Our Work Is Paying Off- Ruto On Nairobi Ranked Best City To Visit Worldwide

An announcement by United States-based travel agency Lonely Planet revealed that Nairobi ranked ahead of well-known cities such as Paris, Montreal, Mostar, and Philadelphia among others.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Nov 5, 2023 - 16:47 Updated: Nov 5, 2023 - 16:58
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Our Work Is Paying Off- Ruto On Nairobi Ranked Best City To Visit Worldwide
An aerial view of Nairobi CBD and President William Ruto. /PEXELS.PCS

President William Ruto on Saturday, November 5 remarked that his efforts to market Kenya to the entire world have borne fruit after Nairobi was ranked the world's best city to visit in 2024.

An announcement by United States-based travel agency Lonely Planet revealed that Nairobi ranked ahead of well-known cities such as Paris, Montreal, Mostar, and Philadelphia among others.

In a statement, the Head of State commended the government's efforts to advertise the country globally, yet again defending his numerous trips abroad since assuming office on September 13, 2022.

"Our endeavours to sell Kenya throughout the world are paying off. Everywhere we go, we have offered everyone - investors, innovators, creators, professionals and travellers of all ages - a compelling reason to visit Kenya. And we have countless such reasons. 

A ranking that placed Nairobi as the best city in the world to travel to in 2024. /LONELY PLANET

"The world is listening. Our effort to use every local and global opportunity to profile Kenya as a competitive destination has elicited highly inspiring feedback from Lonely Planet, which has recognised Nairobi as its top global city destination," Ruto celebrated.

He agreed wholeheartedly with the assessment and positive feedback from a global authority on matters of travel and tourism.

“Best in Travel” ranking is arrived at with Travel experts naming their best tourist destination including top 10 cities and regions to visit based on their experience and expertise in the area of travel.

The firm revealed that in this year’s ranking dubbed “Fifty destinations chosen by a travel-obsessed team that promises to inspire and awe, delight and excite, charm and captivate”, the Kenyan capital emerged first in the list.

"Kenya is a magnificent country endowed with a sumptuous array of spectacular touristic attractions that are liberally dispersed throughout the land, and Nairobi is its powerful, vital, beating heart. We dream in Nairobi and chase our biggest dreams here. We imagine a better present and future and then create it. We are brave, bold and brilliant in Nairobi. 

"To be recognised as the world's top city destination for 2024 by Lonely Planet is, therefore, a direct recognition of the city's unique confluence of global cosmopolitan trends and traditional cultural blends, with an emerging, evolving and dynamic youthful bent and everything else in between," Ruto continued.

The President hailed the award as also an indirect affirmation of Magical Kenya as an irresistible destination for those curious to encounter a beautiful country going places with people who are always ready to engage all visitors, clients, customers and partners until their expectations are exceeded.

"We shall neither tire nor relent in performing this important duty of marketing and promoting Magical Kenya and Nairobi, our wondrously complex, infinitely charismatic, profoundly fascinating capital abounding with opportunities for everyone thinking of learning, trying or starting something," Ruto committed.

"I encourage all our friends throughout the world to tell a friend or more to make the point of visiting Kenya and experiencing Nairobi. There is nowhere like here anywhere in the world. We are ready and waiting to give you an incomparable travel experience of unforgettable beauty and magic."

The US-based firm has been publishing guidebooks on travel since 1973 and is a major player in travel and tourism.

Nairobi was the only African city that made it to the list and was hailed for its tremendous growth which has made it a prime destination for tourists, travellers and businesses.

A video explaining why Nairobi is the city to travel to in 2024 explored the vibrant culture, matatu graffiti, mouth-watering cuisines and breathtaking parks.

Among other highlights listed for visitors to check out while in Nairobi is a walk at the Ngong Hills Forest, traditional song and dance at the Bomas of Kenya and a breath-taking game drive at the Nairobi National Park “with the city’s evolving skyline in the backdrop.”

Aerial view of Global Trade Centre in Nairobi. /KHUSOKO.COM

“Views of Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro on a clear day” is also listed among the highlights worth checking out while in Nairobi.

“Kenya’s capital is staking its claim as a global centre of culture, sizzling with unmissable travel experiences. The city is shrugging off the colonial gaze and embracing its unique rhythms, with a dynamic array of restaurants, food carts and cafes, along with a steady rotation of arts and cultural venues that all fuel a distinct Nairobi cool,” noted Lonely Planet in the video.

The city boasts several attractions and is a major business and travel destination. Among them include the Nairobi National Museum, the Oloolua nature trail, the lush Karura Forest, the Karen Blixen Museum, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the bustling Masai Market.

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