KTB swoops in to shore up Lamu’s flagging image

By Philip Mwakio

The Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) has unveiled an ambitious programme aimed at boosting the number of tourists visiting the Lamu archipelago.

KTB Managing Director, Mr Muriithi Ndegwa, led a delegation of KTB marketers and media on a three-day familiarisation tour of Lamu in a bid to reassure potential clients that the security scares of last year were a thing of the past.

Tourist arrivals in Lamu had been rising steadily before the two incidences brought the trend to an end. Suspected Al Shabaab militias from their holiday resorts abducted two tourists, a trend that saw the steady stream of visitors drop to a trickle.

British tourist, Judith Tebutt was the first to be kidnapped by armed gunmen, and her husband David, was murdered by the Crippled French woman Marie Dedieu was forcefully taken away from her island home of Manda by gun wielding Somali militia and later died while in the hands of her abductors.

But KTB MD says the numbers are rising once again.

"The archipelago destination had started picking up well, with both local and international arrivals increasing," Ndegwa said.

He added that KTB had resolved to liaise with investors and tourism stakeholders in the area following Tourism Minister Najib Balala’s resolve to revamp Lamu’s dented image. The MD outlined a series of intervention measures that KTB is undertaking to help put Lamu back onto the global arena as a popular tourist resort.

Sustainable tourism

Top on the agenda of KTB’s initiatives includes a decision to partner with organisers of the annual Lamu Cultural Festival, supporting key environmental conservation efforts so as to enhance sustainable tourism.

KTB, Ndegwa added, would also offer technical support to the newly launched Lamu Tourist Association (LTA), formed in October last year. LTA had come up after stakeholders within the vast archipelago mooted the idea so as to give them a platform to respond to security scares, following the two abductions.

KTB is also using its expertise in Information technology to assist LTA set up a website from where it can market its activities and help promote Lamu’s tourism. KTB has also teamed up with the Lamu Marine Trust (Lamcot) that leads in marine turtle conservation efforts in a bid to promote sustainable tourism.

Ndegwa said KTB will be engaging with its Marketing Development Representatives stationed in key strategic source market areas like Europe, America and Canada, Far East and Australia to help save Lamu.

Lamu secure

Meanwhile, Lamu West District commissioner, Mr Stephen Ikua said the State had put in place enough security measures to prevent acts of external aggression and that peace has been maintained.