Kenya has not shown up at this year’s African Indaba, held in Durban, South Africa.
Last month, it announced withdrawing from the World Travel Market London. It has also pulled out from ITB Berlin.
While it was present in the regional World Travel Market held in Cape Town last month, it is not clear if going forward it will attend more WTM trade fairs.
A walk down by the Star in the exhibition stalls in African Indaba revealed that despite being an east Africa economic giant; Kenya’s absence was loud.
This is because other small and neighbouring economies such as Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania had pitched tent in the trade fair.
African Indaba is the largest tourism trade fair in the region held annually in South Africa
Hosted by the South Africa Tourism Board, it seeks to showcase Africa to the World as a travel destination of choice.
“It is disappointing that Kenya Tourism Board is not here to represent Kenya as an attractive destination when 22 African countries including small tourism economies are present. Their Absence sends a very wrong message about our destinations,” Kenya Association of Travel Agents Chief executive Nicanor Sabula said.
Sabula spoke to the Star on the sidelines of the Indaba festival where he came to represent Kenyan travel agents.
He said that missing out from the trade fairs means that Kenya will soon begin to disappear from the International tourism map hence the number of international arrivals will begin to go down.
“It is in these fairs that global agents scout for destinations, if they attend and find that Kenya is not there but Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda are all there, then these countries will grab the opportunities right before our eyes”.
LACK OF VALUE
Speaking to the Star on phone, Kenya’s director of Public communication in the Ministry of Tourism Mulei Muia said that the decision to pull out from the Indaba was in line with Kenya Tourism Board current marketing strategy.
“It was a policy and strategic decision not to participate as the Return on Investment was not worth it. This was informed by research and analysis undertaken on many tourism trade fairs, indaba included,” Mulei said, on behalf of the Tourism ministry.
“KTB will only be participating in the global ITB and a couple more,” he added. However, he did not reveal for how long this representation would last.
However, Sabula said that whereas it’s about a new Strategy, it should not be about pulling out from trade fairs. “ If you are looking for value for money, lets interrogate how we do our shows, who are the people we send to these shows, what are they going to do and what are the messages they are sending”.
Further, he also called on the tourism board to find out why other African countries are finding value in trade shows while Kenya is not.
VISALESS CONTINENT
Present at the trade fair official opening, were nine tourism ministers from Africa who called on other African countries to open up their borders and, “ introduce a one Visa rule or adopt a Visa less policy to allow for the free movement and tourism trade among the different nations”.