Safari Rally is a game changer for our economy

For years, the Safari Rally has been the most iconic sporting event in Kenya since it began in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in the 1950s. It has always been a joy to watch for the young and old. It is a sport loved by local and global rally enthusiasts. It also attracts attention the world over.

The history around the Safari Rally is significant to Kenyans and East Africans at large and the United Kingdom (UK), one of Kenya’s key source markets. The then Princess Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip were at the Treetops Hotel located at the Aberdares Park - Nyeri during the night of February 5 and 6, 1952. She descended the forest floor as the new Queen of England. In 1953, the Safari Rally was started to mark her ascension to the throne.

After a 19-year absence from the World Rally Championship calendar, its comeback is good news for rally enthusiasts and Kenya as a destination. However, many Kenyans might not be aware that the WRC’s comeback fulfills a political pledge made by President Uhuru Kenyatta back in 2013, during his first term. With the event being televised to over 850 million viewers, Kenya is once again in the global spotlight. Kenya’s tourism industry will reap big from this exposure.

The Safari Rally is also another opportunity for the destination to demonstrate our ability to host mega international events even in the current Covid-19 situation. The fact that it is being held in Kenya is a vote of confidence in our preparedness against the pandemic. This demonstrates that Kenya is safe and ready to host international tourists, too, guided by the Covid-19 protocols. The rally also gives people a chance to enjoy not only our wildlife heritage but also the country’s beautiful scenery. 

Apart from the huge revenues the rally will pump into the economy, the event will also greatly boost employment, especially in the hospitality sector in the Naivasha region and its environs, which is already abuzz with all kinds of activities. Hotels and eateries will reap from the arrival of both local and international participants for the 4-day extravaganza. The event will also expand the market for Kenyan products here and abroad.

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Above all, sports remain a major component of our national identity. We have over the years produced international sportsmen and women who have represented the country at major international sports events. Adding on to past successes, Kenya has proven time and again that it not only produces great sporting icons, but we also can host international events successfully. This was best demonstrated when we recently successfully hosted the Magical Kenya Open and the Kenya Savannah Classic – both of which are part of the European Tour.

Sporting events of such international stature have proven to be one of the best avenues to reach our key tourist source markets. For this reason, as the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, we will continue to leverage these events to market the destination brand and our tourism products. With the Safari Rally’s rich history and connection to the destination, we see this as yet another opportunity to reach these markets, including Europe, Asia, and America.

This is also part of our strategy to revive tourism, which is one of the sectors that has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sadly, the pandemic robbed us of the opportunity to showcase the destination last year. 

The writer is Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary.