Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary, Najib Balala, has advised President Uhuru Kenyatta to invest in the country's internal security.
According to the CS, Kenya has lagged behind in the Tourism sector since the country has in the past faced various security threats and it lacks enough world-class hotels to accommodate tourists.
Balala cited the issues as reasons that have made Tanzania a better proposition for tourists in East Africa.
"The biggest challenge that we have as an industry is a security. Our porous border with Somalia is also a concern for our visitors," highlighted Balala.
Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV, Balala noted that while the number of foreign tourists increased from 1,342,899 in 2016 to 1,474,671 in 2017, the country has the potential of attracting many more tourists if hotel infrastructure and customer service is improved.
[caption caption="File image of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Tourism CS Najib Balala"]
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The CS added that tourists visit the country because they want activities to do around their vacations, therefore being sure of security safety is key.
Balala stated: "The reason why Tanzania did better than us in 2017 is that their hotels are brand new and modern while our hotels are 40 years old."
While mentioning that the country targets to attract to attract 2.5 million tourists per year by 2022, the CS affirmed that the government has engaged the hoteliers and agreed on the standards needed to attain the government’s goals.
Balala further announced that the tourists should anticipate for better services at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after an impromptu inspection by himself, Interior and Transport and Infrastructure counterparts Fred Matiang'i and James Macharia on January 10.
[caption caption="File image of Cabinet Secretaries, Najib Balala, Fred Matiang'i, James Macharia and Dr Cleopa Mailu"]
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“We have signed a three-ministry MOU. We started actualizing it 10 days ago. There is a training of airport staff. Improvement of signage and better handling of tourists by customs and immigration officials,” claimed Balala.
The MOU clarifies the role of each ministry is service delivery at the airport and Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Managing Director Jonny Andersen was tasked with ensuring that handling of tourists at the facility is top notch.
