Kenya rallies continent in driving tourism investments

 

Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani and Tourism Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa 

Tourism Principal Secretary, John Ololtuaa has urged African states to collaborate to counter the current barriers in attracting investment in tourism and capacity building in Africa.

Speaking at the 67th Meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF)  held in Livingstone, Zambia, Ololtuaa reiterated the need for government policies and incentives that work to attract foreign investment.

“In Kenya, we have seen the consistent entry into the market of international hotel chains, we encourage our governments to avail policies that will advantage the tourism sectors and keeping our destinations safe,” said Ololtua.

The annual UN Tourism  forum provides a platform for its African member states to come together to shape the future of tourism in our continent.

Key among the issues addressed was pushing for sustainably in tourism through enhanced education, skills, and strategic investments that allow growth and facilitate strategic investments in tourism as well as ensure safety of destinations.

It also provided an opportunity to address topics of a critical nature for the  continent, including sustainability, inclusiveness, development of tourism infrastructure, human resources in the tourism sector, digitalization and product diversification.

UN Tourism Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, encouraged African states to continue to tap in to the support the organisation is extending to destinations to develop investment guidelines.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer report for 2024,global tourism continued its recovery in 2023.

According to the report,global tourism stood at 88 percent of pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 1.3 billion international tourist arrivals.

Additionally,latest data from the Economic Survey 2024 shows that the tourism sector registered an improved performance in 2023 compared to 2022.

The number of international visitor arrivals increased by 35.4 per cent to 2,086,600 in 2023 surpassing the 2019 levels reaching a recovery rate of 102.5 per cent.

The improved performance was mainly attributed to growth in the aviation sector and the hosting of prominent conferences in the country.

Industry data indicates that arrivals to Kenya from Africa stand at 41 per cent compared to 29 per cent from Europe reflecting the growing number of Africans choosing to experience destinations within the continent.

This has been enhanced by the scrapping of visa requirements in favour of an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to ease access for travelers including those from the African continent.

The latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) by the World Travel & Tourism Council(WTTC)  reveals that the African travel & tourism sector is expected to create almost 14 million new jobs over the next decade.

This is an average of 1.4 million new jobs every year.

by MINAH MAHERO