Kenya tourism news update – New Tourism Bill passes final hurdle

KENYAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW TOURISM BILL

Last weekend news reached that the parliament in Nairobi has finally voted for the new tourism bill, which will bring long overdue new regulatory bodies and a new organizational structure for the public sector of the tourism industry into place.

Now only awaiting the anticipated presidential assent to make it the law of the land, the new bill fundamentally overhauls the set up of the industry. The bodies, some ‘old ones’ in a revised format and altogether new ones are tasked with specific responsibilities but expected to work hand in hand under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism which retains policy formulation and political oversight. A Tourism Regulatory Authority has been created, which will be the licensing, monitoring arm of government, also able to direct enforcement for defaulters and violators of regulations, taking over a range of functions from the present Hotel and Restaurant Authority.

Other bodies will be the Kenya Utalii College, already in existence since the early 70’s and a showcase institution of higher learning for the hotel and tourism sector across Africa, the Kenya Tourism Board, the Kenyatta International Conference Centre and notably a Tourism Protection Service.

Also new will be a Tourism Finance Corporation, which will absorb the previous Tourism Trust Fund and resemble the former Kenya Tourist Development Corporation, and a Tourism Research Institute, which will support the sector with data and case specific studies aimed to improve sectoral performance and lift the product quality across the board while supporting the development of new products.

Finally, a Tourism Tribunal will handle all forms of appeals against decisions taken by these previously mentioned new organizations by stakeholders not satisfied with rulings, to allow a swift resolution of disputes at this level before matters would head to an already overloaded court system.

Well done Kenya on this achievement, which was long in the making and has finally materialized.

4 Responses

  1. Our licence is expiring in June.We have been informed that our Jan- June payment is null and void we have to pay for entire 2014 (means we have to pay for 1 and half years for 2014. the regulatory body is a waste of funds . creating income for President selected board members . This is comparable to Land board which is corrupt it sometimes refuses to authorize sale of land on regular session and one has to apply for special board meeting .for special board meeting in i.e Narumoru one has to cough 12.000 kenya shillings . This money is for the board members plus the usual government fee of 1000 already paid for the application at the DC’s office . This transformation is nothing but creating chaos , confusion and income for some . The next move is to increase the licence fee .It can not have been implemented at a worse time. Damn our government