Miano’s in-tray as she takes over helm at the tourism docket

Rebecca Miano's big task of improving Kenya's tourism as the country faces stiff competition from the neighbouring countries has begun in a high spirit.

In her maiden address on Wednesday, as she took over the ministry at the tourism headquarters in Nairobi, Miano pledged among many things, to fast-track strategies aimed at unlocking the immense potential of Kenya's tourism sector.

She categorically stated that she would champion consultations in revamping the National Tourism Policy to serve emerging trends given the ever-changing tastes of tourists.

"I will start by relooking at seven areas of interest that I have already taken note of. I will operationalise the upcoming Ronald Ngala Utalii College to unleash its capacity to provide world-class training for the hospitality and tourism sector," Miano said.

Secondly, she said she is keen to address the issue of the classification of hospitality facilities to ensure the country aligns with global best practices.

"In collaboration with key sector players, I will seek ways of entrenching a domestic tourism culture as we disabuse the notion that tourism is for visitors from without."

She further noted that she will enforce the use of modern IT to rally the travel industry to not only shore up tourist numbers but also create memorable experiences of the country's diverse attractions.

"I will also take a keener look at the security of tourists in concert with other organs of government in the spirit of One Government Approach," Miano added.

In doing so, she affirmed that her overall priority will be to accelerate the growth of tourism earnings to support the government's development agenda.

Tourism is the third largest source of foreign exchange for Kenya, and a sectorial annual performance report shows the country is optimistic of attracting a further three million tourists in the next five years as part of its 2028 vision, which targets at least five million visitors.

The annual tourism sector performance report released early this year shows a post-COVID year-on-year increase in arrivals and growing sector revenues.

"Tourist arrivals reached 1.95 million in 2023, a successive three-year rise since 2021 when the numbers stood at 870,465," the report reads.

It shows arrivals rose from 1,483,752 in 2022 to 1,951,185 in 2023, a 31.5 per cent increase.

"This is however way less compared to the previous year (2021-2022) when the numbers grew by about 71 per cent."

To keep the trends moving, the Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife, through the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), is collaborating with county governments to develop niche tourism circuits, which Miano said will be a game-changer for the sector.

"There is a need to re-tool wildlife conservation to respond to current issues like climate change. Kenya is a custodian of diverse wildlife heritage as well as flora and fauna that we must take care of. We will also focus on ensuring synergy with the county governments as well as creating an enabling environment for investment in tourism across the country," added Miano.

In his remarks, Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Alfred Mutua, the outgoing CS for Tourism and Wildlife, expressed confidence that the new CS will bring a fresh perspective to boost tourism earnings.

"I am confident that CS Miano will build upon the momentum, especially through the collaborations with counties, to drive tourism revenue growth. I wish her success in steering Kenya's tourism sector to new heights," Mutua said.

On the issue of human-wildlife conflict, CS Miano expressed commitment to finding sustainable solutions, noting that she will work closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and other agencies to ensure proper mechanisms for compensation and conservation are in place.