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Thursday, March 03, 2005
Updated Status of Travel Advisory in East Africa
Not to be dissuaded by unfounded U.S. government travel advisories in East Africa, hundreds of thousands of American travelers are releasing pent-up demand to go on safari in Kenya and Tanzania this year. Many hotels and safari lodges are sold out for 6-12 months in advance. Hundreds of Wildland Adventures travelers have returned from Kenya and Tanzania over the past two years have reported no security incidents or concerns for their safety during their safari, in spite of the continued US government travel advisory. Other governments of the western world who had issued travel advisories in mid-2003, rescinded them in 2004 because they concluded local security conditions in Kenya and Tanzania had improved. The latest U.S. government warning about Kenya states that the areas that are most suspect are Nairobi and the coast.
Finally in May 2004, speaking at the government State House in Nairobi, US Ambassador William Bellamy expressed regret over the previous travel advisories that discouraged travel to Kenya. Due increased security measures put in place by the Kenya government and the fact that there has been no incident of terrorism since the warning was put in place May 2003, he announced that the US State Department lightened its expression of threat in a new advisory. The revised Travel Warning for Kenya changed the language from cautioning American citizens against non-essential travel to the country to a lightened caution for American citizens in Kenya to remain vigilant in light of ongoing terrorist threats. The Kenyan government continues to work directly with U.S. officials to ensure the safety of visitors and Kenyan citizens.
As a matter of perspective, its important to consider that on March 3, 2005, a U.S. Homeland Security official reported on the Today Show that security officials in the United States were increasing security around government buildings due to new and specific terrorist threats against targets in our nation's Capital. In spite of the fact that many government facilities and historic sites are major U.S. tourist attractions, U.S. officials have not issued travel advisories against visitors coming to the Washington D.C. area or the United States.
Consider further that the risk of travel in East Africa is lessoned by the fact that the U.S. Travel Warning makes specific reference to potential terrorist activity in Nairobi and around Mombasa on the Kenya coast. Wildland Adventures travelers spend very only a few nights in Nairobi and no time around Mombasa on the Kenya coast. Once out on safari you can feel completely secure traveling through National Parks, wildlife reserves and local villages along well-known safari routes staying in small safari lodges or tent camps far removed from security threats.
