One woman’s novel way of promoting tourism spots
Sharon Njoroge 21, who runs discoucher service in Nairobi during interview on May 14, 2015. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE |
What you need to know:
- Ms Njoroge’s attempt to revitalise the hospitality industry comes at a time when the country plans to spend Sh7.1 billion to promote its tourist attractions across the globe.
A 21-year-old woman has come up with a concept she believes will have people trooping to recreation facilities all over Kenya.
Ms Sharon Njoroge imagines a time when a single book will be the gateway for locals and visitors to sample the best that Kenya has to offer in terms of hotels, restaurants and spas.
The annual book, plus a dedicated website, could be a one-stop solution for anyone around the globe who wishes to relax in Kenya.
Ms Njoroge has already released one such book, a 64-page compilation titled DisCoucher. Released in March, the compilation is the size of an exercise book and has a cover price of Sh2,000. Each of the 500 copies on sale carries vouchers worth Sh40,000.
In DisCoucher, one gets discount vouchers to the Carnivore, Dari, Eka Hotel, Four Café Bistro, Rendezvous, Le Palanka, the King Post, La Maison Royale and 12 other establishments.
The firms listed are categorised into restaurants, hotels and services, and beauty and spa. “It’s an introduction to these facilities. It not only tells you there is a hotel you have probably never heard of; but it also gives you the details of that place and a brief description of the services,” she said.
“To top it all, you can pluck two vouchers from the page featuring a particular facility. Each of them give varying offers. Besides the descriptions of the facilities, the book doesn’t contain other kinds of writing because I wanted as few distractions as possible.”
A graduate of international relations and economics from the University of Birmingham in the UK, Ms Njoroge borrowed the idea from Dubai where her family is based.
“Whenever I came to Kenya during summer break, I found it hard to locate the right place to visit because of the limited guidance services then. So when I saw such an idea in Dubai, I saw a solution right there,” she said.
She spent between November 2014 and January 2015 collecting the material for the book.
“It was not easy convincing businesses to pay for appearing in the book and to give voucher offers for an idea many had not seen before. But I’m glad there are some who believed in me and gave it a try,” she said.
Ms Njoroge’s attempt to revitalise the hospitality industry comes at a time when the country plans to spend Sh7.1 billion to promote its tourist attractions across the globe.
