NAIROBI, Jul. 29, 2010 (Xinhua News Agency) -- The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is offering local and international investors 13 new sites for building lodges in the expansive and popular destination Tsavo Conservation Area.
The wildlife body has subsequently advertised for Expression of Interest for lease, development and operation of tourist accommodation facilities in three national parks in this area.
"The construction of the high quality lodges and permanent luxury tented camps in low use and wilderness activity areas of Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Chyulu National Parks is part of Kenya' s Vision 2030 development plan," KWS said in a statement on Thursday.
The offer, expected to realize an additional 422 beds in the three parks is open to experienced local and international tourism investors.
The lucrative investment opportunity is the first phase of a 10- year management plan that seeks to diversify Tsavo's tourist experience by promoting investment in low volume, high value tourism in the conservation area's low use and wilderness areas.
The plan further proposes to develop tourist products that appeal to different market segments and provide a high quality, low environmental impact visitor experience.
Despite the Tsavo area having 2,796 permanent beds, most of which are in high use zones of Mzima Springs, Kamboyo and Voi, 70 percent of the conservation area remains underutilised.
To enhance the value of the sites for investment, KWS plans to improve accessibility and security presence.
The Vision 2030 blueprint's underutilised parks initiative provides for expansion of bed capacity, opening up of less visited parks and increasing visitation to 3 million tourists by 2012.
This initiative, KWS said, targets various national parks, including Meru, Mt Kenya, Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Ruma and Mt Elgon.
The development of high-end visitor facilities is part of the strategic positioning of Kenya's tourism sector to tap into the World Tourism Organization's projected 1.6 billion international tourist arrivals by 2020.
Currently, during peak tourism, bed occupancy levels are close to full occupancy at 92 percent. Additional numbers can only be accommodated if Kenya increases the bed capacity.
