Visit Kenya, forget what you thought you knew!
(Posted 29th December 2015)
The author is Ms. Imelda Ndomo from the Kenya Tourism Federation responsible for Corporate Communications.
A new narrative of Africa is emerging; one of a continent of immense potential and on the rise. Global economic growth projections for 2016 indicate that Africa is home to four of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies (Bloomberg). This is buoyed by new business opportunities across major economic sectors in the region. Africa is making increasing gains in her quest for her rightful place in the global economy, politics and socio-cultural sphere.
Kenya was recently ranked by the World Bank’s Kenya Economic Update as one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. This is a reflection of the growing industry and enterprise in the country, supported by growing engagement between government and private sector on policy matters; the government being increasingly cognizant of the role of private sector in driving economic growth. This has seen the country witness growth and innovations in various sectors including the financial services sector; telecommunications; Hospitality and MICE industries – New capital investments in Hospitality in 2013 totalled US$25.9m.
It is in this light that Kenya recently hosted the 6th global entrepreneurship summit, an annual event that brings together governments, investors and entrepreneurs to encourage innovation. Addressing the summit, US President Obama recognized Kenya’s strides in the past decade, noting it narrowed the disparity in per capita income in comparison to Asian tiger Singapore from a fortieth approximately 10 years ago to about a thirteenth today.
The head of the Catholic Church, the world’s largest religious congregation – Pope Francis, visited Kenya on November 25th- 27th, during a three leg tour of Africa, his first. The choice of Kenya for the visit attests to Kenya’s importance in the global arena, not only in regard to matters of religion, peace and environmental conservation. These high profile visits could not have run any smoother, once again, disproving misperceptions that suggest otherwise about visiting Kenya.
The time to visit Kenya is now
Safety
Security challenges is global; and no country or destination is immune. Despite the challenges, Kenya is one of the countries that record the lowest occurrence of tourist security incidents. Tourist Police Unit is a specialized unit of Kenya Police providing security specifically for the tourism sector. The industry remains proactive on matters of visitors’ security and runs a 24 hour security monitoring operation in all the tourism circuits through the KTF-SCC, and disseminates safety alerts and advice to the industry. Surveillance is heightened during perceived high risk periods.
Catering to Visitors’ Tastes and Preferences
Kenya is a must visit destination with immense natural resources and investments in hospitality and leisure, complemented by a warm, culturally diverse people and year round pleasant tropical weather.
Kenya is home to leading international and local hospitality brands; with even more hospitality brands setting up shop here, with the business traveler in mind. Be it MICE, adventure, safari, wellness, sports, golf e.t.c. there is something for everyone.
The time has never been better to come and experience Kenya for yourself and forget what you thought you knew!
