The hoteliers of Malindi and Watamu agree with what Flavio Briatore said in the interview of day before yesterday: Malindi wants to resurrect and the shortest and most necessary way is the opening of the international airport to direct flights from abroad, especially from Europe.
The county leaders of the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers met yesterday at the Ocean Beach Resort and decided that on Saturday 9 November they will be marching on the streets not only to clean, but for the first time, calling together all categories of entrepreneurs and tourism employees, to ask for the resolution of the long-standing stalemate at the airport that serves the entire County of Kilifi and its tourist destinations, coveted by thousands of people and new investors and which are the main resource of the coastal region, as well as creating jobs and prosperity to the local population.
"Saturday 9 is the date of the already planned Malindi Clean Up Day, which is held for the eighth month in a row - confirmed the chairman of the KAHC for Kilifi County, Maureen Awuor - on that occasion we ask every citizen who cares about the fate of Malindi and Watamu to show up at the entrance to the airport to confirm our desire to make Malindi more attractive, pending the opening of the airport to direct flights from abroad, which must be implemented soon.
This is not a protest, the Malindi Green And Blue movement, which organizes cleanups and each time calls together citizens, institutions, associations and representatives of labor categories, simply wants to witness the need to unblock the situation of what it considers a top priority.
"Every person working in Malindi should join us next Saturday - explains Sabina Vivaldi, Italian representative of the association - from the hoteliers to the smallest fruit and vegetable seller, because the international airport is an issue that concerns the economic growth of the entire County of Kilifi and its future".
The hoteliers have also discussed the coastal road that will connect Malindi to Watamu, also defined fundamental to improve tourism on the shores of the Indian Ocean.
In the next few days there will be appeals on the radio and on social networks that will invite everyone to parade asking for the operation of the international airport, demonstrating once again the commitment and unity of those who are really doing something to improve Malindi, Watamu and other places that can benefit from the airport.