The Kenya Tourism Board has warned over the negative impact the ongoing anti-IEBC protests could have on the industry, as the country gears up for electioneering period.
In a media briefing yesterday, KTB said its 20 per cent growth target for international visitors this year may not materialise if the violent protests continue.
Consequently, the tourism marketing body has convened a crisis meeting to address the protests by the opposition and the expected impact on the tourism sector, which is beginning to recover after a three-year slump due to insecurity.
The meeting by a national tourism committee, comprising of tourism sector players, national disaster department officials, the police and intelligence officials as well as several ministries, will address how information concerning tourism activities and country updates will be disseminated safely.
KTB acting CEO Jacinta Nzioka said message dissemination will affect how source markets react to the upcoming general elections next year.
We will mainly be looking at messaging. On this issue of the IEBC, in as much as dialogue is good, we are saying that the rule of law must be upheld,” she said.
The inter-agency committee will also plan on how to engage both government and the opposition concerning heightened political noise, which could hamper ongoing recovery efforts, KTB said.
Nzioka said the government has already written to key source markets concerning the ongoing protests. “We have told them that it is normal for protests to occur, but we are also letting them know about interventions put in place by the government on the same,” she said.
The ministry of tourism has set an ambitious target for the sector, of 20 per cent growth this year.
International arrivals reached 1.18 million last year, a drop from the 1.35 million visitors in 2014, a 12.6 per cent drop.
Tourism earnings dropped to Sh84.6 million last year from Sh87.1 billion as the sector recorded the lowest number of visitors in five years, according to the Economic Survey 2016.
The decline in performance was mainly attributed to insecurity, particularly in the coastal region.