KTB crafts measures to improve tourism

In this interactive series, we invite our readers to send in questions to prominent public figures.

This week, Kenya Tourism Board CEO Betty Radier responds to your questions:

1.What are you doing as the Kenya Tourism Board to have the benefits of tourism in our country trickle down to that grandmother in the village?

Thirikwa Nyingi, Timau

Based on a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, for every 10 tourists visiting Kenya, one job is created.

Money spent in a hotel helps to create jobs directly in the establishment, but it also creates jobs indirectly elsewhere in the economy.

The hotel, for example, has to buy food from local farmers, who may spend some of this money on clothes or entertainment.

The demand for local products also increases as tourists often buy souvenirs, which increases secondary employment.

As KTB, our mandate is to ensure that we get more travellers visiting Kenya. This is our contribution to the economy.

2. Direct flights between Kenya and the US are finally here. What plans do you have to tap into the opportunity and boost tourism? 

Godwin Nandwa, Nairobi

Kenya Airways direct flight will definitely accelerate the growth of Kenya’s tourism sector by contributing to increased tourist arrivals from America as well as other regions such as Canada.

The direct flight will substantially boost Kenya’s global profile as a tourism destination as it will provide a shorter, quicker and more affordable connection for tourists and business travellers coming to Kenya.

Consequently, KTB and KQ will jointly implement marketing and publicity initiatives to promote the flight and at the same time leverage on this opportunity to promote Kenya as a destination offering authentic tourist experiences.

Some of the planned activities include social media advertising, sales campaigns with online travel agents and channels, as well as engagement with senior product managers in key USA feeder cities to ensure that Kenya is included in their brochures.

3. What is your position regarding shisha, considering that some tourists too enjoy it? 

Githuku Mungai

As you well know, there is a gazetted government directive on shisha.

The KTB, and Kenya’s tourism industry in general, remains guided by this policy.

4. While statistics are available as to foreigners who visit Kenya, the same cannot be said of the local tourists. Why hasn’t KTB and the parent ministry been able to track and publish statistics of local tourists and the revenues thereof? 

Francis Njuguna, Kibichoi

Domestic tourism is a key segment for KTB and performance is tracked in terms of the total bed occupancy taken up by Kenyans out of the total occupancy.

These results are published in the annual Economic Survey, together with other tourism indicators.

In 2017, a total of 4.05 million bed nights were taken up by Kenyans compared to 3.5 million in 2016, indicating a 15.9 percent growth.

The domestic tourism market has expanded by 72 per cent since 2010 largely due to the increased investment which the government, through KTB, is making in promoting domestic tourism through awareness campaigns such as the ongoing “Tembea Kenya na Mimi” campaign.

5.How does our tourism industry rate in terms of foreign exchange earnings? 

Francis Njuguna, Kibichoi

The tourism industry is Kenya’s third biggest source of foreign currency, closely following tea exports and diaspora remittances. Coffee comes in a distant fifth after horticulture.

6. What are you doing to boost tourism following the prolonged elections cycle and insecurity? 

Andrew Maranga Ratemo, Malindi 

The government is continuously investing in the sector and some of the programmes of focus are:

The charter incentive, which has seen the number and frequency of charters landing at the coast grow over the last two years, reduction of park entry fees from USD90 to USD60, visa fees waiver for children below 16 years to grow the family travel segment, improved infrastructure, global consumer campaigns to grow awareness of Kenya as a tourism destination, development of policies that support the expansion of the tourism product as well as the markets focus.

7. What can KTB do to encourage tour operators in promoting cultural connections for tourists? 
Seif A. Mohammed

The KTB is actively engaging the counties to identify, develop and package this cultural experience.

Cultural festivals and home stays are a growing trend that could be packaged to offer this experience.

Once the experience is consumer-ready, then KTB steps in to promote it, with the tour operators providing the call to action for the consumers to actually purchase a holiday to Kenya.

Communities, especially within tourism facilities, are being sensitised to package the offering in order to attract more tourists.

8. When people talk of tourism, no one talks of tour operators’ experience and contribution to the growth of the industry. What can the Board do to help tour operators feel appreciated? 

Seif A. Mohammed 

Mr Seif, allow me to first appreciate the role you and other tour operators have played and continue to play in contributing to the growth of Kenya’s tourism sector. 

The KTB works closely with tour operator umbrella bodies such as the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (Kato) to further strengthen stakeholder engagement.

On the domestic front, KTB last year launched the training of tour operators selling to domestic travellers to build their capacity so as to increase the amount of business.

In addition to these, KTB is in the process of designing a trade knowledge portal, which will provide information on tourism business.

This will ensure that the operators are updated on the latest consumer trends, profiles of travellers and competitors’ information.

All this will enable them make more informed decisions to grow their business.

9. What plans are there to open up Kenya’s non-traditional tourist sites, which I believe have immense potential but have been neglected? 

Susan Nyakio, Kiambu County

Our approach to enhancing our visitor experience is to diversify the offering.

Besides beach and wildlife, which the country is well-known for, our strategic direction is to identify and promote top experiences in every region.

The KTB is now in the process of vetting already identified locations to ensure that they meet the quality threshold.

Capacity is being built to enable the counties, who are essentially the product owners, identify and package these experiences so as to open up these regions.

10. In the past few months, officers from the Tourism Fund in Mt Kenya region have been going round requiring small bar and restaurant operators to register so that they can be paying levies to the Fund or take the proprietors to court. Who qualifies to pay these levies? 

John Nthiga

Levies are a requirement under the provisions of the Tourism Act 2011.

The agency mandated to collect tourism levies is the Tourism Fund. They can be contacted on [email protected] for further details. 

11. My attention is on MacMillan Castle in Ol Donyo Sabuk (Kilimambogo), which I believe KTB could market for its historical, heritage and cultural values to increase both local and international visitors. What is your take on this? 

Mwangi Mohuhi

The KTB is continuously encouraging product owners to package new experiences that will increase the visitor experience.

However, we also have to consider what other tourism facilities are available at Ol Donyo Sabuk, besides the castle.

Attractions are marketed as part of a circuit and must also be value enhanced and developed to be able to be marketed to tourists.

12. You have said KTB is in close talks with counties concerning tourism products. How, exactly, do you plan to have them fit into your operations in a sustainable manner?

Komen Moris, Eldoret

Indeed, every county has tourism products to showcase.

Under our county engagement programme, KTB will work closely with counties in identifying, packaging and promoting these products.

The KTB will soon be rolling out a programme to further engage counties through regional forums to deliberate on transformative strategies of revitalising tourism.

13. When security in the traditional tourism destinations deteriorated, the government hinted at opening up and enhancing tourism in the Western Circuit cutting across counties in the former Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western provinces. How did this go? 

Komen Morris, Eldoret

We are currently engaging regional tourism stakeholders to identify key attractions such as Kit Mikayi, high altitude training facilities at Iten and other products specific to these regions to enable KTB market and promote them.

The KTB participated in an inspection visit of parts of the Western Circuit, a sign that progress is being made.

14. If one wants to partner with KTB in engagements that promote local tourism, what procedure should be followed? Does KTB have priority areas for such collaborations? 

Gabriel Tito, Nairobi

Marketing the destination is a collaborative effort between the national government through KTB, county governments and indeed all Kenyans who are willing to contribute to this worthy effort.

Therefore, our office is open to any person or entity to propose on how we can partner.

We are open to ideas, which will contribute positively to the growth of tourism arrivals, domestic tourism as well as forex earnings from tourism.

15. Besides our never-ending politics and threats of terrorism, what else has had serious impact on the growth of tourism in Kenya?

Beatrice Nyakio, Thika

Tourism is a very sensitive industry that is easily affected by any macroeconomic factors within the destination, and especially those that cast a negative impact on the country brand.

Some of the challenges are the ageing Coastal products, negative stories published by the local media and the negative publicity by the international media.

For more questions and answers go to www.nation.co.ke