TOURISM IN KENYA

GEDI RUINS - NEAR MALINDI -
COULD BE A MAJOR ATTRACTION

TO MAKE KENYA INTO EUROPE'S "NUMERO UNO"
DESTINATION IS NOT REALLY ALL THAT DIFFICULT

Coastweek - - Although the tourism industry has seen some recent signs of robust growth a lot more needs to be done to make Kenya the number one tourist destination in Africa.

Tourism not only creates direct employment through the investment of capital but it also creates indirect jobs in related sectors such as transport companies, car hire firms, hardware shops, food processing factories and so on.

The problem however, is that the current set of incentives for the tourism industry are completely exclusive of the local people.

They are segregated and uninvolved in many tourism activities and decisions.

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INVOLVEMENT CREATES A SENSE OF PRIDE

If the local community in certain tourism destination were involved more, they would feel a greater sense of pride in contributing to development of their areas.

This would automatically sustain a sustainable way of promoting tourism- ecotourism.

Last summer, while on Holiday at home, a trip to the Coast filled me with grief as I saw the abundant potential that still exists to boost tourism.

The stretch along Mama Ngina Drive is a perfect example of the many opportunities that exist.

Here alone exists the historic lighthouse, the popular Florida nightclub, and a golf course with the most magnificent view of the sea at large.

By evening this place becomes a bustling hub with the locals selling the traditional Swahili food - mandazi, mhogo cooked in various forms and madafu.

But does one ever see bus loads of tourists venturing to try these delicious fares?

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Insecurity, pothole filled roads
and a general lack of publicity.

Why, what or who is to blame?

Insecurity, pothole filled roads and a general lack of publicity.

With some private investment and help from the government, the place could become just like one those popular touristy night markets that are found in Malaysia and Singapore.

The historical Fort Jesus, a slightly more popular and visited attraction is still not exploited to its full potential.

It is the main attraction in Old Town which offers lovely colonial era architecture and typical Arabic and Lamu style buildings, all of which could be offered as walking tours of the city that once was.

The city council could help restore and clean up this area by giving local inhabitants incentives to maintain their buildings.

The Vasco de Gama pillar in Malindi, a famous colonial era monument is also probably even unheard of by tourists who visit the Coast.

In fact Malindi is now only known to be a 'party' town.

There also used to once exist an underground wartime tunnel between the now derelict Hotel Manor and the watchtower on Mama Ngina Drive.

Developers with innovative ideas wanted to turn this into a major tourist attraction were prohibited from doing so due to politicizing of the issue.

Also near Malindi lie the historic but unexplored Gedi ruins, which is another place that could be a major attraction.

Tourists in other parts of the world, in Rome for example solely visit the city for its ruins in Fora Romano and the Colesseum.

Perhaps the Gedi ruins can become like these places.

Just like the "Gondola" trips in Venice, we can have "dhow trips" from the Likoni Harbour.

Tourism in Kenya is the most feasible and viable way forward since the primary infrastructure already exists.

All that is required investing in secondary infrastructure - improving the roads to these particular areas, encouraging the tourism board to market Kenya for more things than just the Big Five, and most important of all, maintaining these sites by ensuring that they are easily accessible by all, have tourist police on site and have public facilities.

To make Kenya Europe's number one destination is not all that difficult as it may seem even in the era of 'travel advisories'.

With the right incentives to the private sector and little help from the government, Kenya could very soon overtake Tanzania, Egypt and Mauritius.

Shreya Hasmukhlal Shah, Kenyan graduate student, International Business School, Brandeis University, U.S.A.

cherieshez@gmail.com


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