I will brand Mombasa as an exclusive tourism hub—Omar

Mombasa governor hopeful Hassan Omar says he will strive to market Mombasa as an exclusive tourism destination that will attract more visitors from all over the world.

In his addresses to residents during his campaigns, Omar says Mombasa has great potential to become a tourist destination rivalling Dubai in the United Arab Emirates due to its natural resources.

Omar says Zanzibar is gaining exponential tourism numbers yet it has the same natural resources as Mombasa but with less human resources.

“I will seek authorisation from the national government so that just as Zanzibar is being sold as Zanzibar and not Tanzania, we also have what we call Brand Mombasa,” said Omar at the Mombasa Economic Forum at Mbaraki Stadium on Saturday.

This means instead of marketing the tourism hub as part of the larger Kenyan tourism industry, Omar will concentrate on marketing what Mombasa has to offer as a tourism hub and not as a package that will involve other parts of tourist attraction sites in Kenya.

This way, coupled with increased direct flights to the Moi International Airport and charter flights,  Mombasa will gain traction as an exclusive tourism hub.

 “If you agree, I will put it as a proposal so that William Ruto, as the fifth President, validates it and starts working,” Omar said.

He says small scale traders who make Mombasa gain recognition all over the world due to its food culture, will benefit from the Biashara Fund, which he intends to set up.

The fund will have an injection of Sh2 billion each year, which will be boosted by another Sh1 billion annually that Deputy President William Ruto has promised counties if he succeeds President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“Instead of selling just cassava and crisps at Mama Ngina (Waterfront Park), you will be able to sell different types of seafood to attract more tourists,” Omar said in Likoni on Sunday.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers executive officer Sam Ikwaye said the idea is good but needs to be implemented carefully.

He said there are other emerging destinations at the Coast that are coming up due to devolution and it would be great to market Mombasa more.

However, he said, the idea, if not well implemented, might end up costing the county due to the interconnectivity of the Coast region.

For instance, Diani is now prominently coming up as a leisure destination just as Watamu is.

Mombasa has for a long time been also known as a trade centre.

“It is a good thing if an aspirant is planning to position Mombasa as an independent destination and bring out its uniqueness.

“However, Coast by itself thrives because of Mombasa. One advantage that kind of strategy might lose out is the connecting nature of Mombasa,” Ikwaye said.

There are people who come to Mombasa to do business and then they go to Diani or Watamu for leisure, he said.

“So the interconnection of Mombasa to other destinations in Coast is something that cannot be negated. So he must look for balance. Mombasa cannot exist on its own.” 

Ikwaye said Nairobi has ridden on its geographical location to market itself as both a leisure and business hub.

Airlines pass through Nairobi to other parts of Africa because of its geographical positioning.

He called on political leaders to seek tourism industry leaders and work with them when coming up with their manifestos.

He said in most cases, tourism at the Coast has not realised its potential because politicians do not involve industry leaders when planning.

“Let them involve the tourism minds either now or when they get to office. They need to identify stakeholders, who understand the industry more than the politicians, and involve them in their planning,” Ikwaye said.

He said it been 10 years since devolution begun but no county has passed laws to govern beach management.

“No bill has been passed on that,” he said.

Omar however said he will partner with other players in the sector including Kwale and Kilifi counties but will have Mombasa be the anchor.

In his cabinet, he will have a tourism industry player to oversee the docket in Mombasa.

“Of course, you have to partner with other players in other counties. You cannot work in isolation. But Mombasa has to soar,” he said.

Omar said he will work with the county assembly members to ensure proper bills that relate to the management of the tourism sector are passed and implemented.

He said Mombasa has to achieve the Blue Flag.

The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world's most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.

It is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.

Omar said Mombasa must surpass all destinations in Africa to attain the Blue Flag.

So far, no African beach has attained the Blue Flag since its inception in 2015.

A total of 4,154 Blue Flags are waving around the world.

-Edited by SKanyara