Sunday 31 August 2014

[wanabidii] TOURISM - KENYA SHOULD COMMERCIALIZE PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA TO REVIVE THE INDUSTRY

President Uhuru Kenyatta's just concluded tour to Kenya's Coastal region provides perfect fodder to resurrect Kenya's ailing tourism industry. Just months ago the country's tourism sector took yet another blow to the chin as it hemorrhaged tourists who left in droves courtesy of persistent terror attacks. Citing insecurity, western governments, whose citizens are the bulk of tourists Kenya relies on, didn't disappoint as they extended their travel advisories against Kenya and further exacerbated the problem in process. Britain, for example, actually chattered flights for her citizens to leave Kenya. On the home front President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee government came under intense criticism for their handling (mishandling) of security. Many Kenyans, opponents and supporters alike such as myself gave the President plenty of grief for insecurity and resulting job losses. One of the predicates for referendum calls by CORD is insecurity.

Fast forward to now and the difference seems like day and night- the tide is turning. President Kenyatta's star power continues to rise and shine both domestically and internationally. In the domestic front, his popularity is clearly on the rise as he continues to endear himself to the masses effortlessly. His secret, HUMILITY.  He is just the coolest president.

COMMERCIALIZE THE PRESIDENT:
As stated elsewhere, Kenyatta's tour of Coastal Kenya is an epitome of one of the best comeback stories for Kenya's tourism. The region is not exactly Kenyatta's vote basket and yet the President's visit that saw him freely mingle with Kenyans of all backgrounds and political persuasions at restaurants, street vendors and at the beach is exactly the message Kenya needs to send to the rest of the world. He was simply one of them. By his tour Kenyatta may have unwittingly turned reopened the tourism floodgates provided the planners that be capture the moment.

From the pictures, you can easily tell that President Kenyatta is very confident and at ease, insecurity is the last thing on his mind. The old adage that "a picture is worth a thousand words" is a perfect fit in this case and these pictures speak volumes. They epitomize peace and security. So if I were in charge of promoting tourism in Kenya, I would seize this moment in short order, leverage it and make quite a big deal out of it to revive tourism. The message is simple, "Come to Kenya, we are peaceful." The president's images speak for themselves and I would deploy them to speak for Kenya as well. I would create beautiful brochures and liaise with tour operators around the globe and before you know it we will be turning the tide in Kenya's favor. And that would be the best form of commercializing President Uhuru Kenyatta that I can think of- for the greater good of the country overall.

SECURITY
 I think it is fair to say that Kenya is turning the tide on insecurity and whereas it may be too soon to claim victory, things are generally calmer. And let's give credit where credit is due – as much as we vilified Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku and the President for insecurity, they deserve credit for restoring peace and order. Ole Lenku at one point appeared too coy for the job but maybe it was just looks- I think we should encourage the secretary to stay the course, after all the country's prosperity clearly depends security. 

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