Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala and CNN Journalist, Richard Quest this morning had breakfast at the Nairobi National Park, the World’s only park within a city.
Being in Nairobi for the first time, Richard Quest could not hide his excitement of seeing lions so close to the city.
Wild lions so close to #nairobi city centre. pic.twitter.com/x2ymgqnfkm
— Richard Quest (@richardquest) October 27, 2018
Richard Quest also seems to have an obsession with giraffes as this is the second time he appears stunned by the graceful creatures. Earlier in the week Quest got a chance to have breakfast with giraffes at one of Nairobi’s most iconic buildings, the Giraffe Manor in Nairobi’s Karen area.
Giraffes in the wild at Nairobi National Park. Here they say #magicalkenya pic.twitter.com/QXz6rzD1qu
— Richard Quest (@richardquest) October 27, 2018
The CNN Journalist is in the country ahead of the inaugural Kenya Airways (KQ) direct flight from Nairobi to the US tomorrow where his show, ‘Quest Means Business’ will go live from Kenya as he prepares to join passengers on the inaugural Kenya Airways flight.
Tourism Min. @tunajibu invites RQ to #Kenya as he talks #travelban impact on Kenya, #UNWTO election, #security #QMB https://t.co/VM46RvXO0e
— Quest Means Business (@questCNN) March 16, 2017
In 2017, in an interview on the Quest Means Business show, Najib Balala invited Richard Quest to Kenya saying that he will be his tour guide. The CS has since kept his when he hosted Richard Quest for the breakfast today.
Quest: “Here’s the deal, when I come to Kenya, you’ve got to show me something suitable like this.”
Balala: “I’ll be your tour guide.”
Quest: “You’re sure?”
Balala: “Yeah.”
Quest: “I can be a very demanding tourist.”
Balala: “It’s okay.”
Hosted @richardquest for a bush breakfast to experience #MagicalKenya at the World's Wildlife Capital #Nairobi National Park pic.twitter.com/lSIhTsShmQ
— Najib Balala (@tunajibu) October 27, 2018
Kenya Airways now becomes the first airline in East Africa to offer non-stop flights between the East Africa region and America after Kenya’s approval for Category One status by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in April 2017 and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s elevation to the status of a Last Point of Departure (LPD).
It’s an exciting day and an important milestone for Kenya as the flight will have a direct impact on the country’s economy as it is expected to generate jobs by boosting trade between Kenya and the US, both in terms of goods and services. Kenya Airways’ direct flight to the US, therefore, comes as a welcome development as it is expected to accelerate the growth of the tourism industry by contributing to increased arrivals.
KQ will be flying daily from Nairobi to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport a move that will propel Kenya forward as the East African hub. The direct flight will facilitate direct cargo shipment of Kenya’s exports such as its flowers, tea, and coffee as well textiles and apparels by air, directly to the US market.
According to CS Balala, the direct flight will also substantially boost Kenya’s global profile as a tourism destination as it will provide a shorter, quicker and more affordable connection for tourists and business travelers coming to Kenya.
The CS added that tourists from North and South America generally connect to Kenya and Africa through Europe, making the duration of their trip about 24 hours. However, with the direct flights, the travel time will reduce drastically to 15 hours.