5 Promising Pathways for Enhancing Local Tourism in Kenya

Across the globe, tourism has consistently remained a booming sector over the years. No matter where one lives, there is always a group of people, big or small, who want to visit your home country. Therefore, tourism is a very important aspect not only for a country’s economy but also their global standing.

Many factors influence the significance tourism holds for a country – but most focus on the economical side of it. It brings in wealth, exposure, growth, and employment to name a few.

The past two years, however, have not been reliable, per se. Covid-19 led to a global shutdown of different sectors of the economy, and tourism was the most affected.

Kenya’s earnings from tourism in 2020 slumped to 88.6 billion shillings as governments around the world restricted the movement of people, including through the closure of air spaces, to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

In 2021, the earnings bounced back to 146 billion shillings due to the doubling of the number of Kenyan travelers during the period.

Although the country has a positive outlook in 2022, there is one undeniable fact that was exposed by the Covi-19 pandemic – that Kenya is heavily reliant on international visitors for tourism.

As such, there is an urgent need to support local tourism. This way, the tourism sector will remain sustainable even when there are no foreign visitors. But how can this be achieved? Kenya still has a long way to go in domestic tourism and time and again, the government and the private sector have often implemented policies or called for its support but there is little to write home about.

To promote local tourism, the Tembea Tujenge Kenya initiative was conceived. The initiative seeks to identify and promote different destinations in Kenya for Kenyans. In doing so, it is reducing dependency on foreign markets for tourism income and ensuring sustainable tourism in Kenya.

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The concept aims to involve Kenyans to play a key role in building the local tourism sector and growing the economy by visiting tourist attractions across the country.

Tembea Tujenge Kenya initiative has attracted various partners including Isuzu Kenya, which has provided the vehicles and the much-needed support for the long and arduous road trips across beaten paths.

The most recent destination for the initiative was Uasin Gishu County – a county that is the Home of Champions in the athletics world. Much like in other places the project has reached, the caravan of travel enthusiasts shared the cultural values of the people in the region and developed relations that champion peace, love, and harmony.

That is the spirit of the Tembea Tujenge Kenya initiative, but is this enough? No. The public and the private sector need to be involved more if domestic tourism is to have a sustainable future. So how can this be achieved?

Here are some of the most promising pathways for enhancing domestic tourism:

1. Reorienting Services

One of the easiest ways to attract domestic tourism is if the tourist businesses that traditionally focused on foreign travelers reorient their services and give locals attractive offers.

This entails investing in new products and services, targeting existing domestic segments, or discovering and even developing new ones. The demand for travel among the youth in Kenya, for instance, has been amplified by social media. The attractive offers, pictures of beautiful places, and their coming together to visit a place have somewhat promoted domestic tourism.

The least the target destinations can do is reciprocate their love and welcome them with discounted offers, alongside some free incentives. This can also be achieved by halving the entry fees to protected areas or on nights out in various resorts.

2. Identifying New Niche Markets

Expatriates are another interesting group that is sometimes overlooked. They represent a lucrative niche market since they represent a sizable demographic in many nations with disposable cash and an interest in their host cultures.

Any offers and packages, however, should be tailored to their tastes, lifestyles, and values, as determined by research. Rather than imitating domestic tourism packages, it might incorporate activities such as tasting traditional street cuisine, visiting spas and learning about wellness.

3. Developing Tourism in Rural Areas

Covid-19 has also accelerated demand for rural and nature-based tourism. This is particularly so since many people are seeking to recover psychologically and physically from the pandemic and its effects. Some people have opted to shift to rural areas instead of cities.

This is an opportunity for local tourism, which can be further enhanced through the development of agritourism, gastronomy tourism, and wellness tourism.

Rural tourism holds substantial potential for poverty alleviation and to help protect natural resources and cultural heritage. It greatly contributes to destination diversification strategies.

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The national government in partnership with County governments can launch rural tourism awards, with a large investment fund to support diverse local communities that preserve arts, culture, heritage, and cuisine.

4. Supporting SMEs and Startups

As the demand for more off-the-beaten-path destinations increases, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will become more significant in establishing long-term resilience and sustainability in tourism.

Governments and authorities should offer maximum support to SMEs and ensure that they survive. Public interventions can include tax relief and cash transfers, which can become essential for SMEs to stay in business.

This also calls for support for their eCommerce efforts, which are also a good source of both local and foreign revenue.

5. Better Understanding of Domestic Tourism

Local tourism is often under-researched. If we are to optimize the full potential of domestic tourism, more data and research is needed on domestic tourists’ behavior and preferences.

Most governments have often focused on international tourists. Their preferences differ from those of local visitors. This is why multiple segments within domestic tourist markets need to be better understood.

This involves having a better understanding of the differences between international and domestic tourists’ travel behavior, consumption habits, preferences, and activities.

Domestic tourism must be developed if inbound tourism is to be successful and sustainable in the long run. The sector has the potential to promote environmental awareness, attract young people to the industry, and attract entrepreneurs and investors.

While it is important to recognize that domestic tourism will not be able to compensate for the lack of foreign currency revenues, it is also critical to explore its full potential for economic livelihoods and to give locals confidence in investing in the sector.

Kenya, therefore, can take this opportunity to improve infrastructures, such as airports, transportation systems, and tourism facilities, as well as install more environmentally friendly features and policies. It should also support causes such as the Tembea Tujenge Kenya initiative to enhance its effectiveness.

Thankfully, motor companies such as Isuzu Kenya are all in for the #TembeaTujengeKenya campaign which involves cruising across the Kenyan Counties in the uniquely and exclusively designed Isuzu D-MAX and the MU-X SUV. This has provided a chance for road trip enthusiasts to get up close and personal with local communities and give them a chance to enjoy local folk performances while sampling the local cuisines and indulging in various cultures.