Kenya’s top tourism stakeholders ask: Where are promised funds?

Anger is spreading in the circles of Kenya’s top tourism echelon as information has come to light that the promised 200 million Kenya shillings for an emergency recovery marketing campaign have still not been released. The lack of funding has a growing impact on the ability of the Kenya Tourism Board to live up to its mandate and is leaving private sector stakeholders exasperated as to what the motives and reasons for the withholding of the funds may be.

“We all know how this game is played. They [government of Kenya] want to dismantle KTB [Kenya Tourism Board] and submerge it into a bigger body. This is fundamentally the wrong approach, but then, if you don’t give them the money, they cannot perform, and that will then be used against them.

“Our cabinet secretary is supposedly on a goodwill tour to Britain and the US, but what will that help us? Her speeches are not backed up by action, they never were. She talks of what government has done for the sector but we should remind her what that government has not done. It has not given KTB the money, little as it was to start with.

“The government has not lifted VAT from tourism services. The government has not lifted VAT on new aircraft and aircraft spare parts. Where are traffic rights for foreign airlines to fly scheduled flights to Mombasa? Where is the promised infrastructure for the coast, the by-passes, the conference center? The government has not given any indication that they will give our sector an own ministry back where the failed separation of functions like wildlife has been leading us from crisis to crisis.

“This government is all about words and not about action. What agenda do they really have? Is there a real strategy how to revive tourism at the coast, is there a real commitment to do what it takes?,” asked a regular commentator from Mombasa where at present the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers is meeting for their annual symposium at the Sarova Whitesands Resort & Spa.

Another source from Nairobi asked what the purpose was to gazette a crisis committee if their recommendations are not heeded and the demands of the industry are not met by the powers that be, and the air is clearly getting thinner for the two cabinet secretaries in charge of tourism and of wildlife, who are increasingly seen as having failed their sectors, prompting calls for a change at the top.

Assurances contained in a speech by Cabinet Secretary Kandie read to the gathering did not evoke further confidence, and heads were said to be shaking when the industry captains were told that the government felt their frustration and despair.

“How do they feel our frustration and despair and yet sit on the money for several months now? Tourism should get 2 billion Kenya shillings for marketing and they make 200 million look like a gift from heaven and then fail to even put that money in to the KTB account. Key demands made after the speech by President Kenyatta, when he was told his announcement was a good start but a lot more needed doing, are not being met. It is obvious that they are deaf and blind when it comes to tourism,” added another Mombasa-based source who was at the meeting last week.

From all the comments and feedback received it is clear that besides staring at the possibly worst year ever for coast tourism, there is growing anger now among stakeholders.

Last week, Serena Hotels’ CEO Mahmoud Janmohamed appeared on one of Nairobi’s leading radio stations, explaining the plight of the tourism industry. The instant reaction of listeners, who expressed their views on Twitter and on Facebook, spoke volumes of what the public at large also thinks about the dilly dallying of their government.