Awareness creation about heritage sites spread across the country are part of the key activities lined up to celebrate World Tourism Day in Kenya whose theme is “Rethinking Tourism”.

Community sensitization, clean up exercises around the facilities are some of the highlights of the awareness program.

Kenya boasts of numerous prehistoric sites, museums and is home to seven United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites.

UNESCO’S heritage sites include Lamu, Old Town, Fort Jesus, The Sacred Kayas of Mijikenda and Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site.

The natural sites are Kenya’s Lake System in the Great Rift Valley (Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Elementaita), Lake Turkana National Parks and Mt. Kenya National Park/Natural Forest.

Many of these sites and regions are dependent upon tourism to maintain their economic, environmental, social and cultural well-being. Kenya is working closely with UNESCO to support Lamu Old Town and Fort Jesus as part of the tourism recovery and sustainability initiative following the impact of covid19 pandemic on the tourism industry.