Ten years, ago Mr Charles Kinyua completed building a
five-bedroom house in his rural home in Kamakwa village on the slopes of
the Aberdares in Nyeri County. The home was to provide comfort for his
Nairobi-based family during holidays such as Christmas.
A
few years down the line, he realised it wasn’t such a good investment,
after all. His family was not interested in holidays in the village.
They would rather go to Mombasa, Naivasha or other trendy destinations.
When funds allowed, they loved holidays outside the country.
In
three years, the family had spent only one weekend in the house. Mr
Kinyua’s case mirrors that of many well-to-do Kenyans. After building
homes in the city, they proceed to construct big houses in their rural
homes. The result is magnificent houses dotting the countryside in which
nobody lives.
Mr Kinyua’s fortunes changed in 2008
when a friend introduced him to the concept of Homestay tourism. For a
fee, tourists stay at the home and sample life in a village setting
while enjoying all the modern conveniences.
The concept
is spreading rapidly in Nyeri, a county grappling with inadequate hotel
bed capacity for an increasing number of domestic and foreign tourists.
Like
Mr Kinyua, Mr John Kagondu opened his house in Tetu to visitors in
2009. It has a spacious living room, dining area, a fully equipped
kitchen, a fireplace and three bedrooms that nobody was using.
His
farm completed the ideal rural setting — coffee and tea plantations, a
vegetable garden as well as cattle and chicken rearing. These things
were to prove particularly attractive to visitors who had no idea what
some of the products they buy in supermarkets look like at the farm
level.
“Besides the activities on the farm, my home is
in close proximity to natural attractions such as Zaina Falls, Aberdares
National Park and trout fishing in the many rivers flowing down the
Aberdares,” Mr Kagondu said.
By the end of 2012, he was
hosting an average of 60 visitors a year, earning a good income. Some
of those were day visitors while others were overnight guests. His most
memorable day was when he hosted the Chinese ambassador to Kenya, Mr Lui
Guangyuan.
Willing visitors are taught how to milk or
pick coffee and tea. They are offered lessons in cooking local dishes,
African hairstyles and traditional sports such as archery.
Both
Mr Kinyua and Mr Kagondu are part of a fledging Homestay sub-sector in
the county that is expected to complement hotel bed capacity while at
the same time provide income for local residents with idle home space.
SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS
Last
week, the county government took some 130 Homestay operators through
training to equip them with skills necessary for successful operations.
Homestay
in not unique to Kenya. Countries like South Africa and Egypt have a
flourishing Homestay sub-sector. Kenya is now actively pursuing the
concept, having created new standards and regulations for the sector.
For
the Nyeri County government, Homestay will make all the difference
later this month when the county hosts the May 23 Beatification of
Catholic nun Irene Stefani in an event expected to attract more than
100,000 pilgrims from around the world.
“The
beatification of Sister Stefani is a great opportunity through which we
plan to showcase the county’s tourism products and put the Homestays on a
firm path for growth,” county Tourism minister Stanley Miano said,
adding that the county is marketing old and new routes to Mt Kenya and
the Aberdares.
“We have undertaken tourism resource
mapping through GPS/GIS systems to identify and market unexploited
climbing routes to Mt Kenya. We are also in the process of creating
signage for most tourism sites in the county.”
Located
between Mt Kenya and the Aberdares, two of the biggest national water
towers, the county is rich in indigenous forests, nature trails,
pristine rock formations, and waterfalls such as Zaina and Karuru in the
Aberdares.
“The Aberdares and Mt Kenya national parks
teem with wild game that include elephants and buffaloes. We are,
therefore, in a position to provide alternatives to the traditional
beach holiday destinations,” Mr Miano said.
While the
county is projecting steady growth in tourism numbers in the next two
years, there is no guarantee of exponential development in accommodation
because this rests in the hands of individual enterprise.
“This
is why we are embracing Homestays, which provide different experiences
to visitors who get to interact with the local community and share
their rural life experiences.
“It is also suitable for
urban-based Kenyans who have no roots in rural areas. They learn what
goes on in a farm on a daily basis and enjoy natural sounds away from
the urban bustle,” says Mr Miano.
The regional
director of the Tourism Regulatory Authority, Mr David Gitonga, says the
authority is training Homestay operators in hospitality, regulations
and safety.
“In addition, Homestays must fulfill
guidelines regarding emergency response, security, hygiene and
sanitation. One family member must be living within the home. It is only
after inspection and certification by the authority that they get
licensed.”
The government has set a Sh1,000 fee for an
economy level Homestay, Sh2,000 for standard level Homestay and Sh3,000
for executive Homestay. The home must not have more than six rooms,
which would be put in the class of a guest house.
Mr Gitonga says the authority is encouraging more local residents to venture into the business
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