The success of interest and attendance in Kenya's seaside destinations, and in particular Watamu, Malindi, Kilifi and Mambrui on the north coast, has brought optimism and good omens for the coming tourist season, which as always opens around mid-July.
But he also highlighted, as is often the case, the flaws of a nation that is like those students whose teachers are so fond of them because they are 'good, but could do more'.

It is some decades now that Kenya could do more, if only it believed in tourism as a key resource to help its economy and bring in not only fresh foreign currency in cash, but also travellers who, having 'tasted' this land on holiday, may decide to invest in their own business or for a lifestyle choice, bringing professionalism and jobs. It is no coincidence that countries such as Thailand, which started earlier, are in many ways more 'ahead' and physiologically more welcoming, before the pandemic they reached 10 million visitors a year, while Kenya has for the first time in its history exceeded 2 million (and if you take away its neighbours Uganda and Tanzania it drops to one and a half million...).

One of the main problems is flights. Not only opening up to foreign direct flights, as the famous 'open skies' policy would have it, but also internal flights.
It is striking, for example, that for destinations in Kilifi County, solutions instead of increasing, in parallel with demand, have decreased. Over the years, as many as four airlines have left for various reasons: Fly540, EastAfrican, Silverstone and lately 748.
Only Safarilink and Skywards remain, apart from the domestic subsidiary of the shaky Kenya Airways, Jambojet. With the inevitable result that less competition does not lower prices, which have already skyrocketed due to high fuel prices and the devaluation of the shilling against the dollar. That is why it would be time to focus on more solutions, since demand is always high. The issue, to tell the truth, has not gone unnoticed by the Governor of Kilifi County, Gideon Mung'aro, who grew up in tourism, having also worked as general manager for Flavio Briatore, as well as being mayor of Malindi.

In recent days, Mung'aro met with Jambo Jet CEO Karanja Ndegwa and his team.
"We discussed ways to boost tourism and market Kilifi as a tourist destination par excellence," said the Governor. "Our discussions mainly focused on ways to meet the growing demand for additional flights to cater for local and international tourists and the business community by linking flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to Malindi. As a county government, we are committed to working with all stakeholders to create a business-friendly environment with the aim of making Kilifi County a business hub in the coming years and maximising the potential of our tourism industry."

The hope that these are not just words entitles us to hope that the issue of direct connections will become a priority, because surely we cannot still be dreaming of Malindi International Airport with charters arriving directly at the beach.
That of flights is a subject for which even the Italian Ambassador to Kenya Roberto Natali has shown sensitivity, discussing it with the Minister of Tourism Peninah Malonza. On the plate are also direct flights from Italy to Nairobi, which, with a plan of direct connections to Malindi, could represent the most realistic and easily achievable solution to meet the growing demand for travel and holidays on the Kenyan coast.