As incidences elsewhere in Kenya and East Africa
have illustrated, terrorism poses a serious and
ongoing
threat to the tourism industry, and even isolated
events or threats can have a long-term detrimental
impacts
on visitation to an area. In today’s global
political climate, those responsible for visitors to high profile
attractions,
such as the Masai Mara, must be aware of the risk
posed by terrorist activities, and must ensure
that
protocols and procedures are in place to prevent,
and if necessary respond to, acts of terrorism or other
disas-
ters. Under this management action, MMNR managers,
working in collaboration with tourism industry
partners, will take steps to ensure that all MMNR
and tourism stakeholder staff are aware of the
potential
risks of terrorism, and of the methods to reduce
the risks of an attack taking place. This will primarily
be
achieved through in-situ training
with relevant specialists, such as the Terrorism Unit based in
Nairobi, and
other counter-terrorism specialists, as
appropriate. Particular attention will also be given to the
security of
airstrips within the Reserve, and the
identification of measures that can be taken to enhance the
security of
passengers and aircraft both on the ground and
after aircraft departure.
