We Are Flattening the Curve: Time to go Back to Travelling?
By: Absalom Mulama
Posted on Thursday, September 3, 2020
Staying indoors since mid-April has been challenging for many travel enthusiasts as well as our tourism and hotel industry. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic is becoming more and more manageable in Kenya, the government resumed international travelling. In a feat to revive our tourism industry, they also encouraged local tourism.
Speaking on August 26th the president stated that Kenya is on a winning course, aiming towards fully opening our economy. Motivating citizens to continue being responsible, Uhuru said that the infection rate has dropped from 13 percent to 8 percent. “This is very encouraging and it means if we keep our civic responsibility high, we have a chance to reach the 5 percent positivity rate recommended by the World Health Organisation for a total reopening of our economy and country,” said Uhuru while addressing the citizens from State House, Nairobi.
In the earlier days, cases were topping nearly 1,000 daily on average. From mid-August, the country has been recording less than 300 cases daily.
Now that things are looking up, which are some memorable destinations you can visit within Kenya to help our tourism industry recover? Speaking on Full Circle; Chebet Makena, a travel enthusiast, and Sylvia Mundia, a travel advisor, share their ideas about what to consider when planning a trip, and some interesting places to visit.
The two ladies suggest that one should be guided by a budget, depending on where they are going and the activities they plan to practice. “Budget ahead,’’ said Sylvia, “If it’s off-peak then you’ll spend less money, if it’s peak season you’ll spend more, ask yourself when you want to go for the holiday then plan ahead.” The off-peak tourism seasons in Kenya are from April to July, except for the Maasai Mara wildebeest migration, which peaks at around July and August.
Chebet suggests that one should come up with a travel budget then work backwards, and start saving in advance. She adds that one should keep an eye out for deals from travel agencies to get price discounts. Regarding accommodation, Chebet suggested that one should decide where they want to stay before coming up with the budget. “Staying in an ‘air bnb’, a camping site or hotel room will affect the budget,” she said. The ladies also advised that one should also do prior safety research before visiting a destination.
Some of the local tourism destinations suggested by the guests are the Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre and Steadmak Gardens. The guests also suggested ‘hidden-gem’ destinations such as Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant at Diani and Wasini Island for the activity-loving couples.
As you itch to get out of the house, be sure to observe the hygiene tips proposed by the WHO to avoid putting yourself at risk of contracting Covid-19. As much as we are on the right course to flatten the curve, we still need to maintain our individual responsibilities while out in public. Remember to sanitize your hands, wear your mask and maintain a safe social distance as you contribute to the recovery of the tourism industry.
