POPE FRANCIS INCLUDES KENYA IN NOVEMBER TRIP TO AFRICA
(Posted 23rd June 2015)
When Uganda some two weeks ago announced the visit by a third Pope to the country in November this year since independence was speculation imminent that the papal Africa trip would be extended to Kenya as well.
Both Vatican and the Kenyan government have yesterday confirmed the upcoming trip, no doubt to the delight of not just the Catholic faithful but the country’s tourism industry too.
With US President Barack Obama heading to Nairobi to attend a global entrepreneur conference at the end of July will the visit by Pope Francis equally bring the global spotlight back on Kenya.
Britain lifted the cursed anti-travel advisories against the Kenya coast last week, and the visit of two such high profile visitors like Obama and Pope Francis will send a message out into the global market place that Kenya is safe and ready to receive tourists.
Following the exit of some of the worst anti-travel advisories’ language ever seen, which cost the country tens of thousands of visitors and huge revenue and job losses, can the Kenya Tourism Board, which budget was increased more than fivefold in the recently announced budget estimates for 2015/16 expect a major publicity boost, and free of charge, when the two high profile visitors will be on the TV screens around the world.
Regular tourism stakeholder contributors have already said that the recovery marketing campaign which is due to be launched soon, ought to build on the global fame of such visitors like Obama and the Pope and send the message out that if these two can come to Kenya, so can thousands of ordinary people too.
The papal visit has been scheduled for the 18th and 19th of November and hundreds of Catholic faithful from the Eastern African region and beyond are also expected to make the journey and see one of the most popular Popes in recent history in person.
