NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 25 – Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said Thursday that Kenya will consult South Africa in January on the best models of conservation that will boost Kenya’s strategies to enhance the country’s tourism and wildlife sector.
Balala who spoke during the launch of Nairobi National Park’s 75th anniversary said the Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding particularly on the issue of collaboration in markets, collaborating in information and technology on product development.
The MoU was part of the eight key bilateral agreements which was signed in presence of President Uhuru Kenyatta his counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa , ushering in a new dawn of cooperation between the two African nations.
“We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with my counterpart Minister Sisulu. In January, we will go to South Africa to look at and study their model of conservation. I know we have totally different models but why not learn and share from each other,” he said.
With the country in high gear ahead of the holiday season, Balala urged Kenyans to get vaccinated in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus diseases whose impact severely impacted the hotel sector.
He also added that no tourist will be allowed into the country without proof they had been vaccinated.
“All of us must be vaccinated. If we want our country to be safe we want our sector to reopen in the right manner and fully, we need to be safe, we need to be fully vaccinated that’s why we demand that however wants to use our facilities and services, they will have to be fully vaccinated to enter into this facilities.” he added.
As part of various activities lined up to mark the 75th anniversary of the Nairobi National Park scheduled for December 16, Balala says that the park will offer free entry to the first 75 visitors arriving at the park during the event which seeks to celebrate the milestones achieved in the last seven decades from 1946 when the park was gazette by the colonial British government.
Kenyans aged 75 years and above will access the Nairobi National Park free of charge accompanied by a person of their choice ahead of the park’s 75th anniversary set for December 16, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said Thursday.
Balala described the park as one which had withstood many socio-economic and ecological pressures to preserve its biodiversity integrity.
Kenya Wildlife Service Director General John Waweru, in his speech, noted that despite the various challenges faced by the park, it had witnessed a remarkable surge in local tourism even as other popular parks saw pandemic-related reduced revenue streams.
“We are continuously exploring new ways to attract tourists as well as partners, through innovative campaigns such the current Zuru and KWS,” Waweru said.