Two days to relaunch Malindi, promoting it and telling its story to the international strolling audience of one of the busiest shopping centers in the capital, Nairobi.
The health emergency not yet over in Europe, the fears of new variants and the continuing closure of Africa by Italy and other western nations, are increasingly convincing the activities of coastal destinations to seek a different clientele from that which in past years made the fortunes of Malindi and Watamu. Precisely these locations, on the strength of the numbers of Italians and English above all, in the past snubbed the potential of an increasingly rich city like Nairobi.
Another splendid resort, Diani Beach, has taken advantage of this lack of interest. After years of obscurantism, especially after the bloody Likoni riots in 1997, it has slowly and intelligently rebuilt its international image, focusing on the growth of Nairobi and the other African capitals, as well as American, Northern European and French tourism.
The pandemic affected everyone, but it was undoubtedly domestic tourism that saved many "shacks" and now that restrictions have been reduced to a minimum (while waiting for the inevitable but unlikely vaccine passport), all the activities that resisted are starting up again in style. Those who had closed their doors are reopening, those who have held out are beginning to reap the benefits of this policy. Even we at Malindikenya.net have opened up to this new tourism policy, trying to create a link between the north coast of Kenya and Nairobi, moving for a month in the capital and weaving relationships with insiders and potential visitors to Malindi and Watamu. Not just tourists, but also investors, companies looking to organize events, conferences and more. We believe that with the support of other hotels and restaurants, like the one that led to the weekend at the Village Market, we can achieve tangible results for many. The important thing is to be united (which is very difficult for Italian activities) and try to bring the Italian spirit as a plus value, an excellence within destinations of international scope. In this Watamu is definitely ahead, thanks to a British entrepreneuri because of its entrepreneurial tradition, while Malindi is just beginning. Secondly, abandoning the ideas and concepts of "Italians for Italians" and trying to understand the Kenyan market, which is not only made up of Kenyans, but also Indians, Arabs, Eastern Europeans and so on. Internationalizing is not easy, but many activities, including those of's compatriots' in Nairobi, have done it and today they are reaping the results.
During this month in the capital we have also attended, studied and understood methods, opportunities and new directions in the sector and if the good day of this initiative, which has brought together hundreds of people in two days of contacts, explanations, approaches and addresses (with the lure of free tickets offered by the local airline Safarilink), can be seen from the morning, we are on the right track and we expect that other players in coastal hospitality will join in and contribute to strengthening a new image of our tourist destinations.