Kenya has been wooing tourists for quite some time now. With its scenic beauty and matchless wildlife Kenya can actually be an answer to the prayers of any adventure tourist. Yet, in real life it has not worked out like that. People are apprehensive about going to Kenya. There are concerns about safety and security and also about the deadly disease Ebola which is a major risk in some countries of Africa at the moment.
However, the country is going the extra mile to shake off its image and present itself as a tourist friendly country. As a matter of fact tourism is the biggest income generator for Kenya after coffee.
Though Kenya witnessed a decline of 5 per cent in Indian tourists last year, largely due to fears about Ebola, Kenya tourism officials are at pains to point out that the country is far removed from the scene of the deadly virus.
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Speaking at a press conference, Muriithi Ndegwa, Kenya Tourism Board, Managing Director, said, “Most people think that Africa is a country, actually Africa has 54 independent nations and Kenya is one of them. The Ebola affected countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone are at a distance of 7,700 km and 6,300 km respectively from Kenya. We have not registered even a single case of the said disease. We have suspended flights to and from the affected countries. To ensure the safety of the tourists as well as local people the Kenyan government has made huge investments like installing CCTV cameras at major tourist points, increasing the police-citizen ratio etc. Road networks are growing at a fast pace. A new airport has come up; a new railway line is being laid between Mombasa-Nairobi-Malaba-Campala and Uganda. Big hotels like the J.W. Marriott and Raddison Blu are coming up along with several other international hotels. I can assure that Kenya is a very safe place for tourists.”
The major tourism attraction is the wildlife. Kenya’s wilderness areas are famous worldwide. Some of the major animals that you may see are elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes and rhinos. If you want more then take a beach safari on the coral-reef protected coast and experience tropical fish, dolphins, sea turtles and more. Mountain climbing, rock climbing, hiking, white water rafting are the other adventures you can enjoy, along with Mount Kenya National Park, Sibiloi National Park, and Lake Nakuru, which is at an elevation of 1754 metres above sea level.