Kenya’s tourism industry has welcomed the election of Uhuru Kenyatta as the country’s new president. Industry players believe Kenyatta will be able to boost the country’s tourism industry thanks to his former involvement in the sector.
Founder of Porini Safari Camps, Jake Grieves-Cook, says: "The election of a new President who was previously Chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board is expected to give a significant boost to Kenya’s economy as tourism is now to be given full recognition for its importance as an economic driver with the potential to transform Kenya’s economy and to create thousands of new jobs and livelihoods.”
During his inaugural speech, Kenyatta reiterated his government’s commitment to environmental conservation and said it readily accepted the duty of being guardians and custodians of Kenya’s natural heritage. Grieves-Cook says: “It is good news for our tourism industry that the new government is determined to take effective action to halt the killing of our wildlife and to ensure that it is protected as a valuable national asset that can contribute to the country’s economic growth.”
He added that the new government was fully aware that viewing wildlife in its natural habitat was a crucial attraction that brought international visitors to the country. “With a new government in place following the recent peaceful elections and the inauguration of a new President and Deputy President who have stated their commitment to wildlife conservation and the promotion of tourism, we believe that this will give a big boost to visitor numbers and we expect to see an upturn for the industry."
