We are all tour guides and yet not all of us are informed

The ongoing push for domestic tourism has elicited mixed reactions from the public. Obviously, the awakening can be traced to Kenya’s troubles that arose from security lapses that brought down its tourism sector. Facilities that had never seen the value of locals beyond having them as staff suddenly realised their folly. Campaigns for domestic tourism were started by including local menus, local currencies and an effort to appreciate local clients some more. The same efforts rode on the East African Community ideals and spread out beyond Kenya. They are now a thing in Uganda and Rwanda, for example. The logic is simple; domestic tourists exist and are equally vital for the survival and profitability of businesses. Some travel bloggers have laughed at efforts by, say, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) regarding the promotion of domestic tourism arguing that it should be left for local governments as KTB “baits the big fish” from Europe, Asia and the Americas. Much as it is true that local governments have a duty to sell their attractions to citizens, it is also true that KTB can do much more than beg foreigners to visit. You see, the world has changed so much over the years, thanks to technology that keeps connecting people. Someone living in Kampala, Kigali or Nairobi is likely to be asked by a foreigner about the places to visit and the things to do. When faced with such questions one better have some ready answers lest they begin to sound like those receptionists or public relations folks that never seem to know anything about the companies they work for. In other words, technology has turned many of us into de facto pro bono ambassadors of our countries. In order to do this job well, we need to be informed about the attractions that our countries have and what fun activities one can indulge in when they visit. Domestic tourism doesn’t stop at giving locals a chance at touring places they grew up thinking were exclusively set up for foreigners with dollars, but also makes them better informed so as to recommend places to others. A few years back, many visitors would start their journeys by reading travel books written by another foreigner who toured a particular place or checking out travel websites. With the connectivity available today one may just send you an email or a message on a social media platform informing you of an impending visit and asking you to recommend places and activities they should try out. Other than creating opportunities for domestic tourism to thrive, we need to use every opportunity available to market ourselves and make vital information available for anyone who may need it. I have noticed that most of our airports in the region are decorated with glossy pictures of each country’s attractions and yet at the border posts you will be lucky to even find a brochure on places one can check out or activities they can indulge in. Is this because we still think the only worthy tourists are the ones that fly into the country? Are we forgetting that some opt to fly into one country and drive into another at their convenience? If potential tourists asked you about what and where attractions are in your country, do you feel you are letting down your country because you are not so sure of what it has to offer in terms of tourism? Do you always have an adequate follow up answer when someone insists that another country is better or has whatever attractions you are talking about? All these are things we need to think about as locals if we are to effectively play our role as voluntary tour guides for a sector that is crucial to the regional economy. On a lighter note, I must say I was impressed to see that a regional transport company based in Mombasa has its latest buses covered with nice pictures of Kigali city and Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda). These are buses that move from Kigali to Kampala, Nairobi and Mombasa. Everywhere they are subtly marketing these places to those who may have no idea how a particular place looks like. This is essentially why planes have in-flight magazines to keep disseminating vital tourism information.

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We are all tour guides and yet not all of us are informed