Tourism sector needs a strategy, not slogans, stakeholders tell the government

The government lacks a coherent strategy to achieve its target of doubling the number of international tourists visiting the country, stakeholders in the tourism sector have said.

Speaking in Mombasa, the stakeholders said the Kenya Kwanza Alliance administration is yet to eliminate existing bottlenecks hindering the growth of the tourism sector.

In 2024, Kenya recorded a new high of 2.4 million international tourist arrivals, and the government has committed to boosting the numbers to 5 million by 2027.

On Friday, stakeholders in Kenya’s ambitions to attract 5 million international tourists are not unrealistic, but it needs a strategy to exploit its untapped potential and not slogans.

“Potential does not respond to slogans. It responds to systems. We must stop relying on luck, conferences and generic marketing,” said Jacklyn Njau of Memoir Hospitality Consulting (MHC).

She added: “What we need is premium tourism products, digital storytelling, strong county partnerships and experiential infrastructure that makes Kenya a place people don’t just visit but feel.”

Njau, MHC Chief Executive Officer, added that until Kenya shifts to a strategic, innovation-led model, the expected increase in numbers will remain a dream.

"But I am confident we can turn that dream into reality. It is also about experiences and ecosystems that move in harmony to deliver value emotionally, financially, culturally and globally,” she said.

She criticised Magical Kenya’s strategy for marketing itself as a destination, not an experience, and pointed out that Kenyan tourism was packaged as it was decades ago.

“It is still about a few game drives, some beaches and a sprinkle of Maasai culture, and we call it a day. Kenya can still become the pulse of global tourism. We must create an entirely new tourism economy – one that blends culture, technology, memory, diaspora, spirituality, sport and leisure that no one else has dared to,’’ she noted.

Other stakeholders said the devolved units of government have unique attractions that need to be exploited fully for the betterment of Kenya’s tourism.

For example, Njau said Narok should offer immersive Maasai Mentorship tourism, Kiambu should birth the Africa tea trails, Naivasha should have the world’s first cigar and whisky safari, and Turkana should lead memory tourism.

Mombasa Tourism Council (MTC) Dr Sam Ikwaye called for a more collective approach if Kenya was to attain the desired numbers in terms of tourist arrivals from outside the country.

He said that the open sky policy, which will help the much-needed air connectivity, thus boosting arrivals, is not being actualised.

‘’As a long-haul destination that has, over time, been relying on source markets in Europe and the Americas, we can only manage to get to 5 million arrivals if we have an increase in, say, charter flights resuming operations into our international airports in Nairobi and Mombasa, respectively,’’ Dr Ikwaye said.

He said the move to have flights operate into Kenyan airspace at half their capacity was appealing to tourists, adding that if full flight capacity was naturally appealing to tourists, it would benefit them the most.

Ikwaye pleaded with the government to be holistic in their approach and ensure that labour force development in the hospitality sector is prioritised as tourist arrivals surge.

Let the Ronald Ngala Utalii College (RNUC) in Kilifi County, whose construction has taken long to complete, be finalised. Train additional hospitality labour force that will serve the industry,” he said.

Ikwaye further stated that government policies need to be aligned to offer credible support to tourism investors by providing friendly and affordable loans to help in the refurbishment of their properties.

"If we have full government support and have the open sky policy actualised, we can even attract and handle 5 million international arrivals,’’ he said.

On hotel, restaurant and lodge classification, Ikwaye noted that it was long overdue and funds ought to be made available for the exercise to be conducted by the Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA).

He called for proper messaging from key government agencies charged with tourism development and promotion to help Kenya be on par with its competing neighbours, like the spicy isle of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa.

Veteran Mombasa hotelier and general manager of Plaza Beach Hotel, Denis Gwaro, asked the national government to act expeditiously on requests and demands made known to it by stakeholders in the sector.

‘If we continue the way we are doing things, we shall stagnate and fail to march and surpass competitors who used to benchmark a lot from us previously.’ Gwaro stated.