NAIROBI, Kenya (eTN) – Abadlali bezokuvakasha eKenya bakhathazekile ngokuthi lo mkhakha ungase ungasimama ngokugcwele kulo nyaka kulandela izinxushunxushu ezikhona ezimakethe zezimali zomhlaba kanye neziyaluyalu zezombusazwe endaweni ekuqaleni konyaka odlule.
Ukushesha ngoZibandlela wezi-2008 lapho amahhotela asogwini lwaseKenya ebhukhwe ngokugcwele ngemikhosi kaKhisimusi noNcibijane yizivakashi zasendaweni kanye nezivakashi zakwamanye amazwe kunikeza ithemba elincane lokululama.
Abadlali kulo mkhakha bathi ukuwohloka kwemakethe yezindlu ezithengiswayo e-US naseYurophu, izimakethe zemithombo yendabuko yezwe, kulindeleke ukuthi kube nomthelela omubi ekuhambeni kokungcebeleka. Imizamo eqhubekayo yokulungisa isimo kulandela udlame olwathusa izivakashi engxenyeni yokuqala ka-2008 nayo isazokhokha ngokugcwele.
Uma kwenzeka ukwesaba kubonakala, ukukhuphuka kwezibalo zabavakashi abavela kuyo yonke i-Afrika kanye naseMpumalanga Ekude, ikakhulukazi i-China, kungase kungafinyeleli okushodayo.
Unyaka wezi-2007 uqophe inani eliphakeme kakhulu lezivakashi ezake zafika kuleli, ngokwehlukana okulinganiselwa kuhulumeni kanye ne-Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) ukuthi zisuka ku-1.7 kuya ku-1.8 million izivakashi. Amahhotela amaningi abhukhelwe ngokugcwele amaholide kaKhisimusi noNcibijane kudala ngaphambi kokuqala kukaDisemba 2007.
Kodwa-ke, izivakashi zabaleka kuleli ngobuningi bazo ekuqaleni kuka-2008 kulandela izingxabano zezombusazwe ezinodlame ezabulala amakhulu abantu baseKenya ngemuva nje koKhetho Lukazwelonke lwangoDisemba 27, 2007, olwaholela ekuphikisweni kwemiphumela kamongameli. Kepha abekho abavakashi abalimala ngesikhathi sokuxabana, obekugxile kakhulu ezifundeni zaseWestern Kenya eNyanza naseRift Valley nasezindaweni ezimpofu zaseNairobi.
Ngenxa yalokho, amashumi ezikhungo zezivakashi anciphisa ukusebenza kwawo, avala izindawo eziningi zamahhotela nezindawo zokulala, futhi adiliza izinkulungwane zezisebenzi.
Ngo-April nyakenye, izivakashi zase ziqale ukubuthana zibuyela emabhishi eziwuthanda kakhulu ogwini lwaseKenya. Naphezu kwemizamo yokumaketha ekhaliphile ye-KTB, izinombolo zahlala zinzima.
Kubikwe nokulahleka kwemisebenzi okusabalele emkhakheni wezokuvakasha onenzuzo enkulu ngenxa yokuhoxiswa okukhulu kokuvakasha kulandela lesi siphithiphithi.
Ngokombiko wezomnotho wakamuva we-Kenyan Bureau of Statistics, umkhakha wezokuvakasha wehle ngamaphesenti angama-34.7 kuneningi langonyaka odlule. I-KTB ngokwayo ilinganisela ukuthi izivakashi ezifikayo phakathi kukaJanuwari no-Okthoba nyakenye zehle ngamaphesenti angama-35.2, zisuka ku-873,00 t0 565,000. Izibalo ezibuyekeziwe ze-KTB kulindeleke ukuthi zikhishwe ngenyanga ezayo.
Isikhulu esiphezulu seKenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Association uMike Macharia, utshele izintatheli ngenyanga edlule ukuthi kungenzeka isimo sibe ngcono nango-2009. “Kusukela ngoDisemba 2007, sasivame ukuthola izindiza eziqashiwe ezingama-41 masonto onke eMombasa. Ngemva kodlame lokhetho, asizange sithole ezintathu. Namuhla, sithola cishe abayi-11,” kusho uMacharia etshela iDaily Nation ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngaphambi kukaKhisimusi wangonyaka odlule.
Usole udlame ngokuncipha kwezokuvakasha. “Lapho izinhlelo zendiza zishintshwa, ama-ejenti athintekayo ngokuvamile aqala ukuthengisa izindawo ezintsha. Lokho akukhona ukuthi asicabangi ukuthi sizolulama maduze,” engeza.
Kodwa-ke, i-KTB inethemba lokuthi lo mkhakha uzosimama ngenxa yokumaketha okunamandla kanye nokusimama komnotho ezimakethe zemithombo yezokuvakasha ezithintwe ukuwohloka kwezimali emhlabeni.
