KENYA: Jumeirah Hotels Negotiating Management Deal In Kenya

While in Kenya for the annual Magical Kenya Travel Expo which is taking place at the seaside resort area of Diani south of Mombasa, did news emerge that Jumeirah Hotels was negotiating a management deal for a yet to be disclosed hotel.

Although it could not be established if the deal will involve a newly constructed or under construction hotel or if perhaps some owners may seek to bring in a new management company – the prospect of which might send shivers down several spines – is it clear that Jumeirah is very keen to establish a footprint in East Africa.

Nairobi has in recent years seen the influx of several branded international hotel groups, among them Kempinski, Dusit and Best Western and the imminent opening of Rezidor’s Radisson Blu in Nairobi, followed by Sheraton with a Four Point and Moevenpick, among others, is a sign of confident global operators have in Kenya.

With MICE business on the upswing, Nairobi is regularly only coming second to Cape Town in Africa for hosting major global and continental events, major oil finds in Northern Kenya and the return to normalcy of the country’s beleaguered tourism sector does the country have much going for it.

Massive investments in road, rail and airport infrastructure are presently transforming Kenya into an emerging economic powerhouse for the Eastern African region and global hotel groups tend to follow this trend.

Jumeirah presently manages 23 properties in the Gulf, Europe and Asia and has reportedly more than a dozen under development.

Ties between Kenya and the UAE, where Jumeirah is based, are close and the two countries are connected by air with flights operated by Kenya Airways, Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia.

UAE: Jumeirah Encourages UAE Nationals Into Hospitality Careers

Jumeirah Group has launched a new Emiratisation initiative on social media to encourage UAE Nationals to pursue careers in hospitality. The campaign is called #BeTheHost and will be launched through the Jumeirah Arabic account on Instagram @Jumeirah.Arabic.

Nabil Ramadhan, Group Chief Human Capital Officer, Jumeirah Group, said: “Hospitality is an excellent career choice that enables its workforce to develop new professional skills. Through the #BeTheHost initiative, we hope to show UAE Nationals that hospitality is a diverse industry in which you can pursue your personal passion, whatever it may be. As an outsider’s first gateway to the city’s culture, hotels provide a platform to showcase our traditions and serve as ambassadors of national heritage.”

Resonating with UAE’s proud tradition of hospitality, the initiative is aligned with the objectives of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s #AnaDubai (‘I am Dubai’) Emiratisation campaign. The aim is to increase the number of UAE Nationals working in tourism by 15 per cent every year until 2020. The initiative also seeks to contribute to the tourism sector in the Dubai Vision 2020 as envisioned by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

UAE National colleagues including members of Jumeirah’s Emiratisation programmes, will share their career development stories across the Instagram account. #BeTheHost provides UAE Nationals the opportunity to be mentored by those with a shared cultural background. Another essential element of #BeTheHost will be an exchange of dialogue with UAE students considering careers after university.

Dubai’s hospitality industry is expected to be the key driver of the job market ahead of EXPO 2020, given that 70% of the 25 million visitors expected during EXPO 2020 will originate from outside the UAE.

As a premier partner of EXPO 2020, Jumeirah is at the forefront of hotel development in the UAE offering growth opportunities for personal and professional development.