* Nairobi The Visitors Hub

The word Nairobi derives from a water hole known in Maasai (an Eastern Nilotic language) as Enkare Nyirobi, which means "cool waters." Nairobi is a prominent social and financial centre in Africa and is currently the 12th largest city in Africa. Nairobi is the fourth most visited city in Africa, after Cairo, Johannesburg and Casablanca and remains the economic hub of the most of East and Central Africa. Nairobi has a population of 5 million. Situated on the Nairobi River, the city is not only the largest and fastest growing city in Kenya, but one of the largest in Africa.The city of Nairobi has grown due to administration,tourism, financial and industrial businesses. Nairobi is now one of the most prominent cities in Africa, politically and financially.Home to thousands of Kenyan businesses and over 100 major international companies and organisations, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the main coordinating and headquarters for the UN in Africa & Middle East, the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON), Nairobi is an established hub for business and culture. The Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) is one of the largest in Africa and the second oldest exchange on the continent. It is ranked 4th in terms of trading volume and capable of making 10 million trades a day. Nairobi will received 1.8 million international visitors in 2012, ranking third behind Cairo, Johannesburg and Casablanca which are expected to welcome 3.3, 2.5 and 2.1 million visitors respectively. Nairobi ranks 8th in the Middle East and Africa, with a robust growth in international visitors of 10 per cent in 2012.Visitors injected $1.3billion into the city’s economy. Nairobi’s emergence as a top destination for international visitors has in the past largely been attributed to its relatively better developed infrastructure and the presence of leading regional airline Kenya Airways, which uses the Jomo Kenyatta Airport (JKIA) as its hub. In 2011 for example, Kenya Airways carried 3.6 million passengers, majority of whom transited through JKIA in Nairobi. As they wait for connecting flights, some passengers opt for brief tour of the city, especially as a Kenyan visa can be obtained at the Airport for $50. The setting up of regional headquarters in Nairobi by global multinationals and aid agencies like IBM, Airtel , Coca-Cola, Google, Microsoft, General Electric, Action Aid, Oxfam and the United Nations has also contributed to the growing number of visitors. Tourism, Travel and Business are the major driving factor especially as many visitors travel to and through Nairobi’s JKIA.
Visit Nairobi. Why not?

Paul Okia
Happy Tours Africa
info@happytoursug.com
www.happytoursug.com