Kenya says tourist numbers to increase as mountain trail reopens

NAIROBI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) — Kenyan Vice President Rigathi Gachagua said Saturday the government expects tourist numbers to remain on an upward trajectory as new tourist routes are reopened, including the central mountain region of Kenya.

Speaking at the reopening of the iconic Treetops Lodge in Aberdare National Park, located in central Kenya’s Nyeri County, Gachagua said tourist numbers were already increasing, thanks to peace and product diversification.

“We want tourists to come and see Kenya as a refuge and a good destination,” he said.

Treetops Lodge, considered a significant part of Kenya’s history and heritage, is closely linked to the British monarchy. It was here that the late Queen Elizabeth stayed in 1952 when her father, King George VI, died and she soon ascended the throne.

The resort was closed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its renovation and reopening are expected to revitalize mountain tourism in central Kenya, create new jobs and boost the government coffers.

Gachagua said the projected increase in tourist numbers after the slump that occurred during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2022 would boost economic growth and foreign exchange earnings. He noted that the government had introduced fiscal and regulatory incentives to spur investment in the tourism sector, which contributed about 350 billion shillings (about 2.7 billion U.S. dollars) to the Kenyan economy in 2023.

According to Gachagua, the government has invested in security, modernisation of road networks, targeted marketing and benchmarking with other established markets to boost the travel and hospitality sector.

Francis Gichaba, chairman of the Kenya Tourism Board, a state-funded tourism marketing agency, said the country was expecting 3 million tourists by December, helped by the opening of new attractions.

Gichaba revealed that a new campaign to promote domestic travel will be launched soon, which aims to maintain bookings amid uncertainty surrounding foreign tourist arrivals.