TECH BREAK: Local platform DeiPlaces set to boost tourism

From left: Dei Technologies business development manager Dr Paul Bamutaze, Kenya team lead Simon Kamau and product manager Moses Matovu during the launch of DeiPlaces, a social networking platform, at Stanley Hotel, Nairobi on January 15. PHOTO| MARION MAINA

What you need to know:

  • The  regional  product manager Mr Matovu Moses added  that  the  network    broadly  focuses  on, individuals  and  organisations who   wish to share travel and  cultural experiences  and   products within their  circles  and  globally.
  • “The social network focuses on users who wish to share texts, images and videos about places,” he explained.

International firm Dei Technologies on Monday launched a social networking software called DeiPlaces at Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi.

The product is the local answer to TripAdvisor, allowing people to discover, create and share places and memories with friends and families.

The platform is anticipated to boost local tourism by 20 per cent at the end of the year by promoting and marketing tour spots and activities across Africa.

‘REVOLUTIONARY’

According to the company’s business development manager, Dr Paul Bamutaze, technology and innovation are the forces behind the current aggressive tourism and travel campaigns that have taken root in the East African region.

He described the social networking software as revolutionary and instrumental in launching tourism in Africa to an exciting new level.

“There are over a billion places across the continent worth visiting but people do not know about them. DeiPlaces is now here to help us market such places to the world,” he said.

Mr Joe Ssekono Kamau, the lead developer  of DeiPlaces in Kenya, said that  to  access the  DeiPlaces platform , one    needs  to register and  create an  account by visiting DeiPlaces website or download DeiPlaces  mobile app which  can be  accessed in Google  appstore and  playstore.

The  regional  product manager Mr Matovu Moses added  that  the  network    broadly  focuses  on individuals  and  organisations who   wish to share travel and  cultural experiences  and   products within their  circles  and  globally .

“The social network focuses on users who wish to share texts, images and videos about places,” he explained.

COLLECTIVE EFFORT

The product’s design is a collective effort by a team of developers drawn from America, China and Uganda. It was first launched in 2017 December in Kampala, Uganda.

It has acquired 100,000 subscriptions since its inception with numerous hotels and tour spots getting featured on the platform. It is a multilingual platform available in English, French and Swahili.

Speaking at the launching ceremony for the DeiPlaces Kenya, Simon Kamau, DeiPlaces team leader for the Kenyan market highlighted the suitability of the networking platform for local tourism. He pointed out that the timeliness of this product given the soaring internet connectivity in the country.

“There are over 37 million mobile phone subscribers in Kenya and internet users are 31.9 million. Latest statistics from Communications Authority show that 89.7 out of 100 people in the country access internet services. The inspiration to tour and travel is now primarily through the Internet. DeiPlaces has tapped into this space to influence where people will chose to travel,” he said.

DeiPlaces lead developer Joe Ssekono. PHOTO| TOM MWIRARIA

Tourism, a major foreign exchange earner, showed a turnaround last year, growing 13.3 per cent after contracting 1.3 per cent the previous year, according to Economic Survey 2017.

Recent data from World Travel and Tourism Council shows that the direct contribution of Travel and Tourism to the country’s GDP is 3.7 per cent supporting over 399,000 jobs (3.4 per cent of total employment).

The   social  networking platform comes at  a  time  Kenya  is  leading Africa in internet penetration with over 30 million having access to the internet, according  to  a  report by Jumia Business Intelligence and GSMA Mobile titled ’. The report  classifies   67 per cent  of Kenyans as  avid internet users.  Jumia Intelligence findings are corroborated by latest   statistics   from Kenya’s Communications Authority which indicate that 89.7 per cent out of 1000 people in the  country access internet services.

DeiPlaces product manager Moses Matovu. PHOTO| TOM MWIRARIA

A home to 60 national parks and reserves, a wide picturesque sceneries, prehistoric, cultural and historic attractions, and over 500 km of sunny coastline, Kenya has seen its tourism sector  bloom to become the second-largest foreign exchange earner in the country. According to Economic Survey (2017) ,the  Kenyan tourism grew by 13.3  per cent in 2017 .The  direct contribution of Travel and  Tourism to Kenya’s  is GDP  is 3.7 per cent  and has  created 399,000  employment opportunities ,proportional to 3.4 per cent  total  jobs  going by  recent data  from World  Travel and  Tourism Council.

Mr Kamau noted that innovations like Deiplaces would   significantly support government efforts to spur the  travel and  Tourism industry  by  amplifying the  knowledge of places and  travel experiences.

In his closing remarks, Simon Kamau expressed the desire to see the product develop a robust presence such as in Uganda and Rwanda. He also hinted on a major launch of DeiPlaces in collaboration with the ministry of Tourism so as to see the industry scale to greater heights.

“We live in a world in which technology will serve the needs of travellers, companies and destinations. Thus, we must continue to work on incorporating new technologies in our day management of tourism businesses and destinations through platforms such as DeiPlaces. Going forward, we will partner with various stakeholders to further local tourism growth through the use of technology,” he concluded.