This paper examines the effects of the tourism decline in Kenya in the late 1990s and particularly Narok District which hosts the Masaai Mara Game Reserve and where a large proportion of poor people’s livelihoods are largely tourism based. The paper explores the consequences of the decline at individual, household and enterprise levels as well as broader effects on the wider local economy. The paper looks at the specific coping mechanisms adopted by different stakeholder groups. This is followed by an analysis of the factors that affect the feasibility of coping mechanisms by different stakeholders. In conclusion, the paper offers some policy recommendations for supporting coping strategies during such a decline.