ATA CONGRESS KICKS OFF WITH FULL HOUSE SESSIONS
(Posted 10th November 2015)
Already on Day 1 of the ongoing Africa Travel Association Congress in Nairobi did Kenya’s tourism industry show keen interest in attending sessions, and there was a constant migration from one to the other meeting rooms as delegates followed topics of their choice.
Notably was the ATA Young Professional Forum in great demand, giving the next generation of tourism and hospitality leaders the opportunity to interact with their seniors, get valuable career advice and which gave many the chance to begin building a network at the start of their professional life able to guide and assist at a later stage.
The Kenya Tourism Board CEO Muriithi Ndegwa provided an early highlight for those attending the congress when he spoke in some detail about Tourism Marketing for Emerging Economies while Catherine Ndwiga of the East Africa Tourism Guide added her own insights about the important aspect of product development.
Mary Kimonye, CEO of Brand Kenya competed with the Kenyatta International Convention Centre CEO Fred Simiyu, and yet were both rooms filled to capacity, some wishing they had a double at hand to sit in both rooms at once as the topics of Country Branding and Business Tourism, aimed at the MICE market, attracted equal attention.
In the afternoon’s marketing session did then Juergen Thomas Steinmetz take to the podium, telling a captive audience his take on how to maximize media exposure for both destination and businesses, leaving no doubt that a shift from spending a budget entirely on PR companies was not a recipe for success in getting stories into the global travel media. In fact did he demonstrate the downsides of having to deal with PR companies in cases of emergencies, another reason by in particular tourism boards, but also for instance airlines and leading hotel companies, should maintain direct links with the media.
The Kenya Tourism Board in conjunction with the Africa Travel Association invited some twenty high profile travel writers, editors and correspondents from global market leaders spanning from Turkey to the United States and Canada, from India to Argentina and from South Africa across the continent to as far as Europe.
While periodic heavy rains swept Nairobi this did not dampen any spirits by the look of it. Delegates and media representatives also positively mentioned the level of security in place across the city and the various venues visited as part of the congress programme, putting to rest any lingering doubt that Kenya as a destination was not safe. Media invitational tours, taking participants to Lake Naivasha and Lake Victoria, the Mount Kenya Safari Club and the fancied Alfajiri Villas in Diani and last but not least the Masai Mara’s Kempinski Olare Mara and Watamu’s Medina Palms. The trip experience, close up and personal, will no doubt further reinforce the message Kenya has put out for some time now, that visiting the country is safe, be it on the safari circuit across the more than 60 national parks or the beaches from Malindi, Watamu, Kilifi, Mombasa’s north coast and of course the award winning Diani beaches.
The congress continues today with the official opening expected to be performed by President Uhuru Kenyatta, welcoming the ATA delegates to www.magicalkenya.com
