Corporate News
Tourism CS Phyllis Kandie with businessman Chris Kirubi (centre) and
tour operators chairman Adam Jillo when she launched the ‘Make It Kenya’
campaign this month. PHOTO | FILE
By MATHIAS RINGA
The Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) expects to have finished classifying Kenya’s hotels by June next year.
Speaking at Travellers Beach Hotel in Mombasa during a
pre-classification training for hotel owners and managers, the TRA
director general Lagat Kipkorir challenged hotel-owners at the Coast to
refurbish their hotels to international standards in order to attract
more tourists.
Mr Kipkorir said a drop in hotel standards has also
contributed to the low number of international visitors to the region
in addition to insecurity.
For the sector to recover, he said, there is a need
for hotel-owners to upgrade their facilities for quality accommodation
and service.
“This month, there were some tourists from Mexico
who were killed in a tragic case of mistaken identity but still
thousands of holidaymakers are flocking to Egypt’s resorts,” he said.
“Tourists visit Egypt in large numbers because
hotels there offer quality accommodation and service. The local hotels
should borrow a leaf from the Egyptian resorts,” he explained.
TRA expects to conclude the pre-classification
training for the whole country this week. So far, it’s only Mombasa and
Taita Taveta counties that are being trained up to Friday.
“I am glad that we are completing the
pre-classification training this week to pave the way for the
classification of hotels in Mount Kenya region, Narok and Nakuru
counties next month,” he said.
He added that although insecurity was a big factor
that contributed to the tourism decline, the government has taken
measures to address the situation.
The TRA boss said that although Egypt has for years
been facing political upheavals, in 2014 the North African country
attracted 9.6 million international tourists.
He said improvement of hotel standards across the country could play a major role in reviving the troubled sector.
The TRA boss said when the Authority recently
concluded the classification of hotels in Nyanza, Western and North
Rift, only one hotel was rated as a four-star while less than five
hotels were rated as three-star.
He called on tourism investors to capitalise on the
lack of five-star properties in the three regions to build top class
hotels to help attract high-end holidaymakers.
“Our classification results have shown that there
is a serious need for investors to build five-star hotels in Kisumu,
Kakamega and Eldoret to be able to serve affluent tourists,” he said.
“There is also a need for Eldoret and Iten to have
high-class hotels to accommodate international athletes who come to the
region for training. This way, we shall uplift international arrivals.”
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