Hotel owners in Trans Nzoia have laid down plans to revive the tourism sector in the region. With the world marking the tourism day today 27th September, tourists from within the country on Saturday paid a visit to the Mt. Elgon tourist site as away of trying to revive the much affected tourism industry, hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Those who paid a visit to Mt. Elgon tourist site included the owners of hotels from Trans Nzoia County. With international and local flights suspended in the first weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya, activities at tourist sites across the country hit a wall.
Under the leadership of Naomi Karani, the chairman of hotel owners association in Trans Nzoia County and owner of West side hotel, they said their mission is to encourage Kenyans across the country to embrace local tourism to support the sector.
The chairman of tourism department in Trans Nzoia Hinga Kamau said the Mount Elgon wildlife park has not been exploited enough by local tourists adding that they intend to change the trend. According to Hinga, the County government of Trans Nzoia has also failed to put in place measures to boost the sector.
However according to Philip Towet, one of the tourist directors at the Mt Elgon park, it’s possible that many tourists do not visit the park due to misplaced insecurity fears.