TOURISM: Cabinet Secretary Balala promoting mountaineering tourism

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and other conservationists embark on the climb (Photo: Courtesy)

NAIROBI, KENYA: Tourism Cabinet Secretary, Najib Balala is poised to climb Mount Kenya in a move aimed at promoting mountaineering tourism.

On Monday he left Nairobi to join a team of environmentalists, journalists and mountaineers in a five-day climb which is part of the 'Seven Summits Africa' tourism promotion campaign.

The challenge seeks to set a World First by climbing seven African Mountain Summits within seven weeks.

"I am excited. Mount Kenya has the most scenic view and diverse animals. We are introducing a new asset that has been underutilised and under-promoted," Balala said as he prepped to scale Africa's second highest summit.

Recently the Cabinet Secretary was elected to chair the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Commission for Africa where he promised to leap-frog the continent's tourism prospects by championing a new security and safety approach.

Tourism collapsing

After a four-year slump, Kenya's tourism industry almost collapsed in 2015 with a sharp decline in tourist arrivals after a series of terror attacks in Nairobi and the coastal region.

Turnabout

Balala revived the sector by engaging the industry in a marketing and diversification plan that involved non-traditional tourism areas to increase the prospects of both local and international tourism.

The industry recorded a 10 per cent growth in international arrivals between January and June 2017. However, the growth that has been witnessed was expected to slow down with tourist numbers falling amid fears of political instability in the wake of Kenya's prolonged presidential elections.