Kenyans find peace in tourism

 Peter Kinyanjui 27, a curio seller runs his shop on the Great Rift View Point of altitude 2140 metres says he is happy with the current prevailing peace. Picture by NDUBI MVULA.
 
April 10, 2009

Karibuni (Travelogue)

============================FROM the pangs of political violence that saw the once-upon-a-time bastion of peace and tranquility, Kenyans have vowed to put a veil over the turbulent past and walk in the light of a nation that speaks of nothing but prosperity. NDUBI MVULA was in the country and tells the story of how Kenya is restoring confidence back in its own people and the international community through tourism.

============================

UP in the middle of the Great Rift Valley, as you meander through the most breath-taking heights emerges a roadside curio market called Milano Curio shop run by a very determined young Kenya Peter Kinyanjui.

He is 27 years of age and recently married.

Kinyanjui who lives an hour drive away from the area where violence from the presidential aftermath was so rife has put the past in its closed and is moving on to make sure that his dear country prevails as a user friendly nation.

Armed with the nation’s airline Kenya Airways’ motto going thus “The Pride of Africa”, Kinyanjui says business has not been doing well during and after the political violence but adds that he is a happy man and is able fend for his family from his business of curios.

The political tranquility now existing in Kenya has to a large extent energized the likes of Kinyanjui and many others to soldier on and rebuild their country so that it prospers in one such area which is tourism.

Kanyanjui’s sigh of relief was also echoed by Domestic Tourism Council of Kenya national chairperson Anastazia Wakesho who said her organisation’s mandate was to make Kenyans appreciate the benefits of tourism and become players in the sector.

Ms. Wakesho who also owns Karibu Paradise Safaris based in Nairobi said now that the country was at peace and the political will demonstrated by political leaders has to a large extent added impetus to the promotion of the sector.

However, everyone today is familiar with the vast Kenyan exploited tourism industry which contributes greatly to the nation’s GDP and this has been due to the much dedicated marketing strategies that the government and the private sector have put in.

The tour-of-duty is dubbed as the Africa Mega Fam Trip.

To set the ball rolling for the eight-day tour of duty, the Zambian team comprising four tour operators, Bush Buzz Limited, Voyagers, The Travelshop from Lusaka and Royal Travel and Tours Limited of Ndola.

This was the first of its kind to be launched by Kenya Airways in conjunction with the Kenya Tour Operators and the government of Kenya in the quest to promote the regional tourism within the content and to all the routes the airline services.

In this launch, only 20 out of the 44 countries that Kenya Airways flies to participated in the inaugural treat.

It is tourism marketing strategy that is expected to positively contribute to the building of Africa’s economies through tourism.

Kenyan High Commissioner to Zambia Lazarous O. Amayo accompanied by Zambia’s Kenya Airways country manager Rose Kiseli were at hand to see off the six-man Zambian delegation commended the airline for having taken a noble gesture in promoting regional continental tourism.

High Commissioner Amayo said his country does not only want to capture the traditional tourism destinations within Kenya country but desire to venture outside.

He commended the Kenya Airways and Kenya Association of Tour Operators for coming up with such a challenging venture at the time when many an African countries were bracing with the global economic crunch.

The invitation of 150 participants was meant to expose the delegates to what Kenya has to offer and share the experience upon getting back to their respective countries.

Ms. Kiseli confirmed her firm’s desire to see the growth of the tourism sector on the African continent and beyond.

“The initiative is aimed at encouraging regional tourism. The trip will offer participants opportunities to network and share best practices from the continent,” she said.

She said a team of Zambian tour operators and journalists are part of the African countries that have been invited to sample Kenya’s tourism experience for the next eight days.

“Other participating countries include, Burundi, Cote D’ Ivore, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal and Sudan,” she said.

“All participants will have the opportunity to experience both bush and beach holidays in Kenya,” she said adding that the visit would see them to Nairobi National Museum, lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara and its Mara river as well as a conducted city tour and also Mombasa.

Upon arrival in Nairobi the delegates were, straight from the Jomo Kenyata international airport taken to the Nairobi National Museum for a welcome cocktail party and for a night stop over before embarking on a trip by road to the Great Rift Valley.

The tour-of-duty was to enable delegates visit different attractions such as the coastal area and major natural reserves.

At the Nairobi National Museum, Kenya's Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang commended participants for making it to the first Africa Mega Fam trip, assuring that there was a lot of tourism potential that they were bound to experience.

"We expect our visitors to sell Kenya as a destination and as they interact, they too can get to publicise each other's country potential. So this is a great opportunity for us all as Africans," said Mr. Kajwang.

Mr. Kajwang further announced that his government starting April 1^st  was waiving off visa fees for children from the age of 16 years and below while the price of visa went down to 30 US dollars from the initial 50 US dollars respectively.

However, from Nairobi, the next stop was Lake Nakuru National park home to wide mouth rhinos, flamingos, pelicans and a variety of wildlife that make the area more interesting for game viewing. A night stop over was at Lake Nakuru lodge a pleasant resort where wild animals such as buffalos and monkey just roam within the precinct of the lodge undisturbed.

The following day April 4^th, it was yet another day of travel by road passing through huge farmlands and homes of the Masai people who to date still live side by side with wild animals, a unique specter where humans are allowed to coexist and live and share the national parks with wild animals.

The resting or camping site was Keekorok Lodge which boasts of being the oldest game lodge spread across 14 hectares of land and has 101 rooms comprising standard cabins and more luxurious chalets and the facilities of different bars and also the spa.

International celebrities and statesmen among them founding father of Kenya Jomo Kenyatta, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Prince Charles visited the lodge.

Then came the drive with Direction Connection a tour operating firm in Nairobi down to Masai Mara where more game drives were carried out both in the morning and afternoon taking the party to the border with the Serengeti and coining it with the visit to the Mara River, the historical site for the August migrations of animals as depicted on the television programmes of Planet Earth, Nature Watch or National Geographic.

It was in the Masai Mara plains on the same day of arrival where three male lions were found feeding on a Zebra they had managed to hunt down. The morning drive exposed lots of different animals from giraffe to an assorted specie of antelopes, lions, Zebras, Ostriches, a shy Black Rhino to the climax of it all, the Mara River where hippos and crocodiles were found wallowing in shallow waters as the river succumbed to the fast drying up of their life line due to late rainfall.

We then came into close contact with the pride of lions, about 13 found resting in the bushes on the pride rock after a nice meal of either Zebra or antelope.

April 5^th, was the day for departure to yet another of Kenya’s golden goose . . .  Mombasa.

And the destination was the Baobab Beach Resort & Spa situated right on the foot of the Indian Ocean. Away from the roaring lions and hippos to the beach with rather humid/wet temperature but bearable.

This is where a variety of resorts, huge hotels coupled all if not almost situated on the beach front much to the pleasure of visitors.

Resorts that were visited are the Leisure Lodge Resort, Leopard Beach Resort & Spa, Diani Reef Beach Resort & Spa, an 18-hole Leisure Golf Club and Shimba Hill Safari Lodge situated 45 kilometres from the sea.

Leisure Lodge resort sales and marketing manager Florence Nduta could not hide her gratitude upon the receiving the Zambian delegation at her resort saying government has done tremendously well in the promotion of tourism more so with the appointment of current Minister of Tourism Najib Balala who has a first-hand experience of the industry.

Balala is originally from the coast and represents one of Mombasa’s constituencies and has previously worked in his family travel business.
Observers say that the appointment of Balala raises hopes that the revival of the country’s tourism business would be put back at the top of the new government’s agenda.
Balala was included in a new cabinet announced as the country was hosting 204 journalists from around the world on a mega-fam press trip.
The week-long press visit was the first stage of the Kenya tourist board's strategy to boost its tourism market after a decline caused by recent political strife.
“Balala is the best thing that has happened to Kenya tourism at a difficult time like this. He comes from Mombasa and 60% of Kenya’s tourism activities are concentrated on the coast,” Corporate Affairs and Public Relations Manager for Kenya Tourist Board Rose Kwena was quoted in one of the media outlets as saying.
Other players in the Kenyan tourism industry strongly feel that Balala was the right man for the job because he understands the nitty gritty of the tourism industry.

And in his speech during the farewell gala dinner for the 150 delegates at the Carnival Restaurant, Balala said his country was proud to be associated with the rest of the continent by spreading its wings widely so as to attract visitor within Africa.

He said southern African countries were high on the ladder in the promotion of domestic tourism hence Kenya’s move to take the same path adding that outside the continent the market was already secured but wanted to attract as many Africans as possible because the country has a lot offer.

“The continent of Africa is the richest yet we are poor. We need to move away from this platform and project the brighter side. We are in the process of constructing a new international airport to cost US500, 000 and Kenya Airways will soon become the giant airline on the continent,” he said.

And Kenya Airways Managing Director Titus Naikuni said it was encouraging for his firm to be part of the bigger picture of promoting tourism in Kenya adding that the task was made lighter with the involvement of other players in the tourism industry describing it as the biggest in the future.

Naikuni said it was high time Africa rose high above the negative picture and broke the myth that it was a continent drawned in disaster.

Indeed it never be more than what Naikuni has put nit than to hid the clarion call of making Africa the best ever destination that one can think of and this can be achieved through an inspiring method that Kenyans have embarked to open up to the rest of the continent. It is only hoped that Kenyan concept can be replicated in other countries.

Like someone once said “Whatever we write about here is nothing compared to trying this yourself,” it is time to prepare your bag and get Kenya Airways take you the rich treasures that Kenya has at your disposal.

Ends.