KENYA’S HOTEL ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN J.S. VOHRA SPELLS OUT REQUIRED ACTION
(Posted 01st July 2015)
A symposium last week at the Sarova Whitesands Resort in Mombasa brought together Kenya’s hoteliers and other tourism stakeholders who came to the coast to discuss the dire state of the industry especially for coastal resorts, which were hard hit by the UK’s anti travel advisories issued last year. The unprecedented language used portrayed the country literally as a war zone in what was widely seen as a reaction well beyond ordinary travel advisories, punishing Kenya over a range of unresolved bilateral issues in line with the UK’s ‘Choices have Consequences’ utterances ahead of the last elections. While the British establishment and their mouthy High Commissioner in Kenya have regularly denied any such connections did their reassurances of continued friendship and keen interest in good relations with Kenya sound hollow. Seen as empty words were they dismissed by many as a bare thread attempt to talk their way out of their culpability of inflicting huge damage on the Kenyan tourism industry and causing the loss of tens of thousands of jobs as tens of resorts had to close down when British touroperators in near panic at the time evacuated their clients.
The main address by Sarova Hotels’ CEO J.S. Vohra of course was full of diplomatic niceties, unable to say much else but to thank the Brits for eventually lifting the crippling advisories which in the words of one delegate, who obviously did not want to be named sounded like a pupil thanking his headmaster for caning him.
On a more serious note though did J.S. Vohra address a range of other pertinent issues in his address, outlining measured the industry expects of the Kenyan government on the double, after the Tourism Recovery Task Force’s report was handed over to government in March already but little if any visible action has resulted from it until now.
Said J.S. Vohra in his speech:
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to yet another KAHC Symposium. This is the 13th time that we are congregating here to discuss matters pertaining to our beloved tourism industry.
As you are all aware, the last three years have been very difficult for the industry. The worst being the imposition of travel advisories by the UK, US, French and Australian Governments in May of last year. This brought the tourism industry to a virtual standstill.
We saw properties shut down in Malindi, Mombasa, Diani, Lamu and Watamu and a lot of jobs in the industry were lost.
KAHC, together with KTF, KATO, KCTA, PERAK and Ecotourism Kenya went on full gear to advocate for increased security and a review of the travel advisories.
After more one year of intense activities by all stakeholders, the UK finally reviewed its travel advisory against “non-essential” travel to Mombasa, Diani and Watamu.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me pause to introduce this year’s symposium theme, “Tourism Recovery – The Way Forward”. We selected this theme long before the UK travel advisory was reviewed as it was and still is, our belief that we can recover no matter what the circumstances may be.
It is with this in mind, that we have invited various speakers, who will interact with us over the next two days to address the best way on the recovery process.
I would like to thank our CS, Hon Phyllis Kandie who recognized the need for recovery and formed a tourism task force.
The task force, which I was a member of together with many colleagues in the industry was chaired by KTF Chairman, Lucy Karume and I wish to thank her for the leadership.
I would like to thank our President, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta for allocating of KShs 5.2 Billion for tourism recovery. This shows serious commitment by the government to the tourism industry.
Ladies and Gentlemen, now the hard work begins. We must all pull together to get our industry back on track with stronger bonds of partnership.
As KAHC, we would like the process of recovery to commence immediately with the implementation of the following:-
· The immediate release of recovery funds by government.
· The formation of a recovery implementation committee by our CS, in the same spirit as was the Tourism Recovery Task Force.
· The immediate implementation of the tourism task force report with a time frame
· The immediate formation of tourism Parastatal Boards of KTB, Tourism Fund, Kenya Utalii College, Tourism Finance Corporation and the Tourism Regulatory Authority
· Immediate marketing blitz by KTB within the source markets.
· Immediate commencement of negotiations with our airline partners both scheduled and charter, so that they can start flying tourists to Kenya.
· Capacity building of the TPU in terms of equipment and personnel in order to secure our citizens and visitors.
· We would like regular updates on a monthly basis from the appointed international PR agency.
I must emphasize the need to move with speed in order to make meaningful gains.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to share some of the big wins that we have achieved over the last one year. The comprehensive list in included in the AGM report which we shall consider tomorrow.
· Bed levy in Kwale scrapped for 2014 and first half of 2015
· High level meetings with the Office of the President, various Cabinet Secretaries including, Hon Kandie, Hon Rotich, Hon Amina among others.
· Meetings with 12 key source market Ambassadors
· Meetings with all Coast Governors and others.
· Convinced the British High Commissioner to write to ABTA regarding travel advisories and also invited him to visit the Coast which assisted in the review of the travel advisory.
· Campaigned for increased allocations for tourism recovery.
· We jointly with KUDHEIHA successfully partnered with ILO and ran workshops for our members.
· Together with our CS, we met the UNWTO Director General at WTM last year and held talks which led to the decision to hold the UNWTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi.
· Have advocated for an Open Sky Policy which is slowly taking shape.
· Bed levy negotiations ongoing in Rift Valley
· Met Director of Immigration
· UK Travel Advice reviewed
For our lobbying efforts to bear fruit, we urge members to rise to the occasion whenever we call for your support both morally and financially. It is critical for you to provide data and statistics which form the basis of a successful advocacy process.
Members, I emphasize that achievement can never be complete without recognition.
The success of the Association would not have been possible without the efforts of our Board, Chief Executive Mike Macharia and the entire team.
From the contents of the address it is clear that a mountain of work needs to be dealt with by tourism stakeholders, primarily those from the public sector but also from the private sector. It is also clear that there is increasing frustration with the slow response by government to key issues raised over the past several years by the industry and which were again reflected in the report of the tourism recovery task force. As pointed out, knowing what has to be done is simply no longer enough but instant responses and a comprehensive reaction to the report’s contents is now needed to throw tourism in Kenya the much needed lifeline and kickstart the industry again. Only when the public sector finally wakes up can these Herculean tasks be tackled and the road to recovery opened up towards a return of the industry to pre-crisis levels.
Kenya’s award winning beaches and leading beach resorts along the coast, as are the safari lodges in the parks, offer a world class product to visitors but without flanking measures will those attributes simply not be enough to fill the empty sunbeds in the resorts. Best of success to my Kenyan friends!
