The Omogusii community has been urged to be on the forefront in protecting Kisii County’s main tourist attraction sites.
Speaking at Manga hills during the World Tourism Day on Tuesday, leaders and tourism stakeholders called on locals to take part in environmental protection especially natural resources that are vulnerable to extinction.
The Kisii University Vice Chancellor Prof John Akama in a speech read by Dr Christopher Ngacho, discouraged community members against cutting down indigenous trees since they were vital in preserving heritage. The don who is also a specialist in matters tourism said Kisii County lacked large tourist attraction sites such as lakes and forests but had a lot to offer from the cultural heritage of the Omogusii.
“Tourism provides income as well as improving other related industries and therefore, we have to protect the tourist attraction sites to achieve our goals,” read Akama’s speech.
He however raised a concern of limited resources, poor infrastructure, lack of partnership and less involvement of the community as challenges that are facing the tourism industry.
The event had been organised by Kisii University in partnership with Manga sub-county leaders. Manga Deputy County Commissioner, Josephat Musyoki, thanked the University for taking part in enlightening the community on environmental protection methods and asked tourism and travel students to extend the same to their families back home.