Although it may come as a surprise to many, Kenya did surprising well in regard to tourism in 2007. All of Africa in general experienced an exceptional 2007 as nearly 900 million registered visitors decided to spend some time on the continent, a nearly 6% growth over the previous year. On heels of such good news, and in an obvious effort to overcome recent political turmoil and instability, the Kenyan ministry of tourism has undertaken an ambitious campaign aimed at encouraging domestic tourism in Kenya. The main focus of the initiative is to encourage and persuade current residents of Kenya to visit some of the major tourist spots around the nation.
Titled the Nakumatt Smart Safari Promotion, it is co-sponsored by Nakumatt holdings and the Kenya Tourism Board. Beyond simple marketing, the campaign has also made available several travel packages for local visitors enabling them to access the some of the most popular tourist destinations at discounted rates on airfare and hotel stays.
Tourism dramatically decreased when violence erupted after the elections earlier this year. The political uncertainty caused both local and international travellers to cancel their reservations. However, in light of France's recent downgrading and lessening of their travel warnings regarding Kenya, the nation is hoping that more French tourists will choose Kenya as a vacation spot. According to account manager Annabelle Barro with KTB in Paris, there were approximately 52,000 French tourists last year in Kenya as compared to the 30,000 in 2003.
It is yet to be seen how quickly property investors will decide that Kenya's tourism market is substantial enough to warrant further investment in the nation. Part of Kenya's plan does appear to include first attracting tourists dollars, while also pursuing foreign investment money. However, the nation still needs to demonstrate that the government and political system is stable enough to warrant such a risk.
