Association of Women in Tourism calls for peaceful elections

Kenya Association of Women in Tourism (KAWT) Mombasa chapter chairperson Janet Chamia (left). National Chair, Jane Adams (right). [File, Standard]

An association for women in tourism has appealed to politicians to shun divisive politics that could plunge the country into chaos.

Kenya Association of Women in Tourism (KAWT) Mombasa chapter chairperson Janet Chamia said that there is need for all Kenyans of goodwill to love each other amid political diversity.

"This is a timely opportunity for the country to assert itself as a safe place to live and do business by having peaceful elections," said Ms Chamia.

She said that elections come and go but the country shall remain.

"The whole world is watching. They want to see how we conduct ourselves during and after the polls. Peaceful elections will be a manifestation of our strength in diversity and will re-affirm the confidence those potential visitors keen on sampling our attraction see in a beautiful Kenya,'' she said.

She said Kenya's tourism industry is still smarting from Covid-19 pandemic aftershocks but has remained resilient and there was need to ensure that peace is upheld at all costs.

The tourism sector's contribution to employment generation has grown by about 3 per cent annually and earnings per employee have been growing by 18 per cent over the last five years, according to statistics from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance.

Chamia said that improvements in road, rail and aviation infrastructures have provided a catalyst for development and ease of doing business.

At the same time, Chamia supported earlier calls for more budgetary allocations to the tourism industry to help in marketing the destination as well as embracing the open sky policy that will open up the airspace.