The Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) is set to play a major role in helping boost growth prospects for the country’s 47 counties in a new strategy that will see the corporation grow its footprints.
KICC Managing Director Fred Simiyu says the new strategy will entail working closely with Governors in supporting Counties set up Exhibition and Convention Centres, which will then be marketed by the KICC as key conference and exhibition destinations at global level.
In 2011, the Government through the Ministry of Tourism commissioned the national Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (Mice) Committee and Secretariat, a joint Private Sector-Ministry of Tourism initiative and tasked it with the mandate of spearheading efforts to market and promote conference tourism in Kenya.
“We have already set up a Secretariat which will be crucial in offering management and advisory support to the county governments and we believe having big international meetings, conferences and exhibitions at the counties will spur economic growth and create more jobs especially for the youth at the grassroots,” explained Simiyu.
Kenya’s economic Blueprint, Vision 2030 has earmarked conference and business tourism as niche products, which the Government and the private sector should work closely on in its endeavour to enhance capacity by investing in and upgrading hotel facilities and improving transport infrastructure.
Already, Nairobi and other key major towns are witnessing substantial expansion in the property market with new hotels coming up to cater for the growing number of visitors coming in for business.
Major leading global brands such as Best Western, Radisson Blu, Park Inn, Three Cities, Kempinski and Lansmore have all confirmed plans to set up their operations in Kenya. The Kenyatta International Convention Centre is keen to attract a bigger number of business tourists through conventions, meetings and exhibitions.
Simiyu is convinced that events/exhibitions is set to play a major role in helping boost the number of high net worth tourists visiting the country and help scale up Kenya’s economic growth trajectory.
According to the Managing Director, Kenya stands a good chance to reap from the growing potential of Mice, given its unique offerings and as a leading regional business hub.
The country’s Mice sector has been attracting attention owing to its capacity to produce the highest per capita daily dollar yield than any other tourism sub-sector.
