The Westgate Mall located in the heart of Nairobi was a reflection of Kenya’s emerging commercial influence and regional market-based status. Now, after recent terrorist attacks at the mall that killed dozens, in its place is a damaged edifice, a trail of devastated lives and the possible destruction of the nation’s economic stability.
Kenya is known to be one of the success stories of Africa’s economic resurgence according to the International Monetary Fund. Just three years after the global financial crisis caused a sharp economic downturn, the country has rebounded and earned a reputation as one of the continent’s emerging economies.
The African Development Bank Group noted a moderate rate of economic growth for the nation of 4.4 to 5.2 percent each year from 2011 – 2012, with an expected 5.7 percent growth for this year alone.
Kenya: A nation of comebacks
It is too soon to determine how much of an impact the recent attack in Kenya’s capital will have on the country’s economic future. However, Kenya’s economy is no stranger to taking hits. Previous tragic incidents include the aftermath of the 2008 disputed presidential election in which thousands of Kenyans were killed, the 1998 U.S. embassy bombing in Nairobi, and the 2011 near-famine producing drought that affected over 10 million people in the region.
Antoinette M. Sayeh, Director of the African Department of the International Monetary Fund shared that despite the past few years of significant challenges, Kenya’s economic outlook has come a long way.
“[Kenya] has suffered from two consecutive droughts, significant social strife with the global economic downturn, economic slowdown, public debt was rising and Kenya’s reserves at the time were less than its peer countries in the region,” Sayeh stated. “Only three years later do we see a different landscape in Kenya. Growth is proceeding quite well, the economic outlook is quite good and financial inclusion has been accelerating.”
Terrorism creates weary travelers
Agriculture is the leading foreign exchange earner in Kenya, which grew the economy by 3.8 percent this year, more than twice its growth rate in 2011 according to the World Bank. Tourism still remains the second largest foreign exchange earner for the country with the Kenyan economy relying heavily on tourist funds for economic sustainability.
As the attack on the Westgate Mall has slowly come to a close, many American travelers have become weary about their upcoming plans to visit the East African, sub-Saharan country. Kenyan government officials are reassuring tourists that this is in fact an isolated incident and the country is still safe to visit.
In a recent statement, Phyllis Kandie, the Kenya government cabinet secretary, EAC Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, said: “ We wish to assure tourists that Kenya is peaceful and our security agencies are doing everything possible to ensure that every one is safe. Tour operators and travel agents have confirmed that tourism activities continue uninterrupted. The government has also scaled up security in other social places across the country.”
The British Foreign and Commonwealth office, however, has decided to offer an advisement to travelers against all but essential travel to certain parts of the country, including Nairobi.
Tourism groups vouch for Kenya
U.S. tour operators and travel agents continue to receive calls from clients who are concerned about visiting Kenya after the attacks.
Ashish Sanghrajka, president of the premier luxury tour operator, Big Five, shared that even though some travelers are concerned, the company continues to do all it can to ensure their clients’ safety and well being.
“I have spoken to travelers who are currently in Kenya and those who are on their way and we can account for all our clients,” Sanghrajka stated. “The groups currently scheduled to fly through Kenya and connecting through Nairobi are being accommodated on charter flights. Although I tell our clients… this could have happened anywhere, we understand their apprehensions and we are committed to doing all we can with our operations officers on the ground and in the U.S to assist all of our clients.”
As a second-generation Kenyan, Sanghrajka believes Kenya will bounce back from this incident. He understands how vital tourism is to the nation and vows to do all he can to encourage travelers to visit.
“This is unfortunately a reality of our time,” Sanghrajka concluded. “However, the worst thing we could do right now is not promote Kenya. So I encourage all of our Destinations Specialists to keep Kenya in the forefront. If we stop promoting Kenya, it would be the people who suffer and I could never turn my back on Kenya.”
Optimism reigns despite attacks
Despite this challenging incident, normal tourism activities do continue to take place across the country.
The Kenya Tourist Board still has plans to move forward with the upcoming Magical Kenya Travel Expo scheduled to take place in Nairobi from October 18 – 20. The expo was created as a platform for open discussions with the international trade community on how to develop business relationships with the Kenyan travel industry and to stimulate travel within the destination.
U.S. representatives from the Kenya Tourist Board believe that Kenya will continue to maintain its position as one of Africa’s strongest economic and tourism hubs.
“Since the incident,” a spokesperson of the board said, “all major tourist facilities across the country have been operating normally and we will continue to showcase Kenya’s diverse tourism products to enable the U.S. trade to continue to sell the destination effectively.”
There is overall optimism about Kenya’s future and its global economic growth. Uhuru Kenyatta, the current president of Kenya, believes Kenya will overcome this tragedy as it has done many times before.
“We have overcome terrorist attacks before. In fact, we have fought courageously and defeated them within and outside our borders. We will defeat them again,” Kenyatta said recently.
Wanjira Banfield writes about travel and entertainment for theGrio. You can find her at www.wanjirasworld.com and follow her on Twitter @wanjirasworld.