The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) last week signed a partnership agreement with I&M Bank to provide a cashless system for KATA members to receive payment from their clients.
KATA CEO Mr. Nicanor Sabula alongside the I&M Bank CEO Mr Kihara Maina signed the agreement at the I&M Bank offices in Nairobi. Through the partnership, KATA became an Independent Sales Organization (ISO) authorized to resell the E-commerce solution to its members.
Speaking during the event, Mr. Sabula noted that the move towards an e-commerce platform is a big boost for KATA as it is well aligned with the Association’s long-term agenda of promoting digital transformation among her member travel agencies.
“As you all are aware, the travel industry has been one of the most disrupted industries by technology in the last decade. A great deal of business has moved online and it is important that our local travel agents leverage the online platforms in order to retain existing and acquire new clients. We are therefore confident that the move towards having a safe and secure online payment platform for our members will help us consolidate the online market place,” the KATA CEO said.
Also speaking during the event, Mr. Kihara stated, “I&M Bank recognizes e-commerce as one of the most important facets of the Internet to have emerged in recent times. This is why through I&M Bank’s WebPay service, the Bank offers businesses and especially the Travel industry an e-payment platform to accept online payments for sale of products and services through their websites.”
“The government has earmarked tourism as one of the six key growth sectors of the country’s economic pillars. It is with this background that the Bank will continue to innovate in the E-commerce space to help scale up this industry’s growth ultimately benefitting both the Bank and the country’s economy. We at I&M Bank are proud to partner with KATA to enhance the tours and travel industry through e-commerce that allows merchants to enjoy the freedom of modern banking,” he added.
His sentiments were echoed by Mr. Sabula who noted that the two organisations had a long-standing partnership having collaborated for the just concluded 2019 KATA Convention.
“This is just the beginning of better things to come and with this agreement, we are confident that we can only forge ahead building bigger and better collaborations. As an association, we will continue working in tandem with like-minded organizations like yourselves to ensure we drive this industry into prosperity.” Mr. Sabula said.
I&M Bank E-Commerce platform, known as I&M WebPay, is an online payment service that allows merchants to accept card online payments through their websites in both Kenya Shillings and US dollars. I&M Bank is the first bank in the region to introduce online payment acceptance to the market.
