How Kenya aims to transform the tourism sector

For far too long, Kenya has depended on safaris, beaches and wildlife to propel tourism. However, this is no longer tenable. To expand our options, the week preceding our 62nd Jamhuri Day was thankfully themed around tourism, wildlife and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE).

The idea was to ride the crest of a captive moment to reimagine our tourism through shows, exhibitions and panel discussions by industry experts.

Panel discussions were markedly illuminating with topics ranging from sustainable growth of tourism, to infrastructure development, destination connectivity, MICE competitiveness, regulatory reforms, investment financing and youth involvement. The climax came on the eve of Jamhuri Day when President William Ruto fielded questions from members of the public during a round-table event.

To move from boardroom to action on the ground, the government has made policy adjustments in five key areas that are expected to translate into numbers and opportunities in the tourism space. The first one is the National Tourism Infrastructure Support that aims to unlock the full value of Kenya’s tourism ecosystem.

Modernise airports

Under this policy, the government seeks to modernise airports, upgrade regional aerodromes, improve the road network and invest in digital infrastructure. A key flagship pillar of this vision is the County Signature Tourism Experience (COSTEP) through which every county will develop tourism unique to their jurisdictions through national investment in access, amenities and marketing.

The second policy targets strengthening Kenya’s global MICE competitiveness. This will help cement Kenya’s position as Africa’s leading MICE destination. Under this initiative, all ministries and State agencies will be required to host at least one major international conference or expo each year. This directive will stimulate consistent business travel, drive hotel and convention investment, and elevate Kenya’s global standing in business tourism.

Thirdly, we have Tourism Investment, Financing & Incentives, where the government will fast-track Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) to attract new investments in hospitality, entertainment, cruise tourism, heritage development, adventure tourism, and the creative economy. To enhance global competitiveness, the government will introduce targeted incentives, including filming rebates, tax reliefs and investment allowances.

The policy pushes for the establishment of a centralised tourism data hub to support real-time analytics, mandatory sector data-sharing, and evidence-based planning for investors and counties.

The fourth policy focuses on Regulatory Reforms, Policy & Governance. The main objective here is to eliminate duplication, reduce delays, and improve the ease of doing business. The government will therefore institute a unified national tourism licensing system to ease the burden caused by the current multiple licensing practice. Harmonised regulation and stronger coordination between the national government, county Governments, and private-sector institutions will ensure seamless implementation of tourism policies and improved service delivery.

Address bottlenecks

Meanwhile, to enhance accountability and accelerate decision-making, Annual Presidential Tourism Roundtables will forthwith be institutionalised to provide a platform to address bottlenecks and advance cross-government action.

To secure the next frontier of tourism growth, we will build a competent and future-ready workforce to sustain this momentum. In this regard, a solid plan is in place to transform the Kenya Utalii College to Africa’s Centre of Excellence, while fast-tracking the completion of the Ronald Ngala Utalii College.

Fifth is a new bold strategy to brand Magical Kenya. The government is repositioning our country globally as Magical Kenya — The Origin of Wonder.

The five freshly thought out policies will go a long way in transforming the landscape of Kenya’s tourism and pave the way for enhanced visitor numbers, more foreign exchange earning and more jobs for Kenyans, especially the youth.

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Rebecca Miano is the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife.