East Africa Tourism: Forget me not and forsake me not

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Kenya’s delegation to the 2014 edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, led by Cabinet Secretary Phylis Kandie and the Kenya Tourism Board, this year comprises 11 counties, which economic

Kenya’s delegation to the 2014 edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, led by Cabinet Secretary Phylis Kandie and the Kenya Tourism Board, this year comprises 11 counties, which economic performance is closely if not directly linked to the tourism industry, and some 35 private sector businesses.

On arrival in London, some of them learned with a degree of shock about the latest security incidents in Mombasa and Malindi, and the newfound confidence after a very successful Magical Kenya Travel Expo a month ago suddenly gave way to finding themselves on the defensive again. With key coastal counties like Kwale, Mombasa, and Kilifi not present at WTM, leaving the field to upcountry counties like Turkana, Nandi, Baringo, Samburu, Isiolo, and Narok, under which the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve falls, the delegations, according to feedback received yesterday at the end of day one, face some probing questions about security in the country.

One regular source was, however, swift to point out that the coast tourism resorts are safe, and security arrangements have been stepped up considerably since WTM last year before turning his guns on the role foreign countries are playing in today’s Kenya: “The handling of relations with Kenya by Western countries is almost schizophrenic. On one hand they need Kenya as a crucial ally and as a forward base on the African mainland, in the past for the fight against piracy, and, of course, to contain the growing Islamist radical threat which continues to have a stronghold inside Somalia. The West abandoned Somalia in the past and only when Jihadists and Al Qaida offspring groups came across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen into Somalia and established their bases, did they wake up.

“It is patently clear that the Western powers put pressure on Kenya to intervene and join the AMISOM mission in Somalia to effectively create a pincer movement on Al Shabab bases inside Somalia to eliminate them one by one. So much for geopolitical and strategic issues. And then they show their other face when they turn large swathes of our coast into no go areas. It is here where they are going wrong and where it shouts abandonment from the rooftops. They cannot and should not have it both ways. They expect Kenya to carry the burden of fighting Al Shabab and then stab us in the back, kicking our tourism sector in the teeth and by doing so fuel job losses and creating a volatile situation in Kenya when what they should do is stand by us, support us to make sure our economy thrives. A strong Kenya is a stronger ally for them. Some may not like how Kenya has opened up to the East and China in particular but, hey, that is business, too.

“Kenya and our region need major infrastructure development and considering the slow pace of World Bank decisions and the endless string of conditions attached, of course we have to turn where no such or few such conditions come with the loans and grants. Roads, bridges, ports, railways – these are all things we need and where speed is of essence. I know it also comes with a price tag to it. But back to tourism.

“You wrote the other day that the British High Commissioner told you a lot more needs to be done about security at the coast before they will lift their prohibitive and negative travel advisories. What are those areas he and his colleagues from other countries are concerned about? When you word your advisories in such a cunning way like it was done, to say Mombasa is a no go zone but the beaches beyond and the resorts are ok, you must allow us to think you have an agenda. Thousands of primary jobs were lost as a result and thousands more on the secondary and tertiary level. That is not good for Kenya, and ultimately it cannot be good for our so-called friends in the West either. They have to make a choice and they should remember that choices have consequences, we were told so in no uncertain terms but that goes both ways.”

Other sources on site at WTM have confirmed that the combined stand of Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda does attract attention from the key markets, but at least two conceded that much of that interest is rather too tentative and that instead of building on the success of hosting over 100 buyers at the Magical Kenya Trade Expo a month ago, it is back to restore the foundations of trust the tourism business depends on so much. Meanwhile, sources from back home in Kenya have demanded that this is the right time to remove VAT from tourism services, arguing that as an export industry they should not be levied VAT, besides pointing to measures taken by Egypt which, following some disastrous occupancies during the uprising, has put measures into place which earned them a 200+ percent increase in arrivals.

“Visa fees must be slashed like in 2008 which proved a big factor for driving numbers up at the coast. Park fees should be reduced again, because it is plain wrong to increase the cost into a downturn of business. And businesses should get tax breaks, tax deferrals, added incentives to survive this never before seen low level of business for the coast. A lot of recommendations have been made over the past months but are yet to be accepted by government. We need certainty over the future of KTB [Kenya Tourism Board] and it is perhaps time that the private sector plays a larger role in KTB. We wait and see what response we get from government after this latest development,” wrote another regular from the coast.

Ugandan and Rwandan participants also spoke of a keen interest from trade visitors to the stands but that pens still needed to be put on paper to seal deals. A Ugandan participant ably summed it up when he wrote: “If Kenya is not doing well, the entire region feels it. It is one reason we stand with our brothers and sisters, because if we can show the world that our region is worth visiting, Kenya will benefit and we all will benefit. We get quite a lot of business from Kenya, but if they do better, we also will do better. If people wonder why we help to promote Kenya when we are Ugandans that is an important reason. We have a common tourist visa now, valid for 3 months, and you can travel back and forth as often as you like.

“We have the Africa Travel Association come to Kampala for their annual congress in just over a week. We expect to tell the world that Africa is a big continent and East Africa is so many hours of flight away from West Africa. We are struggling against perception and in part blame the news media for bad reporting. I hope they are here and can learn a thing or two about locations in Africa and then share it with their news teams. We have maybe the best combination of attractions of any destination in the world. From the beaches of Mombasa to the mountain gorillas of the Bwindi and the Virunga mountains and too much in between to even start. I hope that being here in London and exhibiting as a region together will make the point we should not be forgotten.”

In closing, a hint for the airlines flying into the region at large. In particular carriers like Turkish, which fly to Mombasa, Nairobi, Entebbe, and Kigali, but also Ethiopian, which serves the same airports, it may be time now to consider opening their special fares from Europe, Asia, and America to offer an open-jaw option whereby passengers can fly for instance into Entebbe, visit Uganda and Rwanda, but then fly out from Nairobi or Mombasa – or vice versa, of course, in a reverse routing – to make better use of the various gateways they have into East Africa. Brussels Airlines, equally serving Entebbe, Kigali, and Nairobi, and KLM with the same gateways, should also consider such options in order to stimulate demand and help to fill seats on their flights.

Forget me not and forsake me not – this applies to Kenya as well as to the East African region which is struggling to counter the negative reporting and unjustified Ebola fears. We as a region do have what it takes to make for that holiday of a lifetime, and the upcoming ATA World Congress will no doubt show the delegates exactly that. Welcome to the Pearl of Africa, Welcome to the Land of a Thousand Hills, and Welcome to Magical Kenya.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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