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Support for Kenya following attack in luxury resort
ABTA is urging the industry to educate the public following the death of a man and the kidnapping of his wife in an armed attack at the secluded Kimayu Safari village resort in Kenya.
David Tebbutt was shot and his wife Judith was kidnapped after an armed gang targeted their beach hut, 30 miles north of Lamu and close to the Somalia border on Saturday night.
Mr Tebbutt, 58 and Mrs Tebbutt, 56 from Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, had only arrived at the resort that day following a safari in the Masai Mara game reserve.
It is feared that Judith Tebbutt, who was taken away in a speedboat, could be in the hands of an Islamic extremist group or Somali pirates, but experts said it would be unusual for them to attack on land.
The door to the hut was apparently just a piece of cloth but the resort boasted around-the-clock security with 21 guards who patrol alongside six police officers.
The resort is featured by a number of upmarket tour operators in the UK, including Scott Dunn, Audley Travel and The Ultimate Travel Company.
On its website, the resort said: "Sorry our website is unavailable due to the tragic events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected family Thank you for your understanding."
An ABTA spokesman said that the area near Lamu has been viewed dangerous for a long time but added that the public should be reassured about Kenya as a destination.
"We regret what has happened to this poor couple but the message that ABTA and members will be stressing is that Kenya is generally speaking a very safe destination and that the vast majority of Indian Ocean resorts away from the border of Somalia are perfectly safe to travel to.
“That’s the challenge for the industry to deal with the people’s perception rather than the reality. It’s not just a tourism destination, the people in Kenya rely on tourism for their livelihoods,” said an ABTA spokesman.
A foreign office spokesman confirmed the incident.
"We have deployed a consular team from our High Commission in Nairobi and are offering all possible support to the family of those involved. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
"We are working to secure the safe and swift release of the British National who has been kidnapped and ask those involved to show compassion and release the individual immediately."
By Diane Evans
Diane
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