Kisumu Chief Officer in-charge of Tourism and Trade has asked tourists to visit the lake County saying the area has many tourist destinations to be visited.
Jacob Muga said in the last three years, the county government has done much to make the area attractive for tourists, something he said has not fully paid off since not many tourists visit the area.
He wondered why few people visit the area for leisure activities yet it has many sites worth visiting.
He said such reluctance to appreciate what the county has to offer is detrimental to the county government's effort to boost tourism in Kenya's third largest city.
Mr Muga said the locals should lead by example in appreciating what nature is offering in Kisumu instead of over-reliance on foreign tourists to visit the lake city.
He challenged the residents who prefer going to the coastal towns for holidays to embrace what the county offers in hospitality services.
He said doing that is a great disservice to the county by the residents who he expects to be leading by example in making Kisumu a great tourist destination.
Muga gave an example of Dunga Beach and the Kisumu Museum which he says are some of the greatest attraction sites in the country.
He further said boat riding at Lake Victoria is also a leisure activity which the county is proud of.
"Why should you travel all the way to Mombasa when we have the same services here in Kisumu?" asked Mr Muga.
He added that: "The Kisumu County government is going to do all it can to boost tourism in the area."
The county Tourism and Trade chief executive spoke to this writer on Tuesday.