Kenya climbs in world tourism ranking

According to report, Kenya’s impressive performance has been as a result of efforts by various stakeholders like the Government, marketing agencies and tour operators to promote the country as a favorable tourist destination both abroad and locally. “Kenya is ranked 14th for its natural resources, with its three World Heritage natural sites and its rich diversity of fauna,” reads the report in part. In addition to this, efforts by various governmental institutions like the Kenya Tourism Board and the Kenya Wildlife Service to promote domestic tourism seem to be bearing fruit stimulated by a growing middle class that provides a ready market for tourism and travel products. 

For more on this visit: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000079385

 

This is commendable but despite the improved rating Kenya is still struggling with the poaching activities that have seen the death of many elephants from January to now. Below is an interesting fact about elephants that will melt your heart.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-205_162-10014653-7.html

Our greatest setback is that half of the population in Kenya have no idea what is happening to our wildlife. If you are in a position to share this please do. 

A Proud Kenyan

Today was very refreshing. I woke up feeling very energetic and ready to get back to work. Last week was very slow in terms of business and the economy suffered. Today on my way to the office, I was delighted with the large number of people who were also heading back to work and getting down to business.

I could not be more proud of the of the people of Kenya for maintianing peace during this election process.

God Bless Kenya <3

Picture courtesy of:http://coolgraphix.blogspot.com/2010/03/kenyan-flag-pimped.html

Richard Turere: Conservation finds a New Hero

These are some of the things or rather events that make me so proud to be a Kenyan.
Richard Turere, has been recognized for his wonderful invention and at the same time his dedication to the conservation of wildlife.
The Masai people are pastrolists and this has been their way of life since their migration into Kenya.We do not want to change that, considering that culture is one of the major factors that attract tourists to Kenya.
He found a balance on how to save his livestock and at the same time conserve the lions knowing that they were an important part of the Eco system.

Further read his story on: http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/51172/kenya+boy+13+gains+fame+for+protecting+livestock+from+lions/

And He is only 13 years, way to go Richard.

Ecotourism Kenya

Last week I attended a seminar with Eco-tourism Kenya and I was surprised on how much more I need to learn about my country.

It was knowledgeable to know that Kenya is the only country in Africa that has the sustainable tourism clause represented in the Tourism Act no.28 of 2011; however it is operational but has not been implemented. This has led to poor policy implementation and lack of enough funding from the government. The Tourism Ministry is the least funded in the annual budget. Considering the number of jobs created and the visitors that travel to Kenya, we should be investing heavily in this sector.

The roads to the Mara are a nightmare, fixing these roads will open up so my opportunities along the highway, indirectly reducing poverty and also increasing Government revenue.


Eco-tourism is not Green Tourism, rather it is the combination of:

• Conservation Value
• Tourism Potential
• Local Custodian

To learn more on Eco-tourism, kindly follow the link: http://www.ecotourismkenya.org

This I had to share, one of my mentors in Conservation and my Director at Cottars Safari Service, Calvin Cottar had a recent interview with Safaritalk, below is his response to questions by the safari community: http://safaritalk.net/topic/10297-calvin-cottar-cottars-1920s-safari-camp-kenya/

Photo courtesy of Cottar's 1920's Safari Camp, Masai Mara

No matter how we want to look at this situation, the fact is we are losing more than we are gaining, One person cannot protect an entire species but the people with authority can do something about this. Elephants are being hunted down for their Ivory everyday, they live in fear, yet there are game rangers who protect the entrance points into the national reserves. Tourism is a major earner of foreign currency in this country and not talking of the many employment opportunities it offers to its people. If we are looking towards vision 2030, these animals should be included and their rights reviewed....It is bitter and heartbreaking to know that in 5 years the pictures i will be showing my kids of the big 5 are like the ones below:

Pictures courtesy of Cottars Wildlife Conservation Trust (C.W.C.T) this was the 3rd elephant killed in the Olderikesi Conservancy.

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