Nyandarua County looks forward to working with regional counties in developing a tourism strategy that supports the growth of the sector across the region, area Governor Moses Kiarie Badilisha has said.
The governor was speaking during a function bringing together regional county executive committee members, chief officers, and directors of tourism taking in Ol’Kalou.
Under the facilitation of the Ministry of Tourism and the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), the eight counties of Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nyeri, Murang’a, Embu, Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, and Meru are expected to come up with ways of attracting tourists and anchoring the sector as one of the key economic drivers in the region.
“We are blessed with a very unique region. In Nyandarua, for example, we are host to some of the most unique physical features and a rich history; we are also home to the only highland lake and have the best high-altitude training grounds in the country, ideal for sports tourism’, said Dr. Badilisha.
“Our sister counties have equally unique features which we can jointly market and package our region as an attractive area for both domestic and foreign visitors,” Governor Badilisha noted when he hosted the KTB delegation led by Fiona Ngesa, the Acting Director, Market Development.
The two-day meeting will include visits to Nyandarua’s historical sites and the Happy Valley homes as the beginning of a marketing drive to amplify Nyandarua’s tourism potential.
Spearheading the meeting are County Executive Committee Member Agnes Njuji, Chief Officer Samuel Gitaka, and other officers drawn from the Directorate of Tourism.
Nyandarua County hosts some of the most frequented hiking trails, including Elephants’ Hill, Mount Kinangop, Rurumeria, Seven Ponds, Table Mountain, Mount Kipipiri, and Dragon Teeth in the Aberdares Forest.
By Antony Mwangi