Incentivise conferencing, State told

Moses Omusolo 29th Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT +0300 The Government has been asked to open up the conferencing and events industry to private players if it has to reach its full potential. According to stakeholders, sharing emerging opportunities in the tourism sector, the meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (MICE) is the future of global tourism. They, however, noted that the State was not giving it the attention it deserved. Besides, the State was accused of having held the sector “at ransom” with only a few players who cannot exploit its full potential. SEE ALSO :Esther Passaris comes to the rescue of ailing football teams
The sentiments were shared at the recent first Africa Tourism Technology and Innovation Forum in Nairobi. “State cannot be the sole player in a sector that has so much potential and promises the country a better future,” said conference facilitator and Zuri Events Chief Executive Kezy Mukiri.  “If it can generate Sh200 billion annually and employ two out of every ten employees in the hospitality sector, there is a lot that can be done in the MICE sector by all stakeholders. However, this is not possible since the industry is heavily controlled by the State,” said Ms Mukiri. Tourism trends researcher and iHub Consulting Director Kennedy Kirui called on the Government to cede control of the industry and open it up to independent players. He called on the industry to prepare for tourists who will be influenced by technology. Mr Kirui said future travellers are likely to leverage technology for better experiences and not necessarily physical tours. SEE ALSO :MPs want Budget cut to Sh2 trillion