KENYA
TOURISM ON THE ROAD TO
RECOVERY
by
Helen C. Broadus
.
.
The
travel and tourism industry of Kenya
has managed to recover from great
adversity in overcoming a severe range
of marketing challenges these past few
years. In 1998, the United States
Embassy in Nairobi was destroyed by a
terrorist bombing attack and another
terrorist bombing attack occurred near
Mombassa at a resort frequented by
Jewish tourists in 2002. These
unfortunate incidents have severely
affected the travel and tourism
industry of Kenya due to negative
travel advisories and the subsequent
banning of commercial flights from the
United States and several European
nations. As a result, Kenya was
regrettably labeled with an assessment
for the potential for "imminent
terrorist attack" which fortunately
never materialized.
Miraculously,
Kenya has survived by going to great
efforts to not only address these
perceived security issues and concerns
for tourists but has also instituted
significant safety and security
upgrades at its two major gateway
airports of Nairobi and Mombassa. In
addition, Kenya Airways has established
new service routes to Bangkok and Hong
Kong in order to reach out to a new
Southeast Asia and East Asia market.
There is also great potential growth in
cruise tourism to Kenya in conjunction
with several East African destinations
such as Zanzibar.
One of
Kenya's major challenges is to attract
more up-market tourism, which has
suffered a great deal from competition
with South Africa and Botswana. With
tourism as Kenya's third largest source
of foreign exchange revenue, coupled
with the potential to become its most
lucrative industry, tourism marketing
needs to be treated as a top priority
within the government. It should also
be noted that despite the past few
years of adversity in the travel and
tourism industry of Kenya, it is
currently the third most visited
country in Africa after Ghana and South
Africa by African-Americans. Kenya's
Tourism Minister, the Hon. Raphael
Tuju, is an excellent spokesperson for
his country's tourism industry and
hopefully with a more coordinated
marketing strategy being implemented
this recovery is well on the
way.
A major
initiative geared towards regaining the
prestige that the tourism industry of
Kenya has earned over the years is to
increase the knowledge and professional
expertise of American travel agents who
promote tourism opportunities to Kenya
known as the Kenya Authorized Travel
Specialist (KATS) program - which was
introduced in 2002 by the Kenya Tourist
Board. This destination specialist
program includes online study followed
by test (classroom training is offered
occasionally). Travel agents who
successfully pass the test earn KATS
designation, along with earning
Institute of Certified Travel Agents
(ICTA) credits, and receive marketing
materials, news updates, sales tips,
special promotional offers and
information on marketing opportunities.
KATS travel agents who also complete a
seven-day Kenya study tour advance to
the Master KATS level. For more
information about KATS program contact
(866) 44-KENYA or infousa@MagicalKenya.com
and visit their website at
www.KenyaAgent.com.
The
Republic of Kenya is located in East
Africa and is bordered on the north by
Ethiopia and Sudan, on the east by
Somalia and the Indian Ocean, on the
south by Tanzania and on the west by
Uganda. There are approximately thirty
million inhabitants with the largest
percentage of the population living in
the southwest and along the coast with
70% residing in rural areas. Tourism is
a major industry in this East African
nation and with its diversity of
climate, landscapes, coastal resorts
and wildlife parks its tourist
potential is considerable. Kenya is
bisected by the Great Rift Valley
extending from Lake Turkana in the
north to Lake Nattron on the Tanzanian
border and the equator runs across the
foothills of snow-capped Mount Kenya,
which is Africa's second highest
mountain. Within Kenya's borders, there
are twenty national parks, including
Maasai Mara (adjoining Tanzania's
Serengeti Park), Amboseli and Tsavo.
Overall, an estimated 1,250,000 million
tourists spent $500 million in 2000 and
after agricultural exports of tea and
coffee tourism is the major currency
earner.
Kenya,
the original home of the word "safari"
has become synonymous with safari
travel. When the early European
explorers arrived on the coast of
Kenya, they would set out on great
journeys into the unknown. Their
porters called these journeys "safari"
which in Swahili means simply a
"journey". Today, the word safari has
become a byword for romance and
adventure. Kenya is blessed with a
great range of altitude, which creates
its wide range of landscapes, climate
and flora and fauna and has earned it
the name of Safari country.
Consequently, whatever you are seeking
on your journey, you will find it in
Kenya. No other country on earth can
offer the visitor as much to see and
do. Within the borders of Kenya, you
will find savannahs rich with big game,
timeless cultures unchanged by the
modern world, pristine beaches and
coral reefs, equatorial forests and
mighty snow-capped mountains, searing
deserts and cool highland retreats, an
exotic history and a fascinating modern
culture, as well as endless
opportunities for adventure, discovery,
relaxation and so much more than you
could possibly expect. This is what is
commonly referred to as "Magical Kenya"
where you can experience a different
safari every day!
Places
of Interest for Eco-Tourism
Kenya offers the visitor a world of
diversity and has always been the
ultimate destination for wildlife
lovers. Kenya has also long been known
as the home of Africa's famous "Big
Five" (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard
and buffalo). Kenyans truly believe
that their country is the best place on
the entire continent to see these five
magnificent species in their natural
environment. Moreover, a wildlife
safari in Kenya is an unforgettable
experience, and how you choose to
experience your wildlife safari is
entirely up to you. You can explore the
many national parks, reserves and
private sanctuaries by four-wheel
drive, soar high above the treetops in
a hot air balloon, see the animals from
horseback or even track game by foot
with an expert guide. Regardless of
your budget, interest or length of
stay, Kenya has an excellent range of
safari accommodations and tour
operators to ensure that you will be
catered for with utmost comfort and
security.
Kenya
has forty-eight (48) National Parks and
Reserves, including Marine Parks,
combined with many private sanctuaries
and game ranches to include the
following major wildlife
attractions:
Maasai
Mara which remains one of Kenya's
best loved reserves with 1,672 sq.
kms/1,039 sq. miles of wild savannah,
rolling hills and verdant forest with
huge grazing herds, bountiful birdlife
and Africa's largest population of
lions. Each year the Maasai Mara is the
staging ground for the Great Migration,
one of the most awe-inspiring natural
events in the world. As the rains bring
the grasslands of the Maasai Mara to
life, the vast plains rumble with the
thunder of approaching hooves as more
than 1.5 million wildebeest migrate
north from the Serengeti in Tanzania.
The resulting migratory known as the
"greatest game show on earth" is
considered one of the world's most
impressive natural
spectacles.
Samburu,
Shaba and Buffalo Springs encompass an
arid wilderness where the waters of the
Ewaso N'giro River attract a profusion
of game. This beautiful area is well
known for its large herds of elephants
and elusive leopards. Likewise, Tsavo
is a vast wilderness park of beautiful
plains crossed by the tracks of the
historic Kenya/Uganda railway, which
brought fame to this region with the
legend of "The Man-Eating Lions" of
Tsavo. Surprisingly, on the outskirts
of Nairobi is Kenya's first national
park, which serves as a link between
the modern capital and the natural
heritage of Kenya. Here you can find
herds of zebra and giraffe, prides of
lion and rhino families, living freely
and wild just thirty minutes from a
major city center. It provides tourists
the ultimate one-day urban
adventure.
Meru is
a remote park that was recently reborn
through a major initiative to improve
its access, facilities and management.
The result is Kenya's newest wildlife
attraction which is an unspoiled
verdant paradise surrounding the waters
of the Tana River. This was the
wilderness into which George and Joy
Adamson released the lioness Elsa,
creating the much-loved story Born
Free. Laikipia is a region that was
once a series of large private cattle
ranches and traditional grazing land,
until changing times and fortunes saw
these properties turn to wildlife
conservation and tourism. This region
has now become a remarkable success
story, as these local communities and
private game ranches work together to
conserve both wildlife and traditional
lifestyles and provides the ultimate
eco-tourist destination.
In
addition, Kenya has five Marine Parks
and Reserves which were established to
protect the wealth of undersea life
along Kenya's shores. Here you can
dive, snorkel or take a glass bottom
boat to explore a world of coral reefs
that team with life and color,
dolphins, turtles, giant morays and
mantas.
The
Great Rift Valley is fondly referred to
as the "Valley of Life" and bisects
Kenya from north to south. The Great
Rift Valley is a geographical wonder
and in Kenya has created a unique world
of highland savannahs, volcanic peaks
and lava flows, canyons, escarpments
and lakes. The wide plains and
savannahs of the Great Rift Valley have
become the grassland home of grazing
herds and the kingdom of lions and
other predators. High, wide and wild,
the savannah of the Kenyan Great Rift
Valley is often referred to as the
original "Garden of Eden". In addition,
the floor of the Kenyan Great Rift
Valley is peppered with lakes, both
freshwater and saline and each of these
lakes offers something different to the
visitor:
A
living carpet of thousands of flamingo
often covers Lake Nakuru, which is one
of Kenya's best-known wildlife
attractions. This spectacular ocean of
pink is surrounded by forest and plains
that are home to lion, rhino, leopard
and large herds of waterbuck. Lake
Naivasha is a bird lover's paradise
with its fresh waters attracting over
400 recorded species. This large lake
is edged by banks of papyrus and thick
forests of beautiful yellow Acacia
trees, with herds of giraffe, zebra and
buffalo. Hippos and crocodiles both
abound in Lake Baringo, a freshwater
lake with stunning views of surrounding
volcanic ranges. This is a great lake
to explore by boat, with plenty of
birdlife and a large rocky island, Ol
Kokwe, to visit.
The
northern frontier of Kenya is a vast
expansive of semi-arid wilderness and
desert, regarded as Kenya's real
adventure country. Here lies one of
Kenya's least known wonders, Lake
Turkana, it is a vast inland sea whose
bright blue waters are an unexpected
sight in this desolate wilderness.
Known as the Jade Sea, Lake Turkana is
the ultimate adventure destination,
brimming with Africa's largest
population of Nile crocodiles and the
home of tribal cultures that are
largely untouched by the outside
world.
Places
of Interest for Cultural
Tourism
One
word is heard all over Kenya &endash;
"Karibu" which means "welcome" and in
Kenya it is a greeting, an invitation
and a blessing. This natural warmth is
evident on every smiling face that
welcomes you to Kenya. With forty-two
cultures, countless languages and
dialects, Kenya is one of the most
richly diverse social tapestries on
earth. This natural warmth is evident
on every smiling face that welcomes you
to Kenya. Interestingly, Kenya's past
is a history of change and diversity, a
long story of the meeting and melding
of many different peoples and cultures.
This history stretches back further
than most as archaeological excavations
have shown that humans have actively
inhabited Kenya for the past 4.5
million years.
Anywhere
you travel in Kenya, you will find
different and fascinating cultures.
Meet the Swahili sailors of the eastern
coast, visit the thorn-enclosed
villages of the Maasia in the south,
walk with Samburu warriors in the
northern wilderness, or fish with the
Luo, master fishermen of Lake Victoria
in the west. Although Kenya remained a
British colony until a determined
struggle for freedom saw the
independent republic born in 1963,
modern Kenya remains a multi-cultural
and diverse society, yet purely,
proudly Kenyan. This is a country where
customs and tradition are blended and
absorbed into modern life. In Kenya you
will find some of Africa's most
exciting and vibrant modern arts,
music, theater and dance, all alongside
proud displays of traditional arts and
culture.
The
Kenyan coastline is blessed by a gentle
monsoonal wind known as the "Kaskazi",
which became known as a trade wind,
bringing trading dhows, explorers and
adventurers to the shores of Kenya.
This trade of goods and cultures
created a unique society, where outside
influence blended with indigenous
customs and traditions. This culture
became known as Swahili, derived from
the Arabic word "Sahel" which means
coast. The Swahili culture, and it
language became a persuasive influence
throughout Kenya which ultimately led
to Swahili becoming the most commonly
spoken language in Africa. This was a
culture born of the sea, and this
legacy remains as trading dhows still
sail the length of the
coastline.
Swahili
culture still thrives along the Kenyan
coast where you will find its rich
history. For the visitor, it is still
easy to immerse oneself in the
atmosphere along the streets of
Mombassa's "Old Town" as you find
yourself transported back into a period
reminiscent of the Arabian Nights.
Explore the impressive Fort Jesus which
was built in 1598 and became the
staging ground for a turbulent and
bloody war for control of the coast
between the Portuguese and the Shirazi
and Omani Arabs that lasted over 400
years. You can also trace the journey
of Vasco da Gama to Malindi, which
became an important center for
Portuguese settlement. To the north,
the island town of Lamu remains a
Swahili community unchanged by the
outside world, where life is lived at a
very relaxed pace.
If Lamu
is the most exotic Swahili town, then
Gedi is the most mysterious. The ruins
of this lost city, once a great and
wealthy trading outpost, lie deep in
the Arabuko Sokoke coastal rainforest.
Gedi is a puzzle to historians and
archaeologist alike. Never once
mentioned or recorded in the extensive
written history of the area, this
magnificent settlement seems to have
existed without the knowledge of the
outside world. Equally mysterious was
its sudden abandonment in the mid-16th
century. No reason is clear for this
desertion and no record was made of the
whereabouts or fate of its entire
population. Gedi continues to remain a
mystery, and its ghostly ruins in the
depths of the forest make for a
fascinating visit.
Accommodations
When
you are looking for accommodation that
will suit your individual needs, you
will have a world of choices available.
In fact, going on a safari in Kenya's
great wilderness doesn't have to mean
great discomfort. Many safari lodges,
guesthouses and tented camps are the
last word on luxury. Fantastically
appointed, they offer beautifully,
locally decorated rooms or huge fully
furnished tents with ensuite bathrooms.
Fantastic international cuisine,
excellent service and highly trained
local guides all let you enjoy the
wilderness in comfort and style. All
over the country there are
accommodations that can cater to any
possible budget, taste, interest or
preference. Luxurious guesthouses,
beachfront resorts, tiny hotels,
hostels, backpacker lodges or village
home-stays. All of this and much more
can be found in Kenya and after a great
day of spectacular game viewing, you
can best rest assured that you will be
well taken care of. In addition, the
capital city of Nairobi has all of the
requisite amenities and comforts with
its many upscale hotels, restaurants
and cosmopolitan lifestyle.
Getting
There
Kenya
is readily accessible from air from
Europe, the United States, Southern
Africa, the Middle East and Australia.
There are three international airports
at Nairobi, Mombassa and Eldoret,
serving many major airlines. Kenya's
own national airline is a highly
regarded international carrier, with a
modern fleet of aircraft. Known as the
"Pride of Africa" it has been named
African Airline of the year for the
past three years. Domestic flights are
handled by Kenya Airways, Air Kenya and
other domestic carriers, with a regular
schedule of international flights to
city, coastal and game park
destinations. Kenya has a very good
network of airstrips throughout the
country and excellent air charter
service is available to any destination
within Kenya. Available charter
aircraft ranges from small
single-engines and helicopters to large
twin-engine carriers.
Kenya
also has a very god road network, and
well-equipped and fully-serviced safari
vehicles are used to access many
wilderness and coastal attractions.
Private care hire is available. Both
private and public bus service are
available throughout Kenya along with
historic railways which run daily
between Nairobi and Mombassa and
Nairobi and Kisumu. Lastly, the coast
is a port of call for cruise ships as
well as private and chartered
yachts.
Facts
and Figures
Time:
Kenya has a single time zone which is
GMT +3.
Currency:
The official currency is the Kenya
Shilling (KSh). Visitors to Kenya
should only change foreign currency at
banks, bureaux de change or authorized
hotels and the easiest currency to
exchange are U.S. dollars. Travellers
cheques are widely accepted and many
hotels, travel agencies, safari
companies and restaurants accept credit
cards. In addition, most banks are also
equipped to advance cash on credit
cards.
Telecommunications:
Kenya has a good network of telephone,
cellular and satellite connections.
Most hotels and lodges offer
international telephone and fax
services as well as e-mail and internet
services. When calling Kenya, the
international coded is 254+ the local
area code.
Electricity:
The electricity supply in Kenya is
220/240v 50Hz. Plugs are 3-point square
and if you are planning to bring any
sophisticated electrical/electronic
device, you should bring your own
voltage and plug adaptors.
General
Contact Information
Kenya
Tourist Board
P.O.
Box 30630,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Tel:
254-2-719924/719926/719928
Fax:
254-2-719925
E-mail:
info@kenyatourism.org
Website:
www.MagicalKenya.com
Embassy
of Kenya in the United
States
2249 R
Street, N.W.,
Washington,
D.C. 20008
Tel:
(202) 387-6101 and Fax: (202)
462-3849
About
The Author:
.
.
We
have 1
