Description

The county is centrally placed on the eastern region of Mt Kenya. It boost of the many beautiful hills well placed in all parts of the county. All over the county we have a view-points bequeathed with spectacular sites of Mount Kenya, deep canyons and waterfalls of rivers flowing to lower east. The county offers the only viable route option to the top of Mount Kenya on the wet wind ward side through thick bamboo forest with rare buffaloes and elephants among other wildlife. This route has been upgraded to enable tourists access the mountain peaks with ease bringing a lot of economic benefits. The number of wildlife in the county is estimated to be 300 buffalos, 500 elephants, 200 wild leopards, 700 monkeys and 100 hyenas are found in Mt. Kenya and other small forests in the county

The bitumen upgrade of Ena route to Meru National park opens up the whole of Tharaka region bringing to the region both local and foreign tourists. The envisaged development grand Mutonga falls 20-square kilometers dam create a big boost to tourism.

The county also has a home of cultural sites and artifacts like the Kigairo and Igamba ngombe or the Meru people points of dispersal. We do have other significant hills forests, rocks and rivers, pools with a lot of spiritual reverence. These are well mapped up and are good sites for cultural villages, film makers and tourist destinations. We are landscape and replant our hills and create sceneries for local and international tourists too. New tourism products of cultural tourism, agro-tourism, and community based tourism /home stays are being promoted to earn the county and community some revenue. The communities sensitization on the need to promote sustainable tourism and more so how to create tourist attraction are ongoing.

Talented and craftsmen have been organized to produce quality souvenirs products and gifts for sales. This is besides cultural performances folklores, dances, dirges, poetry and songs; various troupes have been running modern theatre.

There is great potential for investors in accommodation facilities in the county either through partnerships. Maintenance of roads and security to and in tourist attractions is ensured. The options in building 4 or 5 star tourist facilities within the county are open to investors while opportunities in opening golf courses and high altitude training camps on the slopes of Mt. Kenya are available. There is abundant land for forest- games training camps, spiritual retreats camps to double as an income generating project as well as training facility. Local cooperative societies are encouraged to invest in the hotel to boost agro-cultural tourism. The county will also forge essential partnerships and mount many tourism promotion events to support investors in tourism sector. Other areas of investments are:

Hotels, cottages & luxury homesMountain climbing and toursCamping and eventsScuba divingFilm ProductionsModern TheatreBoard walks (750Mts) and A Tree House at Gaketha Catchment area with the largest elephant maternityGikwa waterfalls ecosystem- Construction of an Eco-lodge with 30 BedsHigh altitude Golf Course and Eco- lodge at Chuka Forest 2900MASL