Tourism industry revival plans in top gear says CS Balala – KBC

The government has developed tourism industry guidelines that will enable the industry gradually recover once the country reopens to international travel.

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala says Kenya is currently engaging the World Tourism and Travel Council to ensure the protocols are compliant internationally as the country looks to jump start the sector within the next two months.

Over 90 per cent of tourism earnings amounting to billions of shillings has so far been wiped out since the collapse of the sector in early March.

This means a drastic reduction of 170 billion shillings in receipts or 10 percent of the GDP lost as most players shut down their businesses.

To this end, the government says revival plans are in top gear.

CS Balala speaking in Watamu Kilifi County after releasing a fully recovered sea turtle during the World Sea Turtle Day said that the government was also looking to reopen the sector in phases by stimulating growth from the local tourism industry first given its unique sense of tastes.

At the same time, Balala urged tourism stakeholders to exercise patience as the government moves to actualize the 3 billion shillings stimulus package announced by the National treasury CS Yukur Yatani last week during his budget speech.

The CS also visited the Eco-World Organization in Dabaso ward where the Watamu Turtle Watch together with its partners are collecting used plastic bottles dumped along the sea shores and recycling them into souvenirs and other important items including building materials.

“We are very impressed with this project because it is helping to keep the marine environment clean,” he said adding, “We have seen the damage caused by plastics to our wildlife not only on terrestrial but also in the sea, and this is a tremendous job,” he said.

The project known as ‘trash for cash’ entails engaging local residents to collect used plastic bottles and other trash from the beaches and delivering them to Eco-World Organization in exchange for money.

“Remember that last year the President of Kenya announced a ban on plastic bottles and related items from plastics from protected areas, which include national parks, marine parks as well as reserves and forests,” he said, adding that such efforts were complementing the government ban.

The CS and his entourage, who were received by Malindi Deputy County Commissioner Thuo Ngugi, also visited the Watamu Marine National Park and the Bio Ken Snake Farm.