Tourists’ stakeholders in Malindi have urged the national government to introduce direct flight from Europe to Malindi to ease travel expense for tourists visiting the town.
An Italian tourist investor in Malindi, Flavio Briatore speaking to the press, at a Malindi hotel said on Wednesday, while representing other tourist investors that currently tourists arriving from Europe and Italy have difficulties in connecting their flights to Malindi, once they land in Nairobi.
Briatore said it doesn’t matter how long the government will take in the expansion of the Malindi Airport, as long as it comes up with the direct flight.
He said. “It’s the duty of the national airline, Kenya Airways to make it easier for tourists to travel to Malindi, a major tourism destination.”
He also said for example in Dubai, the Fly Emirates was in the forefront marketing key destinations and making sure their clients have access to their destinations.
He called on the Cabinet Secretary Tourism, Najib Balala to intervene because some tourists are forced to go to Wilson Airport, after landing from Europe, because all flights for Malindi leave in the morning.
Responding to issue, the Tourism Cabinet Secretary told investors to develop their products and upgrade their investments, so as to attract more tourists and never wait for the government to implement projects, because it takes more time.
Balala said the investors would continue incurring losses if they will sit and wait for the government to develop the infrastructure.
By Simon Guruba
