Stakeholders involved in Kenya’s tourism sector are breathing a sigh of relief following the peaceful completion of Kenya’s presidential election.
In 2007, ethnic violence erupted over election results with devastating effects for the tourism industry in that country. Tourism to Kenya declined significantly for at least two years following the violence.
At the very height of the tourism season, the industry was completely taken by surprise. Said Nigel Vere Nicoll of the Africa Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) : “Kenya’s rolling plains and sandy beaches were deserted and a vibrant tourism industry destroyed in just a few days.”
By 2011, the country’s tourism arrivals were returning to normal. Although bookings by international tourists have been slow in the run-up to the polls, tourism stakeholders now expect this year’s high season will soon pick up despite the travel advisories that governments issued over insecurity in coastal regions last year.
In the run-up to elections, private- and public-sector stakeholders involved in travel and tourism to Kenya worked together with unified purpose to keep the tourism industry accurately and transparently informed of events as they 
happened. A full, structured crisis-management plan was also drafted. “In the event the election went smoothly and a hungry media, looking for sensational news stories, left Kenya disappointed,” said Nicoll.
Extraordinary Journeys , a New York-based Africa specialist, agreed that Kenyans took a stand in this election. “Kenyans fought very hard for peaceful elections to the extent where they were monitoring everything for all messages that were being sent out,” said Marcia Gordon, co-founder of the company.
Gordon admitted that some clients did wait until the election to see how things went and have now begun to finish the booking process for their vacations. “Most clients seem to be OK and confident once [we] explained what was really going on. The month of August is completely booked. People who have booked are going."
According to Nicoll, ATTA’s members based in Kenya are confident that President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta, as a former minister of tourism, will keep tourism near the top of his agenda.