TWIN ATTACKS ON SECURITY FORCES INSTALLATIONS RAISES FEARS ABOUT TOURISM RECOVERY
(Posted 03rd November 2014)
Kenya’s tourism industry, already hard pressed this year vis a vis a series of security incidents earlier in the year, has yesterday suffered fresh challenges, as key stakeholders prepare to attend the 2014 edition of the World Travel Market. Twin attacks on the Nyali barracks and an Administration Police camp in Malindi, both incidentally swiftly repulsed at a heavy cost of lives among the gunmen, now need to be explained after months of relative calm. One senior stakeholder, who left last evening for London, expressed his own worries about the implications of the coordinated attacks which occurred within the space of minutes of each other.
‘On one side it is good, if any good can be seen in this, that these guys attacked military and police installations, where they can meet instant lethal force, and not to have turned their evil minds to attacking soft targets. From what a Mombasa based staff told me the exchange of fire did not take too long and those of the attackers who were not shot dead ran away. But you are of course right, this on the eve of WTM is a badly timed situation for us and I expect foreign embassies and foreign affairs offices to react with more negative travel advisories’.
Only a month ago, at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo, did government officials sound positive that added security measures were showing results with a lull of several months, only to see their assurances hollowed out by yesterday’s events. At the MKTE 2014 did Britain’s High Commissioner to Kenya Mr. Christian Turner say to this correspondent that a toning down of the present travel advisories for the Kenya coast would take some added measures by the Kenyan authorities and yesterday’s events will not likely soften the mood at White Hall anytime soon to dial the prohibitive advisories back, but rather take a fresh look and add some more in light of these two attacks.
According to a regular source from Mombasa were at least 6 of the attackers of the Nyali army barracks killed, at least one captured alive – no doubt already undergoing vigorous interrogation – while there were telltale signs that some others may have escaped with gunshot wounds, which prompted a dragnet alert to all medical facilities and pharmacies to immediately report persons seeking treatment or medication for such injuries.
No dead were reported from the gunfight at the Administration Police camp in Malindi where the attackers were also repelled but stakeholder worries were expressed through various channels over this taking place so close to one of Kenya’s best known holiday resort towns.
One senior contracting staff from a central European tour operator, also heading to London, was forthright when commenting, needless to say on condition of anonymity: ‘I have pity for our partners in Kenya. They have tried so hard and the last few weeks gave rise to new hope that next year will see an upswing again. They did a great job with the hosted buyer programme at their Magical Kenya exhibition but they now suffer yet another setback. Combine this with the general ignorance of many people, and in particular certain global media organizations about the Ebola outbreak it provides the classic perfect storm.
Sadly Africa is just seen by those as one single place plagued by disease, terror and famine, which now impacts on travel to the whole of East Africa by the way, not just Kenya. It makes life for KTB and the Kenyan team at WTM even harder. World Travel Market will see a chilly breeze come the way of the Kenyan and East African stands and those of us selling Kenya and Tanzania it will be wait and see how things pan out’.
Kenya will exhibit alongside Uganda and Rwanda and the three delegations will for sure stand together, to fight off the notion that East Africa was in the Ebola outbreak zone as well as general suggestions that the entire region was unsafe to travel to, especially after Burundi suffered a sharpish anti-travel advisory too by the American State Department only two days ago.
To appreciate the full range of tourism attractions across Eastern Africa click on www.magicalkenya.com, www.visituganda,com and www.rwandatourism.com
