Ministry to ensure tourism businesses in Kenya remain resilient

The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife is working with different industry players within the sector to ensure that employees retain their jobs and that businesses remain resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

This was said by the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Safina Kwekwe Tsungu, on Thursday evening, when she hosted an online tourism conference dubbed Covid-19: Preparing for recovery, that brought together local and international tourism industry professionals to discuss the measures for tourism industry recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the webinar which had attracted over 1400 participants from across the globe, PS Tsungu also said that business both public and private were the backbone of the industry and that their sustenance was key for the industry.

“Our new normal is now and as an industry, we must quickly embrace it to ensure that we get the best solutions for the challenges that may lay ahead. The Ministry is working with different industry players to ensure that we keep jobs for Kenyan’s, but this must be collaborative. The government cannot do it all alone, everyone needs to play their role” Said PS Tsungu

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The ministry, she observed, has put in place an open-door policy to enable consultations on options aimed at reviving the sector.

“We are for example rooting for a tax deferment so that entrepreneurs can inject this money into their business. We have also been discussing the tourism recovery credit scheme which is meant to cushion the industry and ensure that we retain as many jobs as possible”. Said the PS

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) CEO Dr Betty Radier said that the destination’s marketing strategy has to change due to the travel behaviours among visitors as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

“We must not look at the rear-view mirror, we must look ahead at the segments and sub-segments of the new traveller. Our products and offerings must now address the needs of our clients” she noted

“Going forward, expectations will be different which means we must start getting ready for them. The domestic market offers a new prospect now, but even so, we must be ready to offer diverse quality offerings to suit our client’s expectations”, said Radier.

The tourism sector is currently one of the hardest-hit by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Travel restrictions and flight cancellations have significantly diminished the supply of both domestic and international services while demand continues to go down.

Google’s Regional Director, Sub Saharan Africa, Government Affairs & Public Policy Charles Murito said that the tourism industry must embrace technology to reach their clients and showcase their offerings to the many people who have access to gadgets across the globe.

“The usage of internet has really spiked recently, with people having to spend more time at home, the key is to ensure that we are all in these spaces. This is the space that will create that need for travellers to come to our destination, we must keep on engaging them”.

In the panel was also the Deputy Director Ministry of Transport Nicholas Bodo, Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka, African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) Chairperson Fiona Jeffery OBE and E-tourism Frontiers CEO Damian Cook.