Tourism Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok has called for the development and promotion of new tourism products in the North Rift region of Kenya in order to diversify the country’s tourism offerings.
Prof. Bitok said the region had enormous potential in sports, culture, agro-tourism, and nature-based tourism that could complement the country’s traditional safari and beach tourism products.
Speaking during the national celebrations to mark the 2026 UN World Tourism Day at the University of Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, the PS said the government was investing in infrastructure and improving connectivity across the North Rift to facilitate tourism development.
“Traditionally, we have always focused on safari tourism and beach tourism. It is now time to think differently and create other tourism products within the North Rift,” Bitok said.
He urged governors in the region to complete tourism-related projects initiated by their respective counties to create an integrated tourism circuit capable of taking advantage of the area’s diverse attractions.
The PS said the region’s rich sporting heritage, particularly its association with world and Olympic champions, provided an opportunity to develop sports tourism and attract visitors seeking unique experiences.
“We have a lot of resources. When you go to other countries, you wonder what people are going to do there. But when you come here, we are very rich. We have a very rich culture and many opportunities, and this is a time now to move tourism to the next level,” he said.
The PS noted that more than 70 Kenyan sports legends and medalists had participated in activities during the tourism week, including renowned athletes whose careers and training grounds could form part of the region’s tourism attractions.
He also challenged private-sector players to complement government investments in roads, security, and other infrastructure by investing in hotels, upgrading facilities, and improving service standards.
“As the government creates infrastructure, the roads ensure that there is peace and security. Let us also play our role and ensure that we invest in hotels, we train our staff, and we up the game so that we can be able to attract international tourists,” Bitok said.
He said cleanliness and quality service were critical to attracting international tourists and encouraging them to return to destinations.
Bitok further urged Kenyans to embrace domestic tourism through the Tembea Kenya initiative, noting that many citizens had not explored attractions within the country.
He said the government was targeting to increase international tourist arrivals from the current 2.7 million to 5.5 million, adding that achieving the target required coordinated efforts by national and county governments, communities, and private-sector players.
Bitok said technology was also transforming the tourism sector, urging stakeholders to embrace the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day: Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.
On his part, University of Eldoret Vice Chancellor Prof. Thomas Cheruiyot said the institution was seeking government support to establish a specialized Tourism and Hospitality Centre for training, research, and innovation.
Cheruiyot said the proposed centre would also host an Artificial Intelligence hub to support the application of emerging technologies in tourism and hospitality.
He said the university, which established its tourism programme in 1992, had more than three decades of experience in training professionals for the sector and was well positioned to contribute to Kenya’s tourism development.
“We have a dream of ensuring that in Kenya and this region, we are able to train high-end specialists in the tourism and hospitality sector,” Cheruiyot said.
He said the proposed center would offer specialized training and research in various areas of tourism and hospitality while working with institutions such as Kenya Utalii College and other stakeholders.
The VC said the university had demonstrated the connection between tourism and other sectors during the week-long celebrations, including agro-tourism, sports tourism, cultural tourism, and digital technology.
“This center will also host the AI hub that will be able to transform tourism to an AI-interconnected way of engaging in tourism and hospitality across the world,” he said.
Cheruyoit said the region had unique tourism features that needed to be packaged and developed to benefit local communities and the wider economy.
He also highlighted the university’s long-standing engagement with farmers in the region and its role in linking agriculture and tourism through agro-tourism and ecotourism.
The VC appealed to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife to support the university in realizing the proposed tourism and hospitality training and research centre.
He said the facility would serve Kenya and the wider African region by strengthening specialised training, research, and innovation in tourism and hospitality.
By Fredrick Maritim
