NAIROBI, Aug. 3 -- Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said Saturday the government expects tourist numbers to remain on an upward trajectory amid the reopening of new circuits including the mountain region in central Kenya.

Speaking at the reopening of the iconic Treetops Lodge in Aberdare National Park, located in the central Kenyan county of Nyeri, Gachagua said tourist numbers are already surging, amid peace and product diversification.

"We want visitors to come and view Kenya as a haven and a good destination for tourism," he said.

Regarded as a crucial part of Kenya's history and heritage, the Treetops Lodge is linked to the British Monarchy and it is where the late Queen Elizabeth was staying in 1952 when her father, King George VI died and she promptly ascended to the throne.

In 2021, the lodge was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but its renovation and reopening is expected to revive the mountain tourism circuit in central Kenya, create new jobs and boost public coffers.

Gachagua said the projected increase in tourist numbers after a slump experienced at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020-2022 will accelerate economic growth and foreign exchange earnings. He noted that the government has come up with fiscal and regulatory incentives to spur investments in the tourism sector which contributed about 350 billion shillings (about 2.7 billion U.S. dollars) to the Kenyan economy in 2023.

According to Gachagua, the government has invested in security, upgrading of road networks, targeted marketing and benchmarking with other established markets to revitalize the travel and hospitality sectors.

Francis Gichaba, chairman of the Kenya Tourism Board, a state-funded tourism marketing agency, said the country is expected to receive 3 million tourists by December, aided by the showcasing of new attractions.

Gichaba disclosed that a new campaign to promote domestic travel will be launched soon to sustain bookings amid uncertainties occasioned by foreign tourist arrivals.

  - Xinhua