Ruto celebrates Nairobi's top ranking as a global city for 2024

An overview of Nairobi city. Lonely Planet has recognised Nairobi as the top global city destination for 2024. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

President William Ruto on Sunday, November 5, welcomed the recognition of Nairobi as the top global city destination for 2024 by Lonely Planet, a leading travel guide publisher.

He said that the award is a testament to Kenya’s efforts to market itself as a competitive destination with a rich diversity of attractions and opportunities.

“Our endeavours to sell Kenya throughout the world are paying off. Everywhere we go, we have offered everyone - investors, innovators, creators, professionals and travellers of all ages - a compelling reason to visit Kenya. And we have countless such reasons,” he said in a statement on X.

Lonely Planet praised Nairobi for its “unique confluence of global cosmopolitan trends and traditional cultural blends, with an emerging, evolving and dynamic youthful bent and everything else in between.”

The travel guide also highlighted the city’s proximity to wildlife parks, cultural heritage sites, and vibrant nightlife.

According to the Australian-founded world travel guide, Nairobi is the top city to visit in 2024, followed by Paris (France), Montreal (Canada), Mostar (Bosnia), and Philadelphia (USA), which also made it to the top five in the list.

In addition, Lonely Planet ranked Mongolia as the best country to visit in 2024, with India, St. Lucia, Mexico, and Morocco following closely in the top five.

President Ruto said that Nairobi is the “powerful, vital, beating heart” of Kenya, where people dream big and create a better present and future.

He described the city as “wondrously complex, infinitely charismatic, profoundly fascinating” and “abounding with opportunities for everyone thinking of learning, trying or starting something.”

He also said that the award is an indirect affirmation of Magical Kenya as an irresistible destination for those curious to encounter a beautiful country going places with a people who are always ready to engage all visitors, clients, customers and partners until their expectations are exceeded.

“We shall neither tire nor relent in performing this important duty of marketing and promoting Magical Kenya and Nairobi, our wondrously complex, infinitely charismatic, profoundly fascinating capital abounding with opportunities for everyone thinking of learning, trying or starting something,” said Ruto.