Kenya's tourism rich county - with numerous tourist attraction sites including lakes, parks and wildlife - is setting its eyes on bird-watching as it seeks to diversify from ordinary tourism products.

The County Government of Baringo, Kenya is targeting more than Sh50 million in annual income from a bird-watching venture, which is a new tourism product in the industry.

The County Cabinet Secretary in-charge of Tourism Wesley Keitany, who spoke to The Standard on arrival from an international bird fair in Rutland, Leicester City in the UK, said the county would fully exploit its huge potential for bird watching.

"With more than 500 bird species in Lake Baringo and more than 490 in Lake Bogoria, as well as several scattered birds on cliffs and shrubs, Baringo remains one of the world's largest birding destinations with the biggest number of beautiful bird species. But we are still untapped," said Keitany.

The county, he said, will also launch an annual bird-migration flyway in Tugumoi area, which is a unique migratory route frequented by birds every November from Russia, France and other European countries.

He said he approached the organisers of the famous UK Bird Fair and they agreed to host the first bird fair in Africa, in Baringo, on a date that will be agreed upon within next year.

Tourism is however, booming in Lake Bogoria Game Reserve as more than 1.5 million migratory flamingoes flocked to the lake following good weather and food.

By Thomas Steinmetz

© 2001-2013 eTurboNews, Inc. All rights Reserve