Kilifi county will register and train more than 5,000 ‘beach boys’ to end harassment of tourists and stop child prostitution and labour.
The Tourism department yesterday said this will ensure tourists do not flee.
They have been complaining about harassment by the operators, known as ‘beach boys’. This hurts the sector and must stop, the county said.
Investors have been preparing for the new season. Hotels are expected to reap big from early next month.
The county targets operators from Malindi and Watamu where it gets many complaints.
It will build a Sh10 million tourist market in Watamu to tackle the problem.
“I would like hoteliers to support the initiative of the tourist market,” Tourism and Trade executive Nahida Mohamed said.
The docket has also instituted measures to stop child labour and prostitution. These are some of the strategies meant to promote tourism.
On Monday, the county government met with tourism players at Ocean Beach Resort in Malindi. They said they have no issues with the beach boys but want them to operate in an organised way.
Tourism is the backbone of Kilifi’s economy. Mohamed said beach operators shall be required to register in groups to benefit from training.
SUPPORT NEEDED
“We’ve begun vetting the beach operators. Our aim is to ensure there are no cases of child labour and child prostitution at the beaches,” she said.
Beach operators interact with tourists directly. Mohamed said dealing with them has been difficult because beaches create jobs.
Mohamed urged residents and investors to support their work.
Once the market is ready, said hoteliers will refer tourists to buy curios and other products direct from the market, she said.
If the county succeeds in ending tourism harassment, it will give investors’ confidence in bringing in more tourists.