Mombasa tourism council backs new beach management standards

The Mombasa Tourism Council (MTC) has backed a new initiative by the Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) to develop beach management standards.

TRA, a corporate body established under Section 4 of the Tourism Act No 28 of 2011, regulates the tourism sector in Kenya. It is mandated to develop the regulations, standards and guidelines needed to ensure quality service delivery across the sector.

According to TRA, the Tourism Beach Operations standard sets out general requirements and recommendations for beach operators who offer services to tourists and visitors.

It provides guidelines for operators and users on sustainable management and planning, beach ownership, sustainable infrastructure and service provision. These cover beach safety, information and communication, cleaning and waste removal.

TRA says the standards will ensure that services offered by all tourism establishments in the country are of good quality and meet tourists’ minimum expectations. They will also form the basis of quality control in the sector.

In an interview, MTC chairman Sam Ikwaye said the council was keen to work with TRA to finalise the standards.

“We have an unsuitable model where several national government agencies seem to operate. TRA, the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), Kenya Coast Guard Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, the Fisheries department and Kenya Ports Authority all have direct impacts on the beach resource from their mandates, yet counties are expected to manage the day-to-day running, including cleaning and planning,” said Dr Ikwaye.

He said the initiative, which he termed long overdue, was expected to bring all players under a clear and harmonised implementation framework, allowing counties to take a more proactive leadership role in a sustainable beach management programme.

Fishermen operating at the Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach in Mombasa County also welcomed the move. They said it came at a time of increasing unplanned activities that could destroy beaches through pollution.

“We hope we shall be fully involved as key stakeholders and that our input will not be sidelined as has been the case before,” said Mr Idd Bakari Swedi, a fisherman.

He also urged authorities to properly vet all beach traders, including fishermen, to ensure that rules are adhered to.