Ministry hosts a stakeholders’ summit to discuss Kenya’s Safari Product

Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife Hon Najib Balala. [Photo: Courtesy]

The Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife is convening owners and managers of Kenya's leading tourism enterprises, and county government representatives at the African Safari Summit to reimagine the African Safari and unlock innovation in Kenya’s Safari product. 

The Summit will be held from 15th – 16th March 2019 at the Sarova Woodlands Hotel, Nakuru. Stakeholders will discuss Kenya’s Safari offering and how it can be reshaped in the face of emerging trends in technology and travel.  

There will be a range of participants, including Browyn Williams (a futurist and trend consultant), Loic Amado (Uber’s East Africa General Manager) and Michael Culhane (a veteran of the luxury safari industry and CEO & co-founder of TripX).

Hon. Najib Balala EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife says, “Safari, as we know it, originated from Kenya about a century ago. Our competitors have taken over the term and are using it to compete with us in their product design and marketing. I am confident that by bringing our industry thought leaders together, we can set some bold ideas and redefine the African Safari for the next 100 years.”

Tourism is considered the first amongst the six sectors earmarked to drive Kenya Vison 2030. Between 2013 and 2017, the Government’s return on investment from tourism was 21 times the amount invested. 

Arrivals in 2018 grew by 37.33 per cent from 2017 to 2,025,206 international visitors, surpassing the 2 million mark for the first time in Kenya’s history. Similarly, the country’s earnings from tourism grew 31.20 per cent to Sh157 billion, from the Sh119 billion earned in 2017. Africa was the main source market, accounting for 40 per cent followed by Europe at 30.22 per cent.

CS Balala added, “The strategic direction provided by National Tourism Blueprint (NTB) 2030 is a call to consider key trends that are of importance to our tourism. They include companies that are driving disruptions like Uber and Airbnb, the digital economy, new consumption patterns and inter-African travel trends.”

 The Africa Safari Summit provides a platform for Kenya’s tourism sector to harness insights from global and Kenyan thought leaders, who are at the forefront of driving disruptive innovations in related sectors to create connected experiences. It also provides an opportunity for the African Safari Working groups - majority of whom are from the private sector - to report on progress made in achieving the goals in NTB 2030. 

 The Summit is expected to provide a long-term direction on how Kenya’s Safari experience can boost tourism arrivals and deepen the contribution of the industry to employment, the Government’s Big 4 Agenda.

 

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