18 August 2008
editorial
Nairobi — Kenyans have never been known to be enthusiastic about their own tourism attractions. Those who can afford it would rather spend their leisure time arranging yet another business deal. The idea of taking their families on tour never occurs to them.
It also rarely occurs to those who cannot readily afford expensive holidays to save for it and give themselves and their loved ones a treat once a year.
Many of the tourists who visit Kenya throughout the year, especially during the high season, are not all millionaires; they actually put money aside for the purpose. Why don't Kenyans?
On Sunday, President Kibaki and some ministers took time off to visit the Maasai Mara Game Reserve to watch the spectacular annual wildebeest migration, which has attracted world attention.
In the course of this highly symbolic gesture, the President assured tourists that the country was free of turmoil and was, therefore, a safe tourist destination. It is to be hoped that many visitors took the cue.
This is absolutely necessary if tourism is to recover from the doldrums due to the post-election violence, which drove away the tourists already in the country, besides keeping away potential visitors.
As a result, the country has recorded a 32 per cent half-year decline in revenue compared to the same period last year. Only smart marketing can reverse the trend.
Beyond that, we, Kenyans, need to show the rest of the world that we are confident of our country - by making them compete for bed-space in our resorts.
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