Over 10,000 foreign visitors are expected in the country during the World Rally Championship (WRC) slated for Naivasha next month.
This came as the rally organizers announced that a totals of 58 entrants had confirmed their participation in the rally slated for 24th of 27th of June.
Addressing the press in Naivasha, WRC Safari Rally chief executive officer Phineas Kimathi exuded confidence that the rally would be a success.
He noted that the country expected over 200,000 but the Covid-19 pandemic had affected this forcing the rally to be postponed last year.
“We expect over 10,000 visitors meaning all hotels in Naivasha will be fully booked and a TV viewership of over 850m during and after the rally,” he said.
Speaking after the end of a training for service staff during the event, Kimathi said that TV equipment’s and other gear needed for the event would start arriving in the country from next week.
“We shall use the SGR to ferry the bulky equipment to the dry port in Naivasha before ferrying them to KWS training institute where the service bay is,” he said.
He noted that Kenyans had every reason to be happy as the rally returned to the country after 19 years with the 2022, 2023 and 2024 slated to be held in Naivasha.
“We are happy with the support given by the national government and Nakuru County in making sure that this event is successful,” he said.
On his part, the CEC Trade and Tourism in Nakuru Raymond Komen said that the county fully backed the event.
He said that the issues of security, hospital and health and disaster management had been fully addressed before and during the global event.
Komen challenged hoteliers and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the event to showcase their packages and get business.
“This is a major event that will not only sell the country but showcase Nakuru as a tourist destination point,” he said.
The Vice-chancellor Kabarak University which was under taking the training Professor Henry Kiplagat which was undertaking the training said that the service staffs were ready for the event.
“The over 500 staff who have been trained ahead of the event are now ready to deal and handle the high number of visitors who will be attending the event,” he said.