32 Destinations


Kenya’s main languages are Swahili and English, although more than 60 languages are spoken nationwide. Sheng is a slang dialogue used in Nairobi, which mixes the two main languages


KENYA Kenya Tourism Board / AF6120


There aren’t many countries that can offer the geographical variety of Kenya, which boasts savannahs rich with big game, cultures unchanged by the modern world and natural highlights such as beautiful beaches, equatorial forests, snowy mountains and highland retreats. Kenya has been voted the planet’s lead-


ing safari destination at the last two World Travel Awards, and is one of only a few places where visitors can see the ‘big five’ (lion, Afri- can elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoc- eros) in their natural habitat. International tourist arrivals to Kenya


surpassed 877,000 in 2016, a 16.7 percent leap from the year before. Domestic travel also expe- rienced growth, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, with residents clocking 3.6 million overnight hotel stays, representing a 14.6 percent increase on 2015. The nation’s influx of tourists matched an overall resurgence for the continent in 2016, which welcomed 58 million travellers to mark an eight percent growth.


The UK, traditionally the country’s largest


international tourist market, slipped into second place behind the USA, whose numbers leapt by 13,000 to almost 98,000. Although there are no direct flights from the States, Kenya’s tenacious marketing of its safari culture worked wonders to lure American tourists – and the country’s tourism department has vowed to step up its campaign again in 2017. Another emerging market is India, whose


visitor numbers to Kenya jumped by 28.9 percent in 2016 to almost 50,000. In response to this, the government has launched the ‘KenyaKalling’ campaign in India, while also offering incentives to attract Bollywood produc- ers to film on its shores. A recent study by accountancy firm PwC


Kenya is believed to be one of the cradles of humanity. Tools have been discovered in Lake Turkana, in the north of the country, dating back to 3.3 million BCE


showed that global hotel brands are queuing up to invest in Kenya, with 16 five-star proper- ties scheduled to open by 2020. This includes hotels by leading names such as Pullman, JW Marriott, Accor and Louvre Hotels Group. The new properties will up the hotel room count to 20,700, increasing bed capacity by 14 percent. Kenya also has ambitious plans to become


Africa’s technology epicentre. Construction is underway on a US$14.5 billion (KES1.5 tril- lion) city of the future in Machakos County, modelled on California’s Silicon Valley. Billions of dollars are also being spent on projects like the Mombasa rail station, in line with the Kenya Vision 2030 development programme.


Maasai Mara, Kenya


Nairobi


The national animal of Lebanon is the striped hyena, a near-threatened indigenous species which lives in the country’s mountainous regions


LEBANON Lebanon Ministry of Tourism / ME5140


Officially known as the Lebanese Republic, the state stands at the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, combining a rich mixture of roots and influences. From the bright lights of the capital Beirut


and the historical wonders of Byblos to snow- capped mountains and 200 kilometres of coast- line, Lebanon offers something for everyone. Beirut is famed for top-notch shopping,


dining and nightlife. Here, street signs are as likely to be in French as Arabic, while luxury five-star hotels stand side by side with tradi- tional buildings. Beirut’s cultural and historical sights also offer much to discover. Jeita Grotto is just one of Beirut’s wonders, featuring nine kilometres of visually dazzling limestone caves. Elsewhere, top attractions include UNESCO


World Heritage Sites Baalbek and Byblos. The Phoenician city of Baalbek, where deities were once worshipped, was known as Heliopolis during the Hellenistic period. With its colos- sal structures, Baalbeck is one of the finest


examples of Imperial Roman architecture outside of Italy. The ruins of many civilisations can be found at Byblos, one of the oldest Phoe- nician cities. Inhabited since Neolithic times, it has been closely linked to the legends and history of the Mediterranean region for thou- sands of years. Around 20 kilometres north of Beirut is the


coastal city of Jounieh. With the sea to one side and mountains on the other, this hamlet has been transformed from a sleepy fishing village to a buzzing resort-style destination, filled with restaurants, bars and clubs. Lebanon’s Ministry of Tourism is gearing


up for a promising 2017, thanks to strength- ened ties with the Gulf and a new GCC-wide marketing campaign, in addition to a schedule of international goodwill visits. From January to November 2016, inbound


Beirut is famed for top-notch shopping, dining and nightlife. Here, street signs are as likely to be in French as Arabic


tourists swelled by 10.9 percent to 1.55 million – Lebanon’s best visitor numbers since 2010. The country also enjoyed record numbers of American, Canadian and Australian travellers – with the latter comprising 24.8 percent of all tourists, second only to Iraq (24.9 percent). Following the 2016 opening of the five-star


Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort in Beirut and The Mist Hotel & Spa by Warwick in Ehden, more beguiling properties are set to open their doors in the coming years, including Mandarin Oriental’s new hotel in Beirut and Coral Beirut Concorde Hotel.


Beirut


Pigeon Rocks, Beirut


Saint George Maronite Cathedral


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