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Victoria Falls Reporter
THERE is an upsurge in arrivals of tourists in the resort town of Victoria Falls as tourists are allegedly shunning Kenya following an attack on a Nairobi shopping mall last month which left 68 people, including foreigners, dead. The siege by suspected Islamist militants at the upscale Westgate Mall represented another potential blow to tourism in Kenya, whose tourist numbers had increased in recent years but which has also suffered a series of violent incidents affecting foreigners.
In separate interviews yesterday, tour and adventure operators said they had witnessed an increase in arrivals from tourists who had planned to travel to Kenya.
“We are having more tourists than the same period last year and we are still to come up with statistics but indications are that tourists are afraid of visiting Kenya at least for now and are coming to Victoria Falls,” said Mr Clement Mukwasi, Shearwater Adventures group public relations manager.
Mr Israel Rupiya of Silver Tours said ever since the successful co-hosting of the 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation by the country, the world had changed its perception of the destination.
“Some tourists are saying that they had planned to visit Kenya but were now coming here following the Westgate Mall killings.
“So we are happy with the level of business we have considering that it is bringing in foreign currency for the country,” he said.
Recently, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and Kenya Tourism Board struck a deal that will see the two countries sharing tourism business.
The deal followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two bodies at the Magical Kenya Tourism fair last week.
Tourism arrivals should increase through the facilitation of travel arrangements by the local tourism body to Nairobi while the Kenyan authorities will also facilitate the arrangements to Victoria Falls.
Online Reporter