Kenya in bid to draw Bay tourists

THE Kenyan tourism board is on a major push to lure visitors to the East African country.

A board delegation is crisscrossing South Africa this month and touched down in Nelson Mandela Bay yesterday to punt the best of Kenyan hospitality.

The delegation started their road show in Johannesburg on Sunday, followed by Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. It ends off the trip in Durban today.

Yesterday, they met professionals from the travel and tourism industry at the Protea Hotel in Summerstrand.

“The aim of this road show is to teach South Africans about magical destinations in Kenya. We want to create a relationship between South African tourism and the Kenya Tourist Board,” board regional marketing manager Fatima Bashir said.

“We are glad we came to Nelson Mandela Bay because it seems as if a lot of people don’t know much about Kenya.”

Bashir also spoke about the culture, the beautiful wildlife, safaris and music and arts that Kenya has to offer.

Kenya’s reputation as a tourist destination has suffered a blow with fears of personal safety rising, especially after the terrorist attack at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall in September last year.

But Bashir tried to calm the fears, saying tourists were heavily protected from the minute they landed.

“We provide tourists with marked bakkies and a guide to travel with them.

“These guides are the ones who make sure that tourists are protected at all times. Should there be anything that threatens tourists, they immediately communicate with the police.”

Neslon Mandela Bay travel consultant Zoliswa Marhashula said the road show had been informative.

“I have never sold Kenya before. I now have a bit of understanding about Kenya. It also helps that they came to visit us here because we will have a direct contact in Kenya,” Marhashula said. - Yoliswa Sobuwa