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To revitalize tourism, Kenya appeals local travellers

 Thursday, July 6, 2023

To revitalize the tourism industry, Kenya has demanded the stakeholders to aim on domestic visitors which have been negatively affected earlier by travel restrictions due to COVID-19.

Also, the Kenya Tourism Board called upon the Kenya nationals to hug close domestic travel, travel around and go through new experiences, and add to the growth and development of the local tourism sector.

By doing it, they not only add to the growth and development of tourism but also maintain the food chain and certain the financial sustainability of the hotels, Francis Gichaba, KTB Chairperson, said in a recent report which was issued on Tuesday in Nairobi.

The declaration came as the campaign name – You Deserve A Holiday which was introduced in 2022 by the KTB and symbolizes an imposing milestone, with 108,963 bed nights sold till date and making profits of almost 1.09 billion Kenyan shillings from the time of its introduction one year back.

Next to tea, horticulture, and diaspora, the tourism industry is one of the leading foreign exchange earners for the country. Last year, tourist arrivals stood at 1.48 million. It was a 70 percent rise compared to 2021. In this way, Kenya earned 1.90 billion U.S. dollars. This was up from 1.02 billion dollars in 2021.

Gichaba, who was delivering a speech during the domestic activation drive organized in Nairobi, highlighted the significance of domestic tourism in helping local communities and financial system.