Tourism Principal Secretary John Ololtua has revealed that the government is working on a conceptual mapping framework intended to mark all tourist attraction sites in the country to further revitalise the tourism sector.
Speaking in Kilgoris during the Inaugural TransMara Classic Narok Girl Talent Search, Athletics, the PS, who was the Chief Guest, hailed sporting events and cultural festivals as contributors to the tourism and hospitality sectors in the country.
He pointed out that mapping will be done in liaison with the County governments to identify the tourism potential that exists across the Country.
“My Ministry, with the guidance of My Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretaries, is doing a mapping of all attractions. There are many attractions in the country that we need to promote,” explained the PS, adding: “Our strong collaboration with County governments seeks to identify the potential that exists in tourism.”
The PS further noted that sports events like golf tournaments and World Rally Championships were key to attracting people and also promoting the image of the country, thus attracting visitors and foreign investors.
“Every department in our government has a vital role to play in promoting tourism in our country, and there is an interlinkage. For instance, the Ministry of Sports organises the World Rally Champions that bring in visitors to the country, and when they come, they impact the economy by the money they spend, but the most important thing is the foreign investors they attract,” explained the PS.
He particularly mentioned the twin phenomena of the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara and whales on the Kenyan coast of Watamu as a spectacular event to showcase the best Kenya can offer in the tourism sector.
The World Tourism Research Institute’s statistics indicated that by June this year, the country had received a whopping 1.4 million tourists. “We expect by the end of July 2023 to have received 1.65 million tourists. This rise is attributed to an increase in visitor confidence in the destinations,” revealed the PS.
For domestic tourism, the PS said bed occupancy is expected to reach 4.52 million, an increase of 14 per cent from 3.95 million recorded in FY 2021/22, and attributed the rise to increasing interest among Kenyans to travel locally.
The tourism sector has been contributing more than 10 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
By Lamech Willy
