Death toll rises in Kenyan town attacked by Islamists
The outlook for tourism to Kenya has further plummeted following an attack by Somali-linked Islamists that killed up to 50 people in a Kenyan coastal town.
The al Shabaab group said after its gunmen launched Sunday night’s strike: "Kenya is now officially a war zone and as such any tourists visiting the country do so at their own peril."
The attack was the biggest since gunmen targeted Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall in September, leaving 67 dead.
The attacks are seen as reprisals for Kenya’s incursions into Somalia.
The town of Mpeketoni, where Sunday night’s attack took place, is close to Lamu, a historic Arab trading port and a big tourist attraction on the coastline between Mombasa and the Somali border in the north.
Reuters reports that bookings for Kenyan hotels have dropped sharply because of recent attacks and Western travel warnings.
Some hotels on the coast say they face closure, while some hoteliers inland who offer safaris say reservations are down by 30% or more.
Ian Jarrett
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