The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Heritage is partnering with county governments to unveil and market hidden gems unique to them.
Cabinet Secretary for Tourism Wildlife and Heritage while announcing that Embu County would play host to the 2023 World Tourism Day national celebrations said that counties have a big role to play in product development as well as enhancing opportunities for tourism business to thrive. Other World Tourism Day celebrations are hosted by respective countries.
“This year the world will be hosting World Tourism Day under the global theme of Tourism and Green Investment. Against the backdrop of the just concluded Africa Climate Summit, our goal is to promote sustainable practices and to provide opportunities for investment in the sector. We shall be celebrating the 2023 World Tourism Day in Embu County between the 21st-27th September as part of the global event to be held on the 27th -28th of September in Riyadh Saudi Arabia” Said CS Malonza.
The CS added “The World Tourism Day is an occasion for us to celebrate our successes and address challenges as we continue to implement our development agenda for a holistic tourism recovery that integrates environmental conservation. We shall be promoting tourism within our counties and working together with the devolved units to showcase sustainable practices as well as the tourism opportunities within them,” Malonza said.
World Tourism Day (WTD) is an annual event celebrated on the 27th of September around the world. Originally set up by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 1980, it seeks to raise awareness of the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political, and economic values worldwide.
This year’s celebrations will be held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a call to action to the international community, governments, multilateral financial institutions, development partners, and private sector investors to unite around a new tourism investment strategy.
On his part, Kenya Tourism Board Ag, CEO John Chirchir stated: “We are thrilled about hosting the World Tourism Day Celebrations in Embu, which is known for its vibrant culture and numerous attractions that include the iconic Mount Kenya. We also look forward to using the platform to promote domestic travel and enhance awareness of the unique destinations and experiences available in our countries. This year’s theme encourages us to focus on the power of tourism as a driver for green investment by all stakeholders and we have lined up a series of events that will highlight this.”
The 2023 World Tourism Day celebration comes after the recent Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi where several heads of states and delegates called for increased investments in sustainable tourism as a key driver towards achieving green growth and development objectives.
Kenya has been at the forefront of integrating sustainability in tourism operations and practices, with various initiatives being rolled out to integrate local communities in tourism activities through enhanced stakeholder engagement by both private sector players and government agencies.
Last year, Kenya was among eight countries picked by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its Covid-19 crisis response program aimed at supporting tourism recovery around World Heritage Sites.
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