Nairobi — Lake Nakuru National Park has confounded players in the tourism sector by attracting increasing numbers of visitors in the past five years.

The park, which is the most visited protected area in the country, is recording an increase in business as the tourism sector recovers from negative travel advisories.

Tourists visiting the park have increased by 30 per cent since 2001, when it faced a serious crisis of low number of visitors.

Slowed down by the travel advisory issued by some European countries and America, generally, the Kenyan tourism sector appears to be back on track once again.

Managed by the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), Lake Nakuru National Park, like any other tourist attraction in the country was adversely affected by the travel advisory.

The number of visitors at the park rose from 221,908 in 2001 to 320,000 per year by the end of last year.

According to statistics released by KWS, the number of foreign tourists visiting Lake Nakuru Park has risen by at least 30 per cent.

By the end of 2001, when the travel advisories were issued, the park, the largest bird sanctuary in the continent, recorded the lowest figure of 82,000 foreign visitors.

Although things have changed for the better, the park has also been experiencing a number of hiccups, which have hampered service delivery.

Roads within the park are in a bad state and need to be re-done before the short rains season start.

Meanwhile, inadequate hotels, insecurity and poor infrastructure have hampered tourism development in the 10 districts in the North-Rift circuit.

Only 50,000 tourists out of the projected 300,000 have visited the region.

The North-Rift Regional Tourism Officer, Mr David Gitonga said measures were being put in place to reverse the trend.

"With sufficient hotel accommodation, good security and improved roads, the region can realise 300,000 foreign tourists annually," said Gitonga.

The entire region, Gitonga added, has only two three-star hotels.

The North-Rift circuit covers Baringo, Keiyo, Marakwet, Koibatek, Turkana, West Pokot, Uasin Gishu, North Nandi, South Nandi and Trans-Nzoia districts.

Gitonga said most of the tourists visiting the region end up at Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria, both in Baringo district, Mt Elgon and Saiwa national Parks in Trans-Nzoia district and Lake Turkana in Turkana district.