President William Ruto has celebrated the recognition of Nairobi as the world's top city to visit in 2024, claiming the recognition is as a result of the government's efforts to sell Kenya to the world.
Nairobi was named the best city to travel to in 2024 by United States-headquartered travel firm Lonely Planet, ahead of Paris (France) and Montreal (Canada), Mostar (Bosnia) and Philadelphia (USA) which ranked among the top five in the list.
"Our endeavours to sell Kenya throughout the world are paying off. Everywhere we go, we have offered everyone - investors, innovators, creators, professionals and travellers of all ages - a compelling reason to visit Kenya. And we have countless such reasons. The world is listening. Our effort to use every local and global opportunity to profile Kenya as a competitive destination has elicited highly inspiring feedback from Lonely Planet, which has recognised Nairobi as its top global city destination," Ruto stated.
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According to the President, the recognition will be a big boost to Kenya's tourism sector, which is among the country's biggest foreign exchange earners.
"Kenya is a magnificent country endowed with a sumptuous array of spectacular touristic attractions that are liberally dispersed throughout the land, and Nairobi is its powerful, vital, beating heart. We dream in Nairobi and chase our biggest dreams here. We imagine a better present and future and then create it. We are brave, bold and brilliant in Nairobi," he added.
"To be recognised as the world's top city destination for 2024 by Lonely Planet is, therefore, direct recognition of the city's unique confluence of global cosmopolitan trends and traditional cultural blends, with an emerging, evolving and dynamic youthful bent and everything else in between."
Other cities that featured in the list include Manaus (Brazil), Jakarta (Indonesia), Prague (Czech Republic), Izmir (Turkey) and Kansas City in Missouri US, which ranked sixth to 10th respectively.
"The award is also an indirect affirmation of Magical Kenya as an irresistible destination for those curious to encounter a beautiful country going places with a people who are always ready to engage all visitors, clients, customers and partners until their expectations are exceeded," Ruto added.
Ruto's pledge
Ruto says the recognition is an encouragement to continue marketing the country to other parts of the world with a promise of giving visitors an "incomparable travel experience of unforgettable beauty and magic".
"We shall neither tire nor relent in performing this important duty of marketing and promoting Magical Kenya and Nairobi, our wondrously complex, infinitely charismatic, profoundly fascinating capital abounding with opportunities for everyone thinking of learning, trying or starting something," Ruto stated.
"I encourage all our friends throughout the world to tell a friend or more to make the point of visiting Kenya and experiencing Nairobi. There is nowhere like here anywhere in the world."
Some of the iconic experiences in Nairobi mentioned by Lonely Planet include watching a performance of traditional music and dance at the Bomas of Kenya, walking through the Ngong Hills Forest at sunrise for views of Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro, visiting the Nairobi National Park and climbing to the top of the Kenyatta International Conference Centre for a 360-degree view of the city.
