According to statistics
released earlier this year, Kenya's 2018 tourist arrivals grew by 37.33
percent from the previous year to cross the two million mark for the
first time, posting significant growth in
earnings to Sh157 billion compared to Sh119 billion earned in 2017.
earnings to Sh157 billion compared to Sh119 billion earned in 2017.
The
statistics also showed that there were over 2,025,206 international
tourist arrivals. However, the statistics on domestic tourism pointed to
only a paltry nine percent increase.
Domestic tourism
in Kenya is a field that the industry players ought to tap into more to
increase revenue as it holds huge potential and its importance for
economic development cannot be underestimated.
Many
Kenyans prefer to travel to international destinations over local
destinations while some do not travel at all. This is while keeping in
mind that every time we travel and buy outside the country we are
inadvertently taking away the economic growth we could be retaining in
our country.
I believe that we need to package local
tourism better and market it to our own local market to not only sustain
the volatile sector but also provide opportunities for locals to
explore their country.
It’s therefore important for tourism industry players including
the government to unite and realize the potential of domestic tourism.
As the industry grows, more local businesses will thrive and as a result
more employment opportunities will be unlocked.
There are various ways of that we can tap into to improve the uptake of domestic tourism in Kenya.
Infrastructure
in Kenya is a key detractor to domestic tourism. With road transport
being the key mode of transport, many road networks where tourist
attraction sites are located need proper upgrades. This also involves
the constructing new routes in those places where it is non-existent.
Infrastructure upgrades should not only be focused on road networks but
also railways, airstrips and airports.
For example,
accessing the Masai Mara Game Reserve where the 7th wonder of the world
is found still remains a challenge today due to poor road networks.
Kenya’s
Safari and beach experience are some of the world’s most spectacular
travel experiences and have put Kenya on the global map.
However,
more campaigns should be conducted with a view of educating and
familiarizing the locals about available local destinations and the
importance of tourism in a society. Also packaged in affordable rates,
they will create a desire among the locals to visit and explore more
local destinations.
In Kenya, most of the resources
allocated to tourism go to marketing of select destinations like the
coastal regions and wildlife expeditions. However, there are various
other undiscovered tourist destinations around the country. The
government should enhance equal distribution of resources to all sectors
and regions. This will open up more destinations that will inversely
arouse interest among locals.
The tourism and travel
sector is one of the most competitive in the world with many
organizations trying to outwit each other in selling their countries.
The government should provide simpler ways of doing businesses in the
sector by lowering taxes on agents who also focus on selling local
travel packages.
The writer is founder, JRV Travel, Nairobi.
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