Nairobi — In the latest attempt to revive the country's flagging industry, Virgin Atlantic will Monday unveil a £250,000 (Sh30million) advertising campaign aimed at attracting tourists back to the country.

The campaign, featuring the annual wildebeest migration as its centrepiece will appear in London's underground mainline stations, as well as in the country's national press.

The initiative was announced by Sir Richard Branson, the airline's president.

"There is an urgent need to get back to normal after the turmoil of the last few months, if businesses are to be sustainable" he said.

Sir Richard said the election crisis had hurt the airline industry and asked politicians to ensure the success of the power sharing agreement, if the country's economy was to get back on track.

"It cost us millions of pounds to keep flying into the country during that period, and we might have to reconsider our operations on the route should such a crisis recur," he said.

The billionaire founder of the Virgin Group-the parent company of the airline, was speaking in the Maasai Mara on Saturday when he opened new facilities at Sekenani Primary School.

He was accompanied by a team of local and international journalists.

Challenge

"There has never been a better time to to visit Kenya that now, and I will promote Kenya as a safe tourist destination," said Sir Richard, adding that the lifting of the travel ban to Kenya by the British government was a positive step.

Virgin Atlantic flies daily to Nairobi, operating an Airbus A340-300 on the route.

Kenya Tourism Board chairman, Jake Grieves-Cook said that tourist bookings for the second half of the year were intact.

"It will be a challenge though to catch up with last year's bookings as it was quite a good year," he said.

He said that the airline had not been affected by the global financial crisis.

"The slow down hasn't really affected Virgin Atlantic as it has the banking industry, but as credit tightens it may soon draw others in."

Sir Richard also said the country was a viable business destination saying that it had taken only about 12 weeks to set up Virgin Atlantic's Kenyan operation.

The airline began flying to Nairobi in June 2007. It is now the second largest British long haul international airline after British Airways and flies to 30 destinations worldwide from its London bases of Gatwick and Heathrow.

"I don't think the cost of doing business in Kenya is particularly high when compared with other countries in the region," he said, adding that the country had more advantages due to its skilled workers.

Volunteers

The Sekenani project was a collaboration between Sarova hotels, non-profit organisation Water For All and ten frequent flyer volunteers from Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club who contributed £30,000(Sh3.6 million) towards construction of buildings and installation of a solar water pump.

Virgin Atlantic matched this amount.

Area MP Mr Nkoidila Ole Lankas said that the project would go a long way towards securing the future of the local community, adding that the Maasai Mara was safe to visit.

"We as a community are grateful to Sir Richard and the other volunteers for supporting us," he said.

The MP announced that the Narok County Council would donate Sh1 million to the school.