Kenya has been elected to the highest decision making body of the United Nation World Tourism Organisation Executive Council.

The announcement was confirmed at the 21st UNWTO General Assembly, held in Medellin, Colombia.

Kenya’s appointment provides a significant endorsement to the country’s tourism sector as it means that Kenya will now, for the next two years, have a leading role on the UN affiliate body responsible for the coordination of global tourism issues and programmes.

The Executive Council that Kenya has been appointed to is the governing body that brings together 154 member countries into a single global tourism organisation and sets and drives the agenda for the global tourism sector.

The secretary general of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai has visited Kenya twice this year and has been very clear in his support and endorsement of the country as leading global tourist destination.

During one of his recent visits Rifai congratulated Kenya for diversifying its tourism offer by saying: “What brings tourists to Kenya is its irresistible tourism offers.

“Most visitors who taste Kenyan products will always yearn to come back.”

Kenya and the other member states of the East Africa Community have been actively looking at ways they can collaborate to support and drive tourism to the region.

Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda recently introduced a single visa solution that reduces the cost of visiting to just $100 and allows multiple entries.