Pioneer in Conservation and Tourism

MY IMPACT

Delphine Malleret King, PhD, is a social scientist with a keen interest in serving people and the environment. Delphine spent 10 years working with The Long Run, a network dedicated to conserving ecosystems around the world using the power of tourism. Through this experience and more, Delphine showcases leadership in positive impact tourism and inclusive conservation models. Delphine states, “For me, if done well, tourism has an incredible potential to foster tolerance, open mindedness, care, connectedness, protect nature and stimulate sustainable inclusive economies locally.”

MY JOURNEY

Delphine is originally from Europe and first visited Kenya when she was young. She was motivated to stay and call Kenya home, after interacting with the people and wildlife. She stayed and worked for over 20 years for international and local NGOs across Africa specializing in natural resources management, marine and terrestrial conservation, community engagement, and socio-economic impact monitoring. Through her work, she advocates for a holistic approach to sustainability that recognizes the balance needed between the 4Cs: Conservation, Community well-being, Culture & Commerce. She believes in sustainability and social impact as a mindset and starting point for business development. She enjoys partnering with organizations to leverage their business to drive positive impacts for nature, people, and the planet.

She is inspired by young people who are engaging in advocacy for the environment and wildlife. For instance, she admires a young boy in rural Kenya who seeks to prevent wildlife crime, which is a huge endeavor in Kenya. She respects how young people lead these advocacy efforts, through many hardships, such as poverty and food insecurity. In fact, Kenya has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, with 52.9% of the rural population living in poverty. Despite the challenges, perseverance and partnerships for positive change prevail and overcome.