By M, KNA
The coastal city of Mombasa is seeking to tap into Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.
MICE events offer economic benefits by creating jobs and boosting business activities besides helping tourist destinations enhance their global profile.
It is a relatively new concept in the tourism industry that involves provision to business travelers attending seminars, workshops, conferences and conventions.
Governor Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir says his administration is focusing on enhancing conference tourism as part of its broader strategy to boost the coastal county’s tourism sector and create jobs.
Governor Nassir says while leisure remains the backbone of Mombasa’s tourism, the county’s ambition is to broaden its horizons by tapping into the vast potential of conference and business tourism.
Nassir called on all public and private stakeholders to work towards diversifying their tourism products by establishing strong convention bureaus to tap into this tourism conference segment to boost revenues.
He was speaking at Travelers Beach Hotel and Spa when he met with tourism stakeholders under the Kenya Coast Tourism Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) to deliberate on the future of the tourism industry in Mombasa and the coastal region at large.
The event brought together private investors, the County government of Mombasa and key stakeholders in the tourism sector to discuss how to raise the numbers and cater for the welfare of tourists landing at the Kenyan coast.
Governor Nassir said last year, out of over 11,000 association conferences held globally, Kenya hosted only 29 with just five taking place at the Coast.
“We were ranked 63rd worldwide, and that tells us one thing that we must do more together to reposition Mombasa as a premier conference destination,” he said.
The Governor said he is encouraged by the national government’s support, including the upcoming launch of direct Turkish Airlines flights into Mombasa’s Moi International Airport, which he described as a critical step in improving global air connectivity.
“But we must go further by opening our skies to more international carriers that will make travel more accessible and affordable for conference and business travelers, boosting arrivals and creating more jobs for the thousands of Mombasa residents who power our hospitality sector,” he quipped.
Nassir called for the implementation of the open skies policy to enable international flights to land directly in Mombasa to boost coastal tourism.
“We are working with all the stakeholders to push for the open sky policy so that Mombasa can have direct access to 320 cities in the world,” he said.
Some of the world airlines that used to travel to Mombasa directly included Qatar Airways, KLM Royal Dutch, and Emirates among others.
He said Mombasa County would work closely with the national government and tourism stakeholders in unlocking new business opportunities in the tour, travel and hospitality sector.
“This is about unlocking new opportunities, building resilience in our tourism economy, and ensuring Mombasa claims its rightful place on the global meetings and business tourism map,” he said.
Dr. Sam Ikwaye, the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast branch Executive Officer welcomed the commencement of the Mombasa Commuter Rail Service from Mombasa (SGR) Terminus to Mombasa Central Business District (CBD), a close to 13-km journey.
Dr. Ikwaye said efficient transportation is key to sustaining the momentum and accommodating the growing number of visitors annually to the coastal region.
“The enhanced mobility will give stakeholders the opportunity to create order in the city centre and reduce the strain on the beach as trade and other activities can now be planned in the CBD,” he said.
The veteran hotelier said with its pristine beaches, luxury hotels, heritage and cultural attractions Mombasa is a magnet for domestic and international tourists.
“We are happy that through the enhanced mobility we can now focus on Mombasa and bring back the good vibes through restaurants and nightlife,” he said.
He said the authorities should now work on improving security, lighting and amenities with a focus on green and open spaces.
