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Tourist destinations within KenyaWhenever you think of exotic tourist destinations, Kenya always comes to mind. Home of the proverbial safari,the visitor will experience a fascinating array of tourist locations. Boundless
savannah
, the big five of game,
white sunny sand beaches
, deep sea fishing, all year round sun, exotic mountain treks, trout fishing in freshwater mountain rivers, scintillating night entertainment, a simply taste of an
urban cosmopolitan community
,the variety is endless, only limited by one’s imagination.
This is the home of the safari . The boundless wilderness and big game of this region has long attracted adventure seekers from all over the globe. No other country can boast of such an incredible range of , unique landscapes , geographical features and species. In the recent past Kenya has received a lot of negative publicity on matters on security, political upheavals and what not but trust me, it’s not half as bad as it seems!
This is a land of endless potential for the wildlife enthusiast. From great migratory herds of the open savannah to an incredible abundance of birdlife, from the depths of a tropical rainforest to the depths of the Indian Ocean teeming with fish, this is a world of natural wonders. A safari into the wilderness is a journey into nature at its purest. Everywhere you look there is a profusion of life.
Sadly, Kenya’s international image has taken a beating in the wake of post-election violence in which more than 1,000 people have died and cost the economy billions of shillings. Repairing the country’s tattered image will be the key to reviving tourism, Kenya’s leading source of foreign exchange, and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), both critical for economic growth. Kenya earned Sh65.4 billion from tourism in 2007. The sector directly employs over 250,000 people while supporting an estimated three million indirectly. But a big percentage of tourist bookings for the first half of 2008 have already been lost and an average of Sh5.5 billion in revenue was expected to be lost every month during the crisis. In the long-term, improving the country’s image as a prime tourist destination would require efforts by the Government, the media, the private sector and Kenyans in the diaspora through a national branding effort. Diplomacy and advertising can be used to try and repair Kenya’s image but it would have limited impact, especially if foreign reporters based in Nairobi continued to file stories that contradicted what the Kenyan government advertisements claimed.
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