Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has said that her administration will spearhead tourism industry revival through inclusive and sustainable tourism products.

Achani said the devolved unit will seek to restore confidence and re-activate the tourism sector to rebuild a more resilient tourism economy in the future.

She underscored the need to focus on the development of domestic tourism because of its huge potential to the local economy, saying her administration would harness the potential of the sector to boost revenues.

Achani said though the country’s tourism and hospitality industry was badly hit by the global Covid-19 pandemic, her administration will work closely with the national government and other stakeholders to ensure that the industry recovers from the ravages of the pandemic.

She said the height of Covid-19 crisis in 2020 and 2021 almost led to a collapse in international travel severely affecting the economies of the coastal counties that are dependent on tourism.

She said the county will come up with a robust roadmap that takes full account of tourism’s current and future economic, social and environmental impacts.

The county boss underscored the need to promote and revive tourism activities in the region, noting that the hospitality and tourism industry was ‘our economic mainstay’.

Achani said she is determined to take the tourism sector to the next level and ensure that it contributes more to socio-economic development. She said this when she met in her office officials from the Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA).

She called on close collaboration between the stakeholders and relevant government agencies noting that such collaborative efforts were necessary to shore up tourism numbers.

She said the county could not develop tourism alone and appealed for the partnership of public, private sector and other stakeholders. “My administration will concentrate on sustainable tourism as one of our main developmental agenda,” said Achani.

She said the county boasts of Diani Beach which has been voted the best beach destination in Africa seven years in a row. “Diani Beach is one of Kwale’s top tourism sites and a destination of first choice and we want to ensure that residents derive benefits from Diani and other premier tourist attractions,” she said.

She said the county will embrace ‘year-round festivals and carnivals’ to raise the profile of the sparkling white sands and lush greenery of Diani and attract more visitors.

“We are keen to project Diani Beach and other sites as tourist hotspots and enhance revenue by focusing on tourism infrastructure, beach cleanliness and security,” she said.

The county boss reckoned that the devolved unit will be seeking to continue to attract Western tourists who flock to its pristine beaches and game reserves such as Shimba Hills National Reserve.

KCTA Chairman Victor Shitaka said alongside sustainable tourism, the devolved unit should invest in infrastructure and give a facelift to the county’s tourism assets.

He said the county and the national government should ensure that all roads leading to the various tourist destinations such as beaches and game parks were properly constructed.

“We want the county government to improve on infrastructure such as street lighting projects so that tourists can walk at night without fear of insecurity,” he said.

Shitaka advocated for an open skies policy noting that it has the potential to increase tourist arrivals to the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu.

“Open skies policy will ensure that these tourism hubs attract more international flights such as Turkish and Emirate airlines patronized by high spending holidaymakers,” he said.

He said open skies agreements will expand international passenger and cargo flights to and from Kenya thus promoting increased travel and trade.

He said open skies will increase the number of high spending holidaymakers, noting that they are a ‘lucrative outbound tourist market’ in the international tourism circuit.

Shitaka at the same time urged the devolved unit to address harassment of beach holidaymakers by beach boys, noting that it is one of the challenges facing beach destinations.

“Harassment by beach boys is denying vacationers the life experience on our white sandy beaches and must be put to stop,” he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya hopes to book 1.46 million tourists by the end of the year as the sector’s recovery gains momentum from the adverse effects of the pandemic.

Outgoing Tourism Secretary Najib Balala expressed confidence, citing growth in domestic tourism and value addition.

Mr Balala, while opening the Magical Kenya Tourism Expo (MKTE) 2022 at the Bomas of Kenya on Wednesday, said the estimated arrivals would translate to Sh265 billion in receipts.

“Last year, we recorded 870,000 visitors into the country with revenue receipt of Sh146 billion, and by close of this year, we have better prospects since things have begun looking up”, he said.

The expo, with over 250 exhibitors, has attracted buyers from key source markets, including the US, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Mr Balala said the participants from about 30 countries demonstrate Kenya’s global attractiveness for investment in tourism development.

“MKTE 2022 represents the aspirations of the tourism sector in Kenya and Africa; it shows that the sector is ready to kick off, and we are ready for business,” he said.

“This is a great platform to sell Kenya to the global tourism market, and we are confident that within these three days, we shall see some interesting developments as we look forward to building on the already existing partnerships between our tourism industry and global players.”

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) chief executive officer, Dr Betty Radier, said the 2022 expo is part board’s efforts to revitalise tourism in Kenya as it focuses on Africa and other emerging markets.

“We are delighted to have the event return in-person after two years. Last year we held the event virtually to ensure that the sector did not lose out on any opportunities,” she said.

“As we continue to work towards our vision of a thriving tourism industry, we are determined to support this vital sector by providing an environment that will attract visitors and enable them to connect with the best in local hospitality, culture and heritage,” said Dr Radier.

The expo is a business-to-business show different from holiday fairs targeting consumers.

The three-day event will run until Friday, October 7.

Source: Business Daily

The State has enhanced its support to various initiatives aimed at marketing diverse tourism products including mountaineering, cuisine, horticulture and lake tourism, to attract more tourists.

Outgoing Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said although Kenya continues to be a popular destination, stakeholders must put more focus on other products to boost the sector that was adversely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said popular tourism destinations including Lake Nakuru National Park, Diani beach, Maasai Mara, Naivasha and Nairobi for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions are renowned worldwide.

Mr Balala stated that although, coastal beach holidays and wildlife safaris still remained attractive destinations, the Ministry was partnering with state agencies and private sector in aggressively marketing alternative core tourism products that the country could offer from its diverse niches.

These tourism products, Balala said include culture, cuisine, entertainment, sports, nature (beach and safari) and Meetings, Incentives, Exhibitions, and Conferences (Mice) tourism.

“We have been winning in both world travel and destination awards due to our popular destinations. We look forward to a very good year in the sector.  We are renowned for beach and safari which are our main signature products. But we need to diversify and present to the world other products such as mountaineering, lake, horticulture, agriculture (tea and coffee), Nyama Choma, culture and heritage,” indicated the Cabinet Secretary.

The campaign, he said, is also covering all destinations in Kenya that offer rock climbing, bird watching, golf tourism, adventure sports, leisure tourism and wildlife tourism.

“We are working with industry players such as hoteliers, tour companies and guides in drawing attraction to the hidden gems that Kenya has in store,” added Balala.

In a speech read on his behalf by Acting Chief Executive Officer-Utalii College Professor Charles Musyoki during celebrations to mark World Tourism Day at Nyayo Gardens in Nakuru, Mr. Balala advised sector players to embrace local communities in diversifying their products in order to attract younger visitors who are no longer interested in traditional offerings of tourism and wildlife.

He noted that the sector’s landscape had significantly shifted and that there was no need for tourism players to continue marketing their products using the same old system.

“It is worth noting that millennials are no longer interested in travelling to the Mara for four hours or staying in hotels. What they are keen on is spending time embracing cultural practices of places and people they visit,” stated the outgoing CS.

Mr Balala noted that reliance on traditional tourism products has not only put a strain on the facilities and capacity but has also left the tourism industry largely dependent on a few attractions.

“We have also been looking to grow a domestic tourism campaign to get the residents excited about the various destinations that their country has to offer. There are many Kenyans who are interested in travel but lack sufficient information,” he continued.

In his remarks Professor Musyoki indicated that domestic tourism in Kenya is a field that the industry players ought to tap into more to increase revenue as it holds huge potential and its importance for economic development cannot be underestimated.

“Many Kenyans prefer to travel to international destinations over local destinations while some do not travel at all. This is while keeping in mind that every time we travel and buy outside the country, we are inadvertently taking away the economic growth we could be retaining in our country,” he observed.

Deputy Governor Mr David Kones said the County administration was encouraging the private sector and local communities to develop “out of park” tourism activities such as mountain biking. The initiative he stated is also encouraging visits to cultural and spiritual sites, cultural performances and community walks.

Mr Kones challenged Kenyans to drop the notion that tourism is only a preserve for the wealthy or those with disposable income. He called on the tourism sector to also come up with reasonable packages affordable by most Kenyans.

“We have for a long time relied on too much on foreigners to build our tourism. It is now our time as locals to spur the growth of our domestic tourism to the next level by playing a major part in that growth.”

Nakuru County Tourism Association Chairman David Mwangi noted that tourism and hospitality marketing agencies at both counties and national level have over the years focused too much on wildlife and beach products, neglecting cultural attractions and conference facilities, which have traditionally relied on fragmented promotions by the proprietors.

This, he said was happening against the background that there were various other undiscovered tourist destinations around the country.

The chairman observed that enhancing equal distribution of resources to all sectors and regions would open up more destinations that would inversely arouse interest among locals.

“We cannot emphasize the role of synergies and partnerships enough as we work towards re-starting tourism. We must continue to take advantage of the new opportunities in travel, and also look out for the emerging trends,” said Mwangi.

He stated that industry players needed to tap into conference tourism, a relatively new concept in the industry, which revolves around service provision to business travelers attending seminars, workshops, conferences and conventions.

“At the moment, conference tourism is the largest and fastest growing segment of the modern tourism sector. It has a higher financial impact because conference travelers spend more than leisure travelers. Often their expenses are paid by the organizations they represent, leaving the tourists with substantial disposable incomes that they can spend,” he noted.

The tourism sector performance report 2021 shows that the industry earnings jumped 65 per cent to Sh146.51 billion last year up from Sh88.56 billion in 2020.

Tourist arrivals through airports and border points also increased by 53.3 per cent to 870,465 from 567,848 over the period. About 26.4 per cent visited for business meetings, conferences and exhibitions.

The wanting performance in the sector, according to Mr Mwangi, was due to dependence on the national government to market tourism destinations in all counties.

Mwangi said that it is important to realize that for tourism to succeed, a greater part depends on the goodwill of the locals more than the other industries.

“The locals must be happy with the visitors and the security knowledge that the presence of the visitors around will not affect their operations both socially, economically and even politically and that they will not impose values that are not welcomed in their society. This can easily be achieved when the locals are engaged by involving them in dialogues relating to the influence of tourism in that particular area,” noted the chairman.

In June 2020, the ministry of tourism and wildlife reported that the tourism and travel sectors slumped in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, with over 81 per cent of firms in the industries laying off most of their employees and 31 per cent implementing more than 70 per cent pay cut.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The UAE has declared a speedy recovery of its tourism sector after the pandemic, with earnings surpassing €5 billion during the first half of this year, said Mohamed bin Rashed, the Emirati Vice President.

Bin Rashed said that the earnings of their tourism sector are more than 19 billion dirhams (€5.15 billion) during the first half of 2022. The UAE proved to be the fastest to get over the impacts of the pandemic.

Bin Rashed also clarified that total hotel bookings touched 12 million during the same period, with a projected development of 42%. He said that they are optimistic for an even sturdier retrieval in tourism during the upcoming winter season, which is the peak tourism period in the UAE owing to the temperate temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius, compared to more than 45 degrees Celsius during summer.

Bin Rashed, holding the position of Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, said that the UAE’s foreign trade surpassed one trillion dirhams (271.1 billion euros), going up from 840 billion (227.7 billion euros) prior to the pandemic, with economic expansion of 22% during 2022.

Bin Rashed said that their indicators now are resilient than the indicators before the pandemic. Their economic growth is faster and tourism, trade and development segments are bigger than before the pandemic.

The UAE is one of the leading oil exporters in the world, and is also the most modern concerning infrastructure among Arab countries. It is also a chief tourist and business attraction in the Gulf.

Source: Travel and Tour World

As the South African and broader African hospitality market continues to recover post-Covid-19, investment and development activity is set to ramp up as the sector evolves post its biggest ever crisis.

Industry expert Wayne Troughton, the CEO of HTI Consulting, says there are various themes and trends that are hot right now, “especially as the industry rebounds and leading players reposition themselves from a product, planning, funding and development pipeline perspective”.

Among the most notable trends for him is how the operational and investment landscape has shifted post the pandemic, how markets and products are adapting to these changes, and what the recovery and forward bookings are looking like for the upcoming season.

“One of the key questions we hope to answer is what the recovery and forward bookings are looking like currently and for the upcoming season.

“HTI Consulting is conducting research with tour operators, travel agents and hotel operators. The results of these surveys will be presented at the Hospitality Forum and will be discussed in a panel discussion with key influencers and champions in the sector.

“As Covid-19 has changed the way we think and to a certain degree how we work and travel, it is important to understand what new products have emerged and how existing brands have adapted to these changes especially moving forward,” he says.

He adds that Covid has also put significant pressure on cash flows that has resulted in the restructuring of debt and equity structures, and may also result in longer-term changes to how projects are evaluated and financed in the future.

Troughton’s comments come ahead of the inaugural API Hospitality Forum which will be held in Joburg on September 22.

It will provide insight into this fast-moving and exciting sector for over 150 attendees by leading industry experts, global hotel brands, funds, hotel owners and others from across the value chain.

“Over the last few years, a large proportion of investors in hospitality have migrated from other real estate asset classes, making it even more important to create this linkage between the broader real estate community and the hospitality sector.

“Partnering with the API Summit also makes it more affordable, enabling the summit to attract a broader and larger audience who may have found other international hospitality conferences inaccessible in the past.”

With an enviable pipeline across the African continent, Daniel Trappler, Radisson Hotel Group’s senior development director for sub-Saharan Africa, stresses the major role that hospitality plays as a lever of economic growth and also by providing meaningful and sustainable job creation.

“Hospitality is a key economic driver, employment creator and focal property type in regions throughout South and sub-Saharan Africa.

“Currently, our hotel development pipeline in the sub-Saharan region has an all-encompassing focus, including hotels within mixed-use schemes, serviced apartments, and appropriately located standalone products – ensuring that our developments are a response to market needs as we continue to cement our position as the most diverse hotel management company across Africa in terms of the number of countries in which we operate.”

Source: IOL

More than two years have passed. Where are the new metrics tourism desperately needs? How will this industry treat nature and communities as equal beneficiaries? Is tourism ready to demolish its neo-colonial mindset? Those are the pressing questions facing the industry. For now, it’s mostly talk and no walk.

Alongside tourism’s biggest bounce-back yet since 2020, sending consumers rushing back to overcrowded destinations, the travel industry continues to dig for ways to avoid a return to business-as-usual — and it is doing so by pushing forward the concepts of sustainability and regeneration. 

But rather than espousing nebulous principles that few consumers understand and for which few businesses are offering solutions or acting on beyond words, global tourism must rethink its influential role as a business: avoid a blanket use of “sustainability,” embrace locally-led and locally-designed solutions, define new success metrics, undo the problematic entanglement between tourism and conservation, and do away with the western mindset that plagues the industry.  

Those are the recommendations of Dr. Mordecai Ogada on how tourism must “build back better.” A Kenyan carnivore ecologist and the co-author of The Big Conservation Lie, Ogada will be presenting at Skift Global Forum in New York City this month. 

“Sustainability is being used even in scientific literature like a technical term, and we forget that it is just a subjective adjective; it’s like loveability—are you loveable? That subjectivity creates a problem, especially for tourism,” Ogada told Skift.

Ogada’s initial encounter with the tourism industry’s extractive powers took place when he was the manager of the Kenya Wildlife Trust in 2008, a then-non profit governmental organization formed in partnership with luxury safari camping brands. It’s a page-turning story he shares in his book. 

Today, Ogada’s work with Survival International focuses on the impact of conservation activities on Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Africa, bringing a boots on the ground, no holds barred perspective at a turning point for the tourism industry coming out of the pandemic. In the next decade, travel and tourism’s annual growth rate is projected to reach 5.8 percent — more than double the estimated growth rate for the global economy. But global inequality and social pushback are also at their highest.

Through the example of tourism’s undue influence on Africa’s host communities and their livelihoods — from conservation practices to “artistic impressions” a-la-Lion King suited to lure western travelers — Ogada lays out key principles that must guide global tourism’s path forward as an influential industry. 

1. Tourism Must Avoid “Sustainability” Unless Locally Defined

Sustainability has long suffered from elitism, but if the industry is to move towards a more positively impacting form of business, it must take into account local solutions as to what sustainability means for a specific host community.

“Someone might think a guy herding his goat is destroying the environment,” said Ogada, “but the same person saying that thinks a tourist flying from New York with a huge carbon footprint to come and sit here and see elephants and drink champagne that’s refrigerated, is sustainable.”

This subjective nature of sustainability is also what drives some of the nonsensical solutions that have emerged, such as carbon offsets, Ogada said, adding that sustainability therefore should be avoided unless expressed by the person in situ. 

Tourism must work around what locals determine is their sustainable way of life, and tourists should be prepared to see locals in their traditional environment because ultimately, tourism as a business is not a sustainable endeavor. 

“It’s been pushed for so long that tourism is a viable alternative to agriculture or other livelihoods, and then the pandemic hit,” said Ogada. “What we can learn from that is that tourism is like haute couture, it’s fashion that changes every day and it’s very vulnerable to a pandemic or to a financial crash. Tourism is a good livelihood, but it should be additional, not alternative.” 

2. New Success Metrics Must Be Prioritized — Now

In 2021, Skift advocated for a new tourism performance metric that goes beyond arrivals and account for the true cost of tourism and the benefits to host communities. The European Union announced its intention to shape new metrics to measure tourism success in early 2022, signaling a turning point for the future of global tourism.

But there’s still no time frame on how soon new measures will emerge beyond heads in beds and arrivals in airports, and whether other regions will be able to adopt a similar approach. In the meantime, the consequences of the relentless pursuit of the foreign visitor continue. 

“The most important metric that our government uses is the number of arrivals, as in people who have come from outside,” said Ogada. “If I take my kids down to Mombasa, I don’t appear on any metric.”

That kind of focus places a premium on outsiders and their needs, Ogada added, some of whom have harmful needs, including sport hunting and child sex exploitation. 

“The moment you place a premium on a foreigner, you expose yourself to a whole cocktail of potential problems.”

Beyond short-sighted tourist arrivals metrics, the way tourism is practiced is such that success is actually harmful, Ogada said, citing the world-famous tourist destination of Masai Mara as an example, which belies untold problems with the density of lodges and the off road driving. “The great wilderbeest migration — everyone wants to get up close and get the best photos, and people are five meters from the animals, it’s terrible.”

The lack of qualitative metrics is what results in environmental damage — and the focus on numbers means no one cares what the tourists did, what damage they caused or what their experience was like. 

3. Tourism Must Place People at the Center of the Product

In his book, Ogada tells the story of how he came face to face with the reality of foreign tourism investors’ interest in Kenyan conservation, which was to the detriment of host communities. 

Not much has changed since then as far as selling African safari destinations and activities that serve the interest of the foreign visitor and investor, while locals remain on the periphery of the offer.  

“There’s a very violent displacement going on right now in northern Tanzania; if Tanzania’s government decided to displace people to build a road or government installation, human rights groups would be up in arms,” said Ogada. “But the silence over the displacement for conservation and tourism is deafening.”

Ogada links the latter phenomenon to tourism’s colonial roots and its growing influence. 

“Colonialism celebrated Africa for its beautiful landscapes, its resources, its animals, but the people were always a problem — they had to be removed from the picture,” said Ogada. “There is no African person who voluntarily left his home to make room for a national park; tourists must know that there were people living here.”

Reckoning with tourism’s neocolonial practices is an imperative if the industry is to “rethink” its path. “Rethinking Tourism” is also the theme of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Day this year. 

“The potential of tourism is enormous and we have a shared responsibility to make sure it is fully realized,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of UNWTO, in a World Tourism Day release, while calling on “everyone, from tourism workers to tourists themselves, as well as small businesses, large corporations and governments to reflect and rethink what we do and how we do it.” 

The call to rethink tourism may have remained consistent and loud over the past two years, and a handful of businesses may be evolving in their tourism offers, but the colonial mentality that plagues how the industry operates hasn’t changed. 

“What we are selling is sort of Tarzan,” said Ogada, referring to tourism in Africa as an example. “We must put people at the center of the product — that is something that needs to be done by tourism agents and the countries themselves.” 

4. Tourism’s Harmful Marriage With Conservation Must End 

In Kenya, tourism investors have considerable influence over how ecosystems are conserved. This marriage between tourism and conservation has grown harmful over the years as a result.

“Tourism must deliberately distance itself from conservation because it’s a business,” said Ogada. “Once tourism has developed its policies then it can collaborate but it shouldn’t be part of setting our standards.” 

Conservation science also serves the interest of donors, who are increasingly capitalistic, Ogada added. Thus the travel industry, as a business, needs to be a lot more skeptical of conservation groups and understand what agenda it is helping drive.

This includes the United Nations’ 30 by 30 agenda to save biodiversity by conserving 30 percent of the planet’s land and sea by 2030, an initiative that is likely to cause untold amounts violence against Indigenous populations living in these areas who will face eviction.

The two industries of tourism and conservation must mature independently, then come to the table to collaborate, but one cannot continue to shape the other’s policies, Ogada said.

5. Tourism Must Demolish the “Tarzan Mindset”

The pandemic debunked a number of myths about global tourism. One of those myths was that tourism saves wildlife, Ogada said, noting there was no increase in poaching anywhere because government-employed rangers were still on the job 24/7, and the situation in the parks became very peaceful, while wildlife thrived.

“A very important message to give any tourist coming to Africa is that you’re welcome, come and see and participate in this, but remove from your mind any idea that you’re saving them,” said Ogada. “This stuff existed before you and it will be there after you.”

As travelers grow more conscious and sophisticated, voting for inclusive brands with their pockets, seeking hyper-localized experiences, and responsive to marketing that represents them, the need to remove the artistic “Lion King” impression of Africa  — or of other destinations suffering a similar fate — is an imperative, Ogada said.  

It all goes back to demolishing the western mindset that permeates the industry, including those who are in charge of “rethinking tourism” for the future. Travel leaders in the West speak of “giving locals a voice,” in the Global South, for instance. But voices aren’t given, voices are always there but they’ve been suppressed, said Ogada, adding that it’s the suppression that needs to be acknowledged and removed. 

“Giving Africans a voice is not about building anything in Africa, it’s about demolishing the wall in the West that keeps those voices out.”

It’s a wall Ogada says cuts globally right across numerous fields, from science to business, education or conservation funding. The good news? Global tourism is central to dismantling that western wall and what Ogada calls the “Tarzan mindset.” 

“Tourism is where the mentality lives — it travels to all these other fields, but its home is tourism. If the tourism industry pushes back, it will be a very powerful push.”

Source: Skift

Kenya recorded a 91pc growth in the number of international visitor arrivals into the destination in the period between January – August that stood at 924,812as compared to 483,246 recorded in the same period in 2021 according to data released by the Tourism Research Institute.

The upsurge in the arrival numbers is attributed to the vaccination drive undertaken by the government of Kenya which resulted in the reduction in Covid-19 cases during the period which registered a steady growth.

This improvement is an indication of the continued growth in trust for the Magical Kenya destination, which can be credited to renewed marketing efforts by the Ministry of tourism as well as confidence on the country’s efforts to contain Covid-19.

During an event held to release the performance of the sector’s results for the period between January – August 2021, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala said; “The 91% increase translated to Kshs.167Billion revenue compared to Kshs.83Billion in the previous financial year which indicates that we are on an upward trajectory. The numbers are still not where we want them to be, but we are optimistic that we shall soon go back to our all-time high international visitor arrivals recorded in 2019, and even surpass it. This is because Covid-19is contained and international travelers are now fully confident to travel.”

During this period, innovative products and marketing efforts were increased to ensure that the destination’s offerings remained competitive among both domestic and international visitors.

The destination continued to host international events that include the Magical Kenya Open and The Magical Kenya Ladies open which came back after a 2-year break. The WRC – Safari Rally which commenced in 2021after a 19-year hiatus also returned in 2022. These events have played a major role in rebuilding the confidence of visitors on destination Kenya.

Out of the 924,812 international arrivals, 313,466 were on holiday, 274,722 visiting family or friends, 258,889for business and Meetings, Incentives, Exhibitions, and Conferences (MICE)- 43883on transit, 16,196 for education, with the rest coming in for other purposes including religion, and sports.

The top 5 international arrivals by country are, USA at 15%, Uganda 9%, United Kingdom9%, Tanzania 8%, and India 6%.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport remains the major point of entry with 681,811, Moi International Airport recorded 40,355 arrivals with other airports showing a significant increase in arrivals.

During the event, CS Balala launched multi-lingual destination videos targeting both key and emerging markets. The videos target the global traveler and put the destination top of mind among potential travelers and investors from various source markets across the world.

“As part of our strategy to continue engaging travelers from across the world, we are ensuring that we reach every market, and the best way is to make sure we can communicate to them in their own languages. The videos we are launching today have been translated to various languages for better and wider reach amongst audiences in our key source markets. So far, we have translated to native languages targeting the following countries: China, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Arabic- speaking countries,” Said CS Balala

The video which highlights Kenya’s diversity in tourism offerings and experiences will be amplified on Magical Kenya’s social media assets for wider reach and awareness of the destination.

They highlight cultures, cuisine, vibrant cities, adventure, and other experiences that punctuate the destination’s diversity.

Source: KBC

Tanzania is in negotiations with Qatar government to operate as a tourist hub for the visitors who are set to attend world cup matches in November and December.

This is one of the steps by the ministry of tourism to meet the country’s target of hosting five million tourists annually by 2025.

Speaking on Thursday, June 2, Zanzibar’s Minister of Tourism and Heritage, Simai Mohammed Said, described the intention of the meeting with Qatar ambassador to Tanzania was to make the country a hub for the visitors who will be going to watch world cup matches in Qatar

“We have talked about the ways we can trap some tourists to stay in Tanzania during and after the world cup kicks off, so that they can watch matches in Doha-Qatar and come back to Tanzania as their main base during the entire competition,” he said.

He added that Qatar Airways has been a major player in bringing visitors to Zanzibar and this has been vividly evident even during the covid-19 epidemic with their airline continued flying the route,

“Their planes have been making two trips a day. Today we recognize their contribution by giving them a certificate of appreciation through their ambassador as the way forward to further cooperation between the two countries,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Said requested the Qatar ambassador in Tanzania to facilitate the making and airing of documentary through Al Jazeera TV which will show the tourism attractions in Tanzania

For his part Qatar ambassador Mr Hussain Ahmad Al-Homaid said that he was delighted with the good and strong relationship between Tanzania and Qatar especially in the travel sector through Qatar airways which has been carrying many tourists to Zanzibar.

According to the report released by Qatar’s Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) Mr Hassan Al Thawadi, statistics show that they are expecting to receive more than 1.5 million visitors from every corner of the globe during the Fifa world cup.

Source: The Citizen

The African travel and tourism industry has the potential to attract considerable investment if the continent works together as one destination, develops a more environmentally sustainable approach and enhances air connectivity. That was the overriding message of Tourism Ministers from across Africa during the International Tourism and Investment Corporation (ITIC) WTM African Tourism Investment Summit in Cape Town, South Africa mid-April.

Ministers of Tourism of Botswana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Eswatini and South Africa called upon African countries to unite as a single brand and promote tourism through a common marketing campaign. This campaign could be kickstarted at the African Carnival in Botswana which will be held in September.

Close to 1.3 billion Africans are keen to discover their continent’s 54 different countries, gastronomies, music, and cultures. However, to achieve a flourishing regional African tourism industry, several obstacles need to be addressed. These obstacles include visas and air access, amongst others.

Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife of Kenya, explained that only 26 African cities are currently connected through international flights. If African countries develop a co-ordinated and harmonised COVID-19 regional framework, improve their air connectivity, and open the skies, travel will become more accessible and affordable for African citizens.

“Africa drew 70 million tourists to its shores in 2019. We can get to 200 million visitors easily if we address these key issues”, stated Najib Balala.

For her part, Philda Kereng, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism of Botswana, pointed out that green tourism should be fostered. “We have to conserve and preserve national resources, on the base of which we are developing and serving products”. She highlighted the fact that her country has revised its tourism policy to make it resilient to climate change. “Going green is the way for tourism development that is based on the natural resources,” she added.

The Chairman of ITIC and former Secretary-General of UNWTO, Dr Taleb Rifai, set the tone for further discussion panels by saying that “Africa is the future – without doubt. We’re all Africans. We all came out of Africa but Africa cannot be what it should be if the continent doesn’t work together.”

On the third and last day of the Summit, tourism project owners/ developers (from Botswana, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, South Africa, Zanzibar) were able to connect with investors. ITIC will continue to provide consultancy support for additional capital raising.

ITIC Group CEO Ibrahim Ayoub welcomed the collaboration from industry leaders at the Summit and called for the establishment of a Tourism Resilience fund to cater for future crises and to assist businesses while saving jobs.

He thanked all the Ministers, Speakers, Moderators, sponsors for their valuable contribution, with a special word to members of the audience for their participation and their successful networking with the different stakeholders.

Source: Breaking Travel News

More than 23,000 visitors attended the 29th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, as industry leaders gathered at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) to share insights into the future of international travel and tourism.

“In addition to doubling our visitor numbers year on year, ATM 2022 hosted 1,500 exhibitors and attendees from 150 countries,” commented Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME for Arabian Travel Market. “These figures are especially impressive given that lockdowns are still taking place in China and other destinations. What’s more, the development of the travel and tourism sector throughout the Middle East region shows no signs of abating, with GCC hotel construction contract awards set to rise by 16 percent this year alone.”

The value of UAE and Saudi Arabian projects accounted for 90 percent of all regional hospitality contracts awarded in 2021, according to research from BNC Network. With analysis from Colliers International forecasting that $4.5 billion worth of hotel construction contracts will be awarded in the GCC during 2022, industry experts took to the ATM Global Stage for a panel discussion about the future of the region’s hospitality industry.

Moderated by Paul Clifford, Group Editor – Hospitality at ITP Media Group, the panel discussion featured insights from Christopher Lund, Director – Head of Hotels MENA at Colliers International; Mark Kirby, Head of Hospitality at Emaar Hospitality Group; Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President – Middle East and Africa at Radisson Hotel Group; and Judit Toth, Founder and CEO of Vivere Hospitality.

Commenting on the need to attract and retain talent within the Middle East’s hospitality sector, Radisson Hotel Group’s Cordon said: “The organisations that get this right are going to benefit because, of course, we know how expensive it is to bring new people into our business and it’s even more expensive if you lose them. I don’t think you can talk about the future of hospitality without talking about the future of talent.”

Vivere’s Toth pointed out that it was equally important to educate industry professionals on the priorities and mindset of younger employees and guests alike. “[The younger generation] think completely differently. They live in a world of crypto and NFTs. How are they going to be able to bring their ideas and talents into the [hotel] business? And remember, on the other side, your new and future customers are also coming from the same background, with the same motivations and understanding. So, it’s a matter of bringing in new talent that shares common ground with new customers.”

Speaking on the continued importance of nationalisation efforts, Emaar Hospitality Group’s Kirby said: “Emiratisation coexists with how we develop our leadership teams to operate hotels. We focus on leadership at this level to come from within, [drawing on] internal talent. The fact that we’re growing and opening new hotels helps us, because it provides opportunities for our existing team members to move up.”

The four-day live event was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group Chairman of Dubai World. The show’s opening session, which was moderated by CNN’s Eleni Giokos, featured Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing; Scott Livermore, Chief Economist at Oxford Economics; Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, President – Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Hilton; Bilal Kabbani, Industry Head – Travel and Tourism at Google; and Andrew Brown, Regional Director – Europe, Middle East and Oceania at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

The show’s opening day also featured the first session of the ARIVALDubai@ATM forum, during which industry experts explored the role that in-destination experiences are playing in shaping the future of global travel and tourism. Later in the afternoon, ministers from the UAE, Jordan, Jamaica and Botswana took to the ATM Global Stage to discuss the importance of investment, technology and inclusivity in driving Middle East tourism forward, as part of the International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) Ministerial Roundtable.

The second day of ATM 2022 saw senior representatives from Air Arabia and Etihad Aviation Group join JLS Consulting’s John Strickland on the ATM Global Stage for a discussion about efficiency and sustainability within the aviation sector. Later in the afternoon, D/A’s Paul Kelly offered his perspective on how to connect with the Arabic travel audience more effectively. At the end of day two, video-sharing platform ‘Welcome to the World’ secured up to $500,000 of investment after winning the inaugural ATM Draper-Aladdin Startup Competition on the ATM Travel Tech Stage.

Day three of ATM featured sessions focused on what guests really want, sports tourism, hospitality tech trends, dining experiences, metaverse-based travel services, the role of influencers and more. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) also hosted two panel discussions on the third day, shining a spotlight on sustainability and long-term trends within the business travel segment.

As part of the conference agenda for the fourth and final day of ATM 2022, representatives from Atlas, Wego Middle East and Alibaba Cloud MEA took to the ATM Travel Tech Stage to explore how data is changing airline retailing. Panellists shared insights into how to build data-led organisations, and why companies that successfully harness travel data today will be most likely to succeed in the longer term.

The morning sessions included a session hosted by WTM Responsible Tourism, on the ATM Global Stage, focusing on how the latest innovations can be used to promote responsible technology for travel and tourism. Concluding this year’s edition of ATM, afternoon sessions included a discussion about the return and rise of city tourism.

The final day of the live event also included the announcement of ATM 2022’s ‘Best Stand Design’ and ‘People’s Choice Award’, which were presented to SAUDIA for its futuristic and striking concept. Other stands awarded for their creativity included the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah International, Ishraq International and TBS/Vbooking.

“ATM 2022 has provided a timely opportunity for the global travel and tourism sector to gather in Dubai and explore the future of our industry. Innovation, sustainability, technology and talent acquisition and retention will be crucial to its long-term success,” concluded Curtis.
Following the success of the hybrid approach adopted for last year’s edition, the live, in-person component of ATM 2022 will be followed by the third instalment of ATM Virtual, which will take place next week from Tuesday 17 to Wednesday 18 May.

Source: Breaking Travel News