Tourism Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Peninah Malonza, has stated that to restore traveler confidence, we must rebuild capacity and capabilities for safe and seamless travel.
The CS said this while attending the Kenya Association of Travel Agents’ (KATA) industry breakfast, at Mercure hotel, Nairobi, today.
“To fully tap into the potential of air travel in the region and to maximize the economic benefits for our respective stakeholders, it is important that we focus on strengthening air links to bolster air travel,” said CS Malonza.
The CS also noted that, to enable our carriers to enhance connectivity within and beyond the region, we should continue to adopt a liberal aviation policy through bilateral and multilateral Open Skies Agreements (OSA), to give airlines the flexibility to respond to market opportunities, especially within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“I want to laud the code-share agreement between South African Airways (SAA) and Kenya Airways, which aims to promote intra- Africa travel. This will boost the growth of regional tourists’ arrivals into Kenya, while allowing Africans under AfCFTA to discover, experience, and immerse into new emerging markets within the African continent,” added CS Malonza.
With innovation and technology taking centre stage in the travel and tourism industry, CS Malonza stressed on the need to create a memorable hassle free tourist experience, to woo frequent travelers who embrace the YOLO (You Only Live Once) mentality.
“KATA can and should also help us market our signature experiences. Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) should consider creating incentives for KATA members who go out of their way to aggressively market our signature experiences and unique propositions. Therefore, KTB needs to work closely with KATA so that their marketing is synchronized. I also believe that KATA can be a good avenue for collaboration with travel agents globally especially in our key source markets and new markets,” added CS Malonza.
Also in attendance was the Kenya Airways General Manager, Rose Kiseli; South African Airways Head of Africa and Middle East, Austin Nyawara; Kenya Tourism Board Acting CEO, John Chirchir; KATA chairperson, Shazmin Manji; KATA CEO, Agnes Mucuha, among others.