State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu says the second high level of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation will bring key investors in various fields to Nairobi/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 10 – Kenya needs a brand-new airport and a Convention Centre that will allow it to hold more international summits in Kenya.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala says this will help complete the equation on the growth of tourism.
“Two things that we must do as a nation is by putting the airport right since that is the point of entry and a new convention Centre, said Balala.
Currently, Kenya has a total of 60 airports which are used both for domestic and international travels.
The two major entries are Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Mombasa International airport which were used by 1.5 million international tourists to access the country.
The Tourism sector 2019 report also reveals that 29.4 thousand customers used other airports to access Kenya.
On the other end, KICC has been up and standing since 1967 after it was commissioned by the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
It remains to be one of the continent’s top choices when it comes to hosting both local and international summits.
According to the 2019 tourism report, 13.5 percent of tourists visited the country for business purposes while those coming for holiday stood at 63percent.
He further urged the Treasury Department to increase budgetary allocation to the sector to further boost its earnings
Acting National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani added that they will consider it in the next financial year.
“If we double the allocation in the tourism sector, I am confident that all the parameters we have mentioned including the foreign exchange, earnings will definitely increase,” said Yatani.
In 2019, revenue from the tourism sector increased by 4 percent in 2019 to stand at Sh163 billion compared to Sh157. 4 billion recorded in 2018.
