US Travel Advisories Anger Tourism Group

The Nation (Nairobi)
NEWS
December 10, 2003
Posted to the web December 10, 2003

By Nation Reporter
Nairobi
The Kenya Tourism Federation has described as "unnecessary and uncalled for"
travel advisories by the United States of America.
The federation chairman Jake Grieves-Cook questioned why the US government kept
asking its citizens to avoid Kenya yet its officials had no problem coming
here.
"They know that tourism means a lot for our economy and they should help us
build it rather than be seen to be stifling it," he said.
Mr Grieves-Cook made his remarks when he officially opened the 260-bed Voi
Wildlife Lodge in Tsavo National Park.
He challenged the Kenya Government to re-examine itself and find out why South
Africa came from behind and took away a big chunk of the local tourism market.
"Kenya and Sri Lanka were the first charter flight destinations in the third
world and until South Africa emerged from its dark apartheid days, Nairobi was
the undisputed headquarters of international flights in sub-Saharan Africa.
"Our Government must make efforts to woo flights such as Air France, Alitalia
and Lufthansa that have deserted Kenya for South Africa," he said.
The federation's chairman urged local entrepreneurs to emulate Mr Mulji Ratna
and his family, who were investing in the tourism at a time Kenya was grappling
with odds, most of which were not of its own making.
Tourism and Wildlife assistant minister Fred Gumo said in a speech read for him
by the Coast director of tourism, Mr Peter Muchunu, that everything was being
done to restore the confidence of tourists whose numbers had kept falling.

   

  =============================================================================
  Copyright © 2003 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
                         Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  =============================================================================