Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Friday asked Kenyans living in towns to travel upcountry and avail their houses to tourists.

Speaking during the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Taxpayers Day event held in Mombasa county, the DP stated that the country’s tourism industry was slowly regaining its momentum and that business was booming.

“Because of anchoring the country properly on the international stage. Kenya is now the destination of choice for investors and tourists and coming from the COVID challenge where our tourism sector almost came down,” the DP said

While stressing that the tourism industry was experiencing a business boost, Gachagua stated that business was thriving such that all hotel rooms across destinations such as Mombasa and Maasai Mara have been fully booked until February 2024.

He subsequently jested that those who had not booked earlier to spend their holidays in villages.

“I want today authoritatively to inform the people of Kenya that tourism has picked up for a good turn and as we speak today all hotel rooms in Mombasa, Maasai Mara have been booked up to February next year. So, anybody who wants to travel to Mombasa for Christmas and you have not booked your room you just have to go to your village and relax there with your ancestors,” he said.

At the same time, Gachagua urged city dwellers to consider travelling upcountry and avail their houses to tourists who visit the country.

This, according to him, will be good for the country in terms of foreign exchange earnings and creating employment.

“And we are encouraging the people of this great city of Mombasa and other cities to consider travelling upcountry and avail their homes here for tourists because that is good for the country in terms of foreign exchange earnings and creating employment,” the DP said.