Kenya’s conservation authorities should consider raising the entrance fees for foreign tourists to the iconic Maasai Mara National Park by US$ 6.90 per person, per day spent in the park, in order to boost the park’s coffers. Funds can then be invested in restoring some of the Maasai Mara’s deteriorating infrastructure and natural assets, such as the crumbling entrance road to the park and the degraded Mara River. This will allow the river function to be restored and wildlife numbers to recover, making the park attractive to foreign visitors once more.
This is the recommendation of economists from the University of Nairobi’s School of Economics, who recently did a review of the park’s pricing structure in order see how it could be more financially self sustaining.