Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua on Thursday, May 9, revealed that the government would create a tourism park dedicated to tree planting.
Speaking during a meeting of an Australian travel company, Mutua detailed that the park would allow Kenyans and tourists to plant trees at the park.
He noted that the idea was informed by the push of the government to conserve the habitats for wildlife and also address the risks of climate change.
Mutua also expressed that the initiative aligns with President William Ruto's plan of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
Further, the CS also proposed hotels and lodges to encourage visitors to plant trees.
"I proposed that hotels and lodges encourage visitors to plant trees at their sites, for a nominal fee. Additionally, Nairobi plans to establish a Tourism Park for tree planting," he stated.
Further, the CS also noted that the government would be pushing to build new sanctuaries for rhinos and breed endangered species which is attractive to global tourists.
"Both the Governments of Australia and Kenya emphasized the crucial role of tourism in job creation, skills development, and the overall well-being of Kenyans.
"However, they acknowledged the negative impacts such as carbon emissions, habitat degradation, and unequal distribution of benefits, he stated.
The CS also detailed that the government was keen on looking at global markets that had not been fully tapped for tourism.
For instance, he expressed that the government would be keen on pushing the number of tourists from Australia from the current 4,800 to 6,000 in 2024.
Earlier, Mutua indicated that his Ministry would adopt new facilities including airstrips and luxurious short-stay apartments to attract wealthy tourists.
