State turns to counties to boost tourist numbers

Players in the tourism sector are working on a framework to devolve tourism to counties. The framework seeks to provide an opportunity for each county to undertake marketing initiatives to brand their unique local tourist destinations.

Coming at a time when foreign tourist arrivals and earnings have dropped, the strategy will also set in place boundaries on how to devolve county tourism.

Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, Phyllis Kandie underscored the need to enhance domestic tourism as an integral process to sustain the sector's participation in the country's economic growth.

"We need to tap into this initiative and push Kenyans to exploit the existing tourist attractions available in various counties," she said.

The strategy, Kandie said, is part of the tourism recovery plan, through which stakeholders will continuously review investment opportunities available in local tourism.

"Local public relations initiatives such as beauty pageants, safari in the wild, sports and medical tourism and other untapped tourist attractions are key avenues that tourism players need to take up within the counties," she said.

Lucy Karume, the chairman of the Tourism Recovery Task Force said part of their role is to profile and promote tourism sites in counties and support them to develop as key economic nodes.

The framework, she noted, would seek to support County governments develop products with a nationwide and international appeal. "Part of this strategy is to ensure that parks within particular counties share the resources generated and we hope this will move the tourism agenda to the next level," she said.

Speaking at the same meeting, Tourism Principal Secretary Mohamed Ibrahim said the Government will release about Sh900 million to assist tourism recovery efforts. He said the funding is part of the national government's plan to revive the sector.