of Scenic Beauty Investment on Competitive Advantage in Kenya’s Adventure Tourism Sector
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Despite Kenya's exceptional natural assets, the strategic role of scenic beauty investment in creating sustained competitive advantage within adventure tourism has not been adequately examined. Consequently, the extent to which scenic resources function as strategic assets capable of driving destination competitiveness has received limited empirical attention. This study examined the impact of scenic beauty investment on competitive advantage within Kenya’s adventure tourism sector, utilizing a theoretical framework that integrated the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT). The research sought to determine whether natural aesthetics functioned merely as a baseline requirement or as a strategic resource capable of driving long-term differentiation. Employing a convergent mixed-methods research design, primary data were gathered from 400 active hikers across Kenya’s primary trail regions in Greater Nairobi and the Central Highlands. These quantitative data were complemented by qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews conducted with twelve key stakeholders, including trail operators and tourism officials. Quantitative analysis via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) indicated that scenic beauty was a statistically significant and substantively strong predictor of competitive advantage (β = 0.522, p < .001), with the final structural model explaining 53.1% of the variance. Qualitative findings further highlighted that while Kenya's scenic resources were a primary competitive asset, fragmented governance and inconsistent service standards hindered the sector's full potential. The study concluded that scenic beauty functioned as a "strategic resource" that necessitated active management. The study recommended institutionalizing structured scenic resource management frameworks, including national trail grading systems and policies aimed at protecting visual capital as a strategic tourism asset.
Source: Journal of strategic management.
Institution: Zetech University
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7202275253