As tourism industries from different regions across the globe gather in Durban, South Africa’s travel marketing platform, Travel Indaba, Kenya’s Tourism Board conspicuous absence at the yearly event has been criticised by tourism companies from the East African country.
According to atqnews.com, the board had earlier announced that it was pulling out of the World Travel Markets, London.
A statement by the Chief Executive Officer, KTB, Dr. Betty Radier, said the decision to pull out of the exhibition followed the adoption of a new Marketing Strategy and supported by an evaluation carried out to ascertain the return on investments from World Trade Markets.
A report by nation.co.ke, said Kenya scaled down participation in tourism fairs across the world, saying the shows were not adding value to its growth strategy.
Scrutiny of past appearances shows that Kenya was not getting value for money and would only participate in ITB Berlin, the largest tourism show which happens in March, said Tourism ministry spokesman Mulei Muia.
Kenya will be a no-show at the World Tourism Market of London, which takes place in November, a considerably big event that is estimated to attract up to 50,000 participants.
Indeed, Kenya does not have a stand at the ongoing Travel Indaba in Durban, an event that has attracted 1,747 buyers and 1,120 exhibitors from cross the world. The show, attended by nine tourism ministers from Africa, ends today.
“It was a policy and strategic decision not to participate as the return on investment wasn’t worth it.
“This was informed by research and analysis undertaken on many tourism trade fairs, Indaba included,” said Mr Mulei on the non-appearance at the event attended by East African Community neighbours Rwanda, Tanzania and Rwanda and companies from the countries.
Limited appearance at the marketing fairs was the Kenya Tourism Board’s strategy, Mr Mulei said, adding that KTB would, apart from the ITB show, attend “a couple more (but) not the World Travel Market of London.”
A search of exhibitors revealed that there was no Kenyan company at the event that is also marking Nelson Mandela’s centenary celebrations.
It would have been the icon’s 100th birthday this year. To mark the date, South Africa Tourism, organisers of the event, has identified 100 experiences including attractions and destinations tied to Mandela’s life.
Nicanor Sabula, chief executive of Kenya Association of Travel Agents (Kata) who is attending the Indaba event, said that there was a need for Kenya and South Africa to lead the drive to win more tourists and travellers to the continent that accounts for five per cent of the global tourism market.
But the decision by the Kenya’s tourism board not to feature in Indaba has been sharply criticised by the countries tourism firms that were present at the just concluded event in South Africa.
According to businessdailyafrica.com, Travel agents from the country said they pay high rates to participate when Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) fails to attend, a situation that saw all tour operators miss the Durban event that started on Monday and ran for three days.
Patrick Maina Kamanga, a travel agent based in Mombasa, said tour operators knew early that KTB was not going to show up. “No tour operator was at Indaba this year; they knew KTB was not coming here”.
Private players said various costs are at commercial rates, almost double the discounted rates negotiated country-to-country. Air fare, meals and accommodation, and show stands, Hillary Langat, a tours manager with Hemingways Expeditions, said are some of the key expenditures at travel fairs.
For instance, he said Hemingways paid 1,900 pounds for a stand which would be at half price under the KTB cover.
“It was a poor show that KTB did not participate. If they can’t come to such a meeting of many hosted buyers, then what else are they doing?” he asked, adding that on the flip side, the small number of Kenyan firms was a blessing in disguise as he clinched many deals.
It was also difficult playing the government role, Mr Kamanga said, when questions that required government response were pushed his way at the ministerial conference when the event was being launched on May 7.
“I was embarrassed at the ministerial conference being asked why Kenya pulled out,” Mr Kamanga said.
South African Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona played down the issue, saying other countries may be focusing on other sectors, not necessarily tourism. “It’s voluntary to attend Indaba,” he said in his wrap-up press briefing Thursday. A day earlier, he had said Kenya—one of the top five tourism countries in Africa—was always on the radar of South Africa
