Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has threatened to cut Kenya Tourism Board (KTB)'s marketing budget if they do not deliver the desired results.
Mr Balala said although the Jubilee government had been allocating substantial amount of money for marketing to KTB, Kenya is still not getting much value for its money.
Speaking at Diani Reef Beach Resort in Kwale during a Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) meeting on Thursday, he said the government had allocated Sh2 billion for marketing in the last two financial years.
He noted that since KTB was established in 1997, the marketing team had been participating in annual international travel shows in the United Kingdom and Germany, yet international tourist numbers were still low.
Mr Balala said despite the huge budget for marketing, the country received only 877,000 international tourists last year while Morocco and Egypt had between 10 million and 11 million arrivals each.
He added that South Africa received nine million international visitors while the country’s international arrivals were below one million.
Last year, KTB spent $200,000 on participating in the World Travel Market in London. But we are yet to get value for the money which was spent, he said.
A group of 60 people were taken to London last year for marketing during WTM, yet still we don’t get tourist numbers compared to our competitors.
Mr Balala said,it will not be business as usual. If we don’t see results from the marketing initiatives, I will reduce the budget of KTB.
In order to transform the marketing agency, he said the government in December last year appointed Betty Radier to spearhead reforms at KTB.
He called on the new KTB boss to bring reforms in the marketing agency for the country’s tourism industry to recover.
However, he said the industry had the potential to recover in the near future if political leaders and their supporters could desist from violence during the August 8 polls.
For tourism to do well, there is need for leaders seeking political positions and their supporters to maintain peace during the electioneering period on August 8,he said.
Mr Balala said apart from tourism being an economic driver, it also supports livelihoods of millions of people across the country.
The Cabinet secretary also raised the alarm over cattle grazing in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, warning that it could affect visitor numbers in the popular game reserve.
He called on Narok County chiefs to address the challenge of cattle in the reserve as part of efforts to tackle human-wildlife conflict.
Mr Balala warned that overdevelopment, environmental degradation and the blocking of wildlife migratory routes by the fencing of private land neighbouring the reserve were among the concerns affecting the Mara.
Unless we address the challenges facing the Mara, we might kill the goose laying golden eggs,the Cabinet secretary warned.
At the Coast, Mr Balala said the government had earmarked Sh100 million to improving beach products in a bid to attract more international visitors.
He called for the formation of five beach zones namely Mombasa, Diani, Malindi, Watamu and Lamu to be marketed as individual destinations.
The government will spend Sh100 million with the aim of improving the standards of the coastal beaches for them to woo more visitors for tourism in the region to recover,he said.
Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) national chairman Jaideep Vohra also called for peaceful campaigns ahead of the August 8 elections.
He said if the country conducts peaceful elections, tourism would recover, boosting the economy and job creation.
For tourism to thrive, peace is key. Therefore, we are appealing to leaders and electorates to keep peace for the industry to recover, he said.
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Showing posts with label Diani Reef Beach Resort. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diani Reef Beach Resort. Show all posts
Saturday, 1 July 2017
KENYA: Madaraka Express To Increase Frequency Routes Between Mombasa And Nairobi
Kenya Railways will in july increase the frequency of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) passenger trains between Mombasa and Nairobi to accommodate increasing demand from travellers.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said Thursday that four more Madaraka Express trains will transport passengers between Mombasa and Nairobi starting July.
Beginning next month, three trains will transport commuters to Nairobi daily while three others ferry passengers to Mombasa.
The increase in trains connecting the capital and the coastal hub brings the total number to six a day.
Speaking at Diani Reef Beach Resort in Kwale, Mr Balala added that following the introduction of the train services, hotels in Mombasa had experienced a rise in the number of domestic tourists.
The first train, which will make stopovers at stations like Voi and Mtito Andei along the way, will depart from Mombasa at 8 a.m. while the second - which will be express - will depart at 9 a.m.
Mr Balala explained that the third train will also be express and will depart from the port city at 3 p.m.
It has come to our understanding that many travellers have been missing the opportunity to travel by rail. Some groups of tourists have been unable to travel to Mombasa due to limited seats, he said.
Mr Balala was optimistic that the move will boost tourism in Mombasa and Nairobi and go a long way in reviving the industry.
Meanwhile, Mr Balala suggested that construction of a bridge between Mombasa Island and Likoni could offer a lasting solution to the transport crisis in the area.
He said that although the government would soon receive two new ferries built in Turkey, they will not be a lasting solution to mass transport challenges on the channel.
The major challenge crippling tourism in the South Coast is the problem of transport on the Likoni channel. The solution is for the government is to build a bridge,he said.
However, Mr Balala noted that when the Dongo Kundu bypass project is completed, it would help address transport problems between Mombasa and Kwale counties.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said Thursday that four more Madaraka Express trains will transport passengers between Mombasa and Nairobi starting July.
Beginning next month, three trains will transport commuters to Nairobi daily while three others ferry passengers to Mombasa.
The increase in trains connecting the capital and the coastal hub brings the total number to six a day.
Speaking at Diani Reef Beach Resort in Kwale, Mr Balala added that following the introduction of the train services, hotels in Mombasa had experienced a rise in the number of domestic tourists.
The first train, which will make stopovers at stations like Voi and Mtito Andei along the way, will depart from Mombasa at 8 a.m. while the second - which will be express - will depart at 9 a.m.
Mr Balala explained that the third train will also be express and will depart from the port city at 3 p.m.
It has come to our understanding that many travellers have been missing the opportunity to travel by rail. Some groups of tourists have been unable to travel to Mombasa due to limited seats, he said.
Mr Balala was optimistic that the move will boost tourism in Mombasa and Nairobi and go a long way in reviving the industry.
Meanwhile, Mr Balala suggested that construction of a bridge between Mombasa Island and Likoni could offer a lasting solution to the transport crisis in the area.
He said that although the government would soon receive two new ferries built in Turkey, they will not be a lasting solution to mass transport challenges on the channel.
The major challenge crippling tourism in the South Coast is the problem of transport on the Likoni channel. The solution is for the government is to build a bridge,he said.
However, Mr Balala noted that when the Dongo Kundu bypass project is completed, it would help address transport problems between Mombasa and Kwale counties.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
KENYA: Tourist Arrivals Have Shot Up 10% 2017
Tourist arrivals grew by 10.6 per cent this financial year, according to Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) chief executive officer Betty Radier.
Ms Radier said the industry’s growth was bolstered by yielding markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, India and China.
Speaking at Diani Reef Beach Resort in Kwale on Friday during a Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) annual symposium, the KTB boss attributed the growth to the government’s tourism recovery campaigns locally and international markets.
However, she added that the Ministry of Tourism will soon hold a press conference in Nairobi to give detailed information about the tourism growth.
In the last five years, KTB has been focusing on tourism recovery by convincing the international markets that Kenya is safe for holiday in a bid to overcome the challenge of insecurity perception, she said.
Following security improvement in the country and the positive image building campaigns have paid off as the international markets now have confidence in the Kenyan destination.
But Ms Radier said the tourism recovery will depend on how the country conducts the August 8 polls.
If the country achieves peaceful elections, then the industry has the potential to recover given that tourism posted a 10.6 per cent growth this financial year.
For tourism to post further growth, the KTB boss urged political leaders and their supporters to carry out their campaigns peacefully.
Morocco,Algeria,Tunisia and Egypt receive more international tourist arrivals of between 10 million and 11 million each, this can be attributed it to the two North African countries being short haul destinations.
Kenya is a longer distance as a destination and as a result, travel costs are much higher than those of Morocco,Algeria,Tunisia and Egypt.
Despite the distance, KTB is taking advantage of the local premier products such as beach and safari, diverse cultures as well as unique and authentic experiences to woo more international holidaymakers.
In order to build up the international tourist numbers, Ms Radier said KTB would focus more on markets which yield good results.
She also added that the marketing agency was working towards promoting the country in new markets in efforts to increase international visitor numbers.
On Thursday, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala threatened to cut the Kenya Tourism Board’s marketing budget if the team fails to deliver the desired results.
Mr Balala said although the government had been allocating a substantial amount of money for marketing to KTB, the country was not getting much value for its money.
He added that in the last two financial years, the government had allocated Sh2 billion for marketing.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Ms Radier said the industry’s growth was bolstered by yielding markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, India and China.
Speaking at Diani Reef Beach Resort in Kwale on Friday during a Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) annual symposium, the KTB boss attributed the growth to the government’s tourism recovery campaigns locally and international markets.
However, she added that the Ministry of Tourism will soon hold a press conference in Nairobi to give detailed information about the tourism growth.
In the last five years, KTB has been focusing on tourism recovery by convincing the international markets that Kenya is safe for holiday in a bid to overcome the challenge of insecurity perception, she said.
Following security improvement in the country and the positive image building campaigns have paid off as the international markets now have confidence in the Kenyan destination.
But Ms Radier said the tourism recovery will depend on how the country conducts the August 8 polls.
If the country achieves peaceful elections, then the industry has the potential to recover given that tourism posted a 10.6 per cent growth this financial year.
For tourism to post further growth, the KTB boss urged political leaders and their supporters to carry out their campaigns peacefully.
Morocco,Algeria,Tunisia and Egypt receive more international tourist arrivals of between 10 million and 11 million each, this can be attributed it to the two North African countries being short haul destinations.
Kenya is a longer distance as a destination and as a result, travel costs are much higher than those of Morocco,Algeria,Tunisia and Egypt.
Despite the distance, KTB is taking advantage of the local premier products such as beach and safari, diverse cultures as well as unique and authentic experiences to woo more international holidaymakers.
In order to build up the international tourist numbers, Ms Radier said KTB would focus more on markets which yield good results.
She also added that the marketing agency was working towards promoting the country in new markets in efforts to increase international visitor numbers.
On Thursday, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala threatened to cut the Kenya Tourism Board’s marketing budget if the team fails to deliver the desired results.
Mr Balala said although the government had been allocating a substantial amount of money for marketing to KTB, the country was not getting much value for its money.
He added that in the last two financial years, the government had allocated Sh2 billion for marketing.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
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