This Act concerns the development, management, marketing and regulation of a sustainable tourist industry in Kenya. It provides for the control of tourist activities through licensing and registration. It requires the Minister to formulate and publish in the Gazette a national tourism strategy at least once every five years and provides for the establishment of various institutions including: the Tourism Regulatory Authority, the Tourism Protection Service, the Kenya Tourism Board, Tourism Research Institute, the Tourism Fund, the Tourism Finance Corporation and the Tourism Tribunal.
As for protection of the environment: the national tourism strategy shall include adaptation and mitigation measures to avert adverse impacts of climate change on tourism and tourism products and services; the Authority shall, in considering the licence application, have regard to the material considerations which include the protection of fragile environmental resources, ecosystems and habitats and an environmental impact assessment licence issued under Part VI of the Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act, 1999; the Act defines offences regarding pollution and damaging of protected areas; and the Act provides for tax rebates to tourism activities and services that promote sustainable tourism and environmental conservation.