PRAISE FOR KULDIP SONDHI AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

After eight memorable and successful years as MCTA Chairman Counsellor Sondhi stepped down and in characteristic authoritive manner staged an annual election for new office bearers that would have been a useful lesson to the Kenya Electoral Commission on how to regulate a fair and free secret ballot. The MCTA AGM was held on Monday 25th May,2009 at the Reef Hotel and the occasion was graced by the presence of the Minister for Tourism, Honourable Najib Balala.

The assembled members gave Councillor Sondhi a solid round of applause to show their gratitude for the long list of achievements made by MCTA under his long and admirable leadership. The Minister presented the outgoing Chairman with an executive briefcase and specially prepared wood carving depicting hands clasped in friendship as tokens of the member’s appreciation.

THE NEW LOOK MCTA TEAM

The newly elected office bearers are Larry Mvoi, the Marketing Manager of Severin Sea Lodge to represent the hotel sector and John Cleave, Managing Director of Mombasa Air Safari as Chairman. Continuing in office and representing tourism’s allied business was  Noorudin Tejpar, the Managing Director of Farways Safari Centre and representing the tour operations sector, Khalid Shapi the Managing Director of Pollman’s Tours and Safaris both long standing executive committee members. Khalid is also a member of the KTB team. Mohamed Harunany, the Executive Director of Bluesky Aviation, continues as treasurer.

The new look Executive Committee, after reviewing the MCTA constitution agreed that the geographic area represented is the entire coast from Shimoni in the south to Kiwayu in the north and stretching inland to Tsavo East and West as well as Taita Hills. The principal objective of MCTA captured in 2.1 of the constitution is “To promote, foster and maintain tourist traffic, to safeguard the interest of tourists, to encourage the improvement and development of the tourist industry and allied services within the geographical coast area”.

MCTA TO BE COAST REGIONS TOURISM UMBRELLA BODY

MCTA is, therefore, intended to be the coast tourism umbrella body and this has great relevance under the new tourism bill which requires that each region establish a regional tourism board with the private sector playing a key role. The Board agreed to position MCTA to become a central player in the new regional tourism board and pledged to unite the private sector stakeholders via tourism association and company memberships.

The new Executive Committee members are :-

Walter Reif, Chairman, Pubs Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya.
John Mcharo, Councillor, His Worship the Mombasa Deputy Mayor.
Alawy Abzein, PRO, National Museums of Kenya.
Sally Mullens, Director, Kisite (Wasini lsland Restaurant).
Michael Kai, Food & Beverage Manager, Reef Hotel.
Isaac Rodrot, Director, VentaClub Temple Point, Watamu.
Mohammed Hersi, Regional General Manager, Sarova Hotels, Resorts & Game lodges Coast Region.
David Ward, Resort Team Manager, First Choice & Thompson.

The Executive agreed to place the coast tourism task force report at the core of MCTA concerns and placed beach management as the first priority to be tackled collectively by the entire executive committee.

Other newly formed committees are :-

Conservation and regulation – To be chaired by Sally Mullens

Park fees, park roads, tickets, bush meat trade, camp licensing and visitor densities, wildlife issues, marine parks, marine park fees, coral reefs, illegal fishing, poaching KWS land and marine, boat safety standards etc.

Entertainment and Culture – To be chaired by Walter Reif

Pubs, restaurants, clubs, museums, monuments, old town, mama ngina drive, food festivals, itinerant markets.

Infrastructure and Security – To be chaired by Mohammed Hersi

Ferry, roads, airports, water, power, visa issuance, immigration, TPU, Safety Centre (radio room) Crisis management,

Finance and Ethics – To be chaired by Larry Mvoi

Routine accounts, budgets, revenue generation, buildings, rents, Code of conduct, constitution, membership etc.

THE VISION IS TO BE THE COAST’S VOICE OF AUTHORITY FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS IN TOURISM

The new committee agreed that MCTA faces many challenges that include finding more revenue stream, widening and deepening the membership to reflect the Associations mandate and the Board took responsibility to recruit a graduate level executive office able to manage the association’s affairs effectively so that MCTA creates unity amongst the stakeholders and becomes the coast tourism voice of authority.

NATIONAL REPRESENTATION

Mohammed Hersi is appointed as the new MCTA representative at KTF, our national tourism umbrella body, and joins John Cleave and Lucy Karume as part of the KTF Executive Committee that cover coast tourism issues.

TAX FREE 4  X 4’s

Good news in the budget for tourism with tax waivers for the imrportation of 4 x 4 vehicles intended for tourist use. This will encourage a move towards higher quality vehicles and improve the industries standards and image

VISA ISSUANCE IN A CHARTER OPERATOR MARKET

One of the problem areas for coast tourism, highlighted by the KTB MDR’s is that of issuing a Kenya visa on arrival. The industry appreciated the support received by temporarily reducing the price of the visa but this does not prevent queues of frustrated tourists waiting hours at Moi Airports Immigration Desk to pay and receive their visa on arrival.

Improvements can be made that allows tourists holding a Visa to be fast tracked. At present visa holders queue just as long as the non visa holders because of a lack of signage.

Ensuring that Visa Application Forms are issued during the charter flight is another obvious remedy requiring the co operation of the charter operators. All these measures, however, will not solve the main problem of the time spent issuing a receipt.

Experts agree that visas issued prior to departure provide some degree of security enhancement, whilst, those issued on arrival add nothing to security. The Visa on arrival system creates additional and unnecessary image denting layers of tourism processing.

An e-Visa system will solve this problem and integrate with airline
departure control systems, but will require bringing together foreign office, security and immigration stake holders to integrate their needs.

TRAVEL INSURANCE AND DESTINATION BRANDING

Emerging from recent discussions on security was also a reminder of a much misunderstood subject. Travel insurances are not automatically invalidated when a travel advisory is issued. Clearly this would seriously disadvantage tourists already in a country when a security concern arises and no evacuation plans are put in place.

The only restriction to travel insurance coverage is that tourist  waive their cover should they deliberately go into a published hot spot of their own volition. This will include all areas only where the Travel Advisory is against non-essential travel to the entire country.

The commercial reality is that charter flights are cancelled to prevent losses for the charter airline, a decision that will be readily understood by anyone operating a business. However, the realization by the
traveling public that travel insurance is not automatically cancelled could have significant impact on decisions to cancel a flight / holiday in
circumstances wherein their specific holiday destination within a country is not experiencing any security issues. This is another support to the concept of branding the coast as a separate tourist destination.

CHARTER ARRIVALS

From July, charter arrivals increase to approximately 20 per week. This represents about 60% recovery of the 2007 arrivals prior to the December 2007 Elections. Flights from Italy seem to be announced at the last minute and it is not clear if they will route to Zanzibar or Mombasa or both.

Cautious optimism seems to be appropriate. Precise arrival numbers do not emerge until some months later but a system of assessing arrivals needs to be put in place to provide a reliable guide to the trade. In general terms any real increase in arrivals is expected in the last quarter of the year and mainly during the next winter season

NEW COMMITTEES

Terms of Reference for the Executive Committee and the Finance & Ethics, Infrastructure & Security, Conservation & Regulation Sub Committees have been approved. The Entertainment & Culture sub committee is expected to be in place within a month.

The Executive Committee will address three core issues of beach management, visa issuance and re-branding a separate Kenya Coast destination as captured in the Coast Task Force report. The various sub committees have been granted wide powers to act independently and include non association members. KWS Game Wardens, experts from Fishery Boards and Diving Institutions as well as representatives from the Eco Tourism Society and the East African Wildlife Society will be involved with conservation and regulation matters under Sally Mullens as Chairperson.

The Kenya Roads Board, KAHC Chair, Civil Engineers, coast security experts, members of the water board, the Power Company plus local council members, will participate in infrastructure and security issues under the Chairmanship of Mohammed Hersi.

Assisting at Finance and Ethics, various business stakeholders will provide input under Chairman Larry Mvoi and their work will include planning the effective use of MCTA’s economic asset, the town building, whilst building membership.

UNIFYING COAST TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS

The Executive Committee agreed the need to find ways of unifying the coast tourism industry stakeholders so as to realistically achieve the objectives of the Coast Tourism Task Force. This must be accomplished in a manner that encompasses the concerns of the entire geographical coast area without overlap of effort. The MCTA Constitution will be reviewed and consideration given on marketing and rebranding MCTA.

The Sun Umbrella logo seen at the top of the newsletter was approved for temporary use pending more detailed marketing and branding inputs.

IDEAS ON TOWN OFFICE REVENUE STREAMS

Members are invited to give input with ideas on how to convert the town building into a sustainable revenue stream. Consideration has been given to leasing, developing a new 4 to 5 storey building or selling with re-investment in a property outside the city. Are you an expert in property development with constructive suggestions ? If so please reply with your ideas.

ZANAIR STARTS SCHEDULED FLIGHTS TO MOMBASA

New scheduled flights between Zanzibar and Mombasa operated by Zan Air are a welcome addition to the coasts air network. Tourism flights on this sector would be given a boost if expensive Visas and Airport charges could be waived to make the flights more affordable.

MOI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Moi International Airport recently conducted a successful Emergency Response exercise as part of the national crisis plan. All airports are required to have a Crisis Response Plan that links to hospitals, police, security services, ambulances and fire fighters. A mock crisis must be sprung as a surprise in order to effectively monitor the response. The Airline Operators Committee formed under the aegis of IATA, represents private sector airline and ground handler interests and the Chairman Kassim Sattar praised the emergency services and felt that the exercise was viable and positive.

Mombasa’s Moi Airport is well groomed, with attractive grounds, improved facilities and well trained staff. Most airports have issues and Mombasa is experiencing delays to improve runway lighting. Despite this Mombasa won third place in this years contest to find Africa’s most improved airport. One area of concern that definitely needs more improvement is the immigration arrival process that creates unnecessary delays.

AIR SERVICES TO UKUNDA

The resumption of services between Nairobi’s Wilson Airport and Diani by Air Kenya and Safari Link is a welcome addition to coastal air access. The newly carpeted tarmac runway at Ukunda is a recent improvement by the Kenya Airports Authority.

SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES

The Ministry of Trade has published a draft policy on special Economic Zones. Designed to fast track developments via tax and other incentives for investors, tourism is a designated activity and may lead to direct foreign investment in resort cities. Under industrial activates at the coast, Dongo Kundu has been identified for major developments.

MCTA and other associations have for many years lobbied for the construction of the Dongo Kundu by pass road to the south coast to circumvent the ferry bottleneck. Let’s hope that the road will be approved and allocated funds first so as to encourage the larger industrial project.

MAU FOREST

Protection of the Mau Forest has moved centre stage of national environment concerns. The attached maps make the situation very clear.

http://www.unep.org/dewa/assessments/EcoSystems/land/mountain/MauCrisis/index.asp

MCTA AND KTF

In researching ways to meaningfully unify stakeholder interests, the executive committees of both KTF and MCTA have considered the idea of merging objectives as linked national and regional tourism umbrella bodies. The operation of the Nairobi and Mombasa based Safety Centers, together with a common constitution and aligned agendas makes good sense to both organizations. It is envisioned that MCTA will become the coast branch of KTF but naturally retain all property and membership rights. A study is to be prepared before the respective members are asked to consider the concept.

BEACH MANAGEMENT

A Ministry of Tourism Beach Management Task Force, led by the acting Director of Tourism met with MCTA to discuss an implementation process that covers all coast beaches under a common scheme.

Beach management is a key area to make improvements to benefit the destination and support all the stakeholders. The creation of well regulated tourism markets close to all our beaches line will improve the tourist experience and increase arrival numbers. See below some selected Trip Advisor comments on beach boys.

1. The beaches in front of the hotel are lovely - but as you have probably read the beach boys are a bit of a nightmare - I thought that it would be no worse than other places I have been to but having a walk along the beach was virtually impossible due to the guys pestering etc!! So venture down when you’re feeling strong!!!

2. The beach stalls and continuous harassment by people trying to sell on the beach does put you off walking along the beachfront and we did not venture there too often. We were all inclusive and the selection offered is very good including great cocktails and European spirits as well as fresh orange juice!

3. The beach is right next to the hotel but there is no way to use it as it swarms with beach boys who WILL rip you off given a chance, avoid them like the plague. If you do however runs the gauntlet the sea is shallow for 300 yards out and is like swimming in a bath, lovely.

4. They are five very knowledgeable lads who took us out for 2 - 3 hours on two consecutive days and made us feel very safe (which was welcomed after the problems we had with the beach boys who are a nightmare!).

There are also numerous positive Trip Advisor comments on beach sellers and it is clear that they are popular for providing attractively priced services. Regulation will, therefore, bring much needed harmony to coast tourism so that our beaches can return to be places of peace and tranquility.

KTB SUPPORT REWE COAST MARKETING

Every year contracted coast tourism service providers travel to Europe for one week to collectively man a Kenya Stand and exhibit the attractions of the Kenya Coast to support the REWE Summer Brochure launch. This year the event is held on the island of Mallorca and KTB have generously agreed to provide support with KTB branded gifts to the retailers. The REWE group continued to fly tourists to Mombasa throughout the post election period and the relationship is therefore special.

KWS MARINE DIVISION

The Conservation & Regulation Committee, Chaired by Sally Mullens has a long term Action Plan to establish a KWS Marine Division.

POWER RATIONING

The continuing draught with low water levels in dams and rivers highlights the risk of too much dependence in Kenya on hydro electricity. The coast region, however, produces a significant percentage of electric power and the KPLC programme to enhance the national distribution system with three new sub stations in the coast region, means that power rationing will shortly be phased out at the coast. The regional KPLC manager advises that Diani and Malindi are no longer to be rationed and Mombasa will shortly return to full 24 hour service.

ROADS

The Ministry of Trade draft proposal to create Special Economic Zones (SEZ) is modelled on a Chinese system that proved highly effective at developing Chinas coastal economy via improved exports. Dongo Kundu, on the south mainland, will become a major industrial site
opposite to the harbour and be connected to the Nairobi highway.

The road scheme is currently under design and this augers well for the future of Diani as a south coast by-pass road is again in the pipeline. However, expect 5 years before you drive on it.

The Tsavo East National Park Senior Warden Mr.Yusuf Adan advises that due to high road repair costs, and based on the available funds, KWS are presently performing only light road grading supervised by KWS Road Engineers. With El Nino rains forecast, this may create future complications.

Access to Amboseli has improved with the completion and opening to the public of 50 kilometres of tarmac on the Emali to Loitokitok road up to Imrikani Trading Centre. The Iremito park gate junction is only five kilometers away and tour operators are advised to now use this road instead of the Namanga or Taveta to Rombo routes.

Further afield, the tourism industry has raised a complaint against the construction of a tarmac road through the Aberdares national park on the grounds that this is against the principals of conservation management.

NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Millicent Odhiambo joined MCTA as the new executive officer from the 1st September. Millicent has a degree in Psychology and has operated her own professional business. She has been studying the Tourism Bill, Wildlife and Environment Acts as a background to advocacy issues in tourism and she is booked for the two day Business Advocacy Fund course in Nairobi during mid September.

LAUNCH OF COAST ECO TOURISM CHAPTER

Tourism and environment stakeholders turned out in good numbers for the launch of the new coast chapter of Eco Tourism Kenya, held at the Whitesands Hotel. Invited speakers included MCTA and KAHC.  The eco rating scheme, in its initial concept, applies to low impact eco friendly camps and ETK seeks ways of expanding their certification to tour operators and larger accommodation units. Do you think large beach hotels can be energy savers and eco friendly and can they deserve an eco rating ? Representatives of local communities questioned why beach hotels do not assist local communities and Mohammed Hersi strongly defended the business sector, pointed out that beach hotel investments at the coast bring employment opportunities as well as purchase of local produce from local growers.

The MCTA presentation showed that the planned construction of architect designed tourism markets at identified beach zones, adjacent to the beaches will provide sustained and responsible benefit to local communities via a business model that includes a revolving fund.

TOURISM BILL PASSES THE CABINET

Both the new tourism bill and policy have been approved by the cabinet and now move back to parliament for consideration by the select committees. The Honourable Minister for Tourism, Najib Balala advised Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) representatives that the bill has not been amended by even one comma from the last private sector input and went on to explain that the clause requiring compulsory association membership is unconstitutional. Membership of tourism associations must remain voluntary. However the Ministry is compiling association codes of ethics to ensure that the industry is governed by best practices.

10 MILLIONS SHILLINGS MINISTRY AND TTF HELP FOR TOURISM UMBRELLA ORGANIZATIONS

At a ceremony held at the Ministers Offices, the Honourable Najib Balala, presented a symbolic cheque for ten million shillings to the KTF Executive Committee. The funding is intended to strengthen the national and regional tourism umbrella bodies so that they move to become knowledge and resource centres. MCTA will receive a much needed injection of one and a half million shillings.

CHANGE OF CONSTITUTION

The Kenya Tourism Federation, our national tourism umbrella body, has decided to alter its constitution and become a company limited by guarantee. MCTA, the coast regional tourism umbrella body, may benefit by adopting the same type of incorporation as this limits the financial risk of the office bearers. The umbrella bodies seek closer ties.

NATIONAL RESERVE MANAGEMENT

Many national reserves show signs of over development with poor management of roads, gates, human-wildlife conflicts and environment and wildlife protection. County Councils are not experts in these fields and security problems in Shaba, Buffalo Springs and Samburu are now showing glaring deficiencies. Security concerns on the northern circuit are now being brought to the urgent attention of Ministers because of the presence of armed herders. Many reputable tour companies are already removing the northern circuit, on a temporary
basis, from their itineraries until the situation is improved.

In addition the Mara Management Scheme is taking far too long to be implemented and inappropriate developments continue within the gazetted areas under council control. The industry is now speaking loudly on the need for KWS to be contracted to provide professional reserve management at agreed fees before the situation deteriorates any further.

Do you have an opinion: KWS or Councils? Which do you prefer to run our reserves?

SOUTH AFRICA AND KENYA SIGN TOURISM AGREEMENT

With Kenya now allowed to attend  Durban's annual tourism show, the Indaba, relations between South African and Kenya have improved. Recently they became even warmer as the Hon. Najib Balala hosted the South African tourism minister on a special guided tour of the Mara and the coast over three days of an international visit during which a new agreement between the two countries was signed to share data and information.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

The Executive Committee and membership have now approved the MCTA Code of Ethics and Conduct, known as the Code of Practice. Such codes will eventually be captured by the Ministry of Tourism in a national tourism code, described as soft law, to compliment command and control legislation. The MCTA Chairman has been elected to the Ministries Committee of Codes of Practice.

The entire code is printed here.

PREAMBLE TO MCTA CODE OF PRACTICE

Mombasa & Coast Tourist Association promotes inbound and domestic tourism to the Kenya coast region, and holds that tourism is a major force for the coast regions economic and social development via expansion of foreign exchange earnings, gross domestic product and employment.

The Kenya coast enjoys one of Africa's most prolific wildlife populations, many hundreds of kilometers of tropical beach and many diverse interesting areas of natural beauty but, as a developing nation, has considerable pressures on land use and poverty reduction. The coast tourism industry requires an enabling business environment and must be facilitated and operated in an ethical and responsible manner that protects the environment and respects local cultures, religions and lawful lifestyles. The proviso is important because tourism can be abused to the detriment of the visitor, the host communities and country.

Tourists away from home countries are vulnerable and must be accorded individual human rights and freedoms with peaceful enjoyment of legal leisure activities within the laws of Kenya. The government is responsible, to the extent possible, to ensure that visitor’s health, safety and security should be protected in order that they obtain the most favorable impressions of Kenya. By nurturing tourist interests the tourism industry will continuously grow. The practice of sustainable tourism needs wide areas of common understanding and implementation of cross-cutting issues by many separate Ministries. 

It is in recognition of these facts that MCTA has crafted a broad Code of Practice borrowing extensively from the Ethics of the World Tourism Organization.

WORLD TOURISM DAY 2009

On the occasion of World Tourism Day, held every year on September 27th, MCTA adds to the celebrations in Kenya by publishing, for the first time, the full text of the recently approved Code of Conduct and Ethics, for the coast tourism industry. Tourism Codes of Practise, known as soft laws, compliment legislative Acts of Parliament, and when linked to tourism licensing will create a social / legal framework to add quality and safety to coast tourism.

Included in this Newsletter is a recent “Star” article by the MCTA Chairman entitled “Soft laws will lift tourism standards”.

MCTA CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

1. MCTA will operate a Safety Centre to assist the government in its role of providing tourist security and protecting the legitimate rights and freedoms of tourists, and the Centre will act as a crisis centre in case of need.  

2. MCTA will have government and private sector members on its Board and Committees so that business and government stakeholders take responsibility for developing and implementing regional strategic tourism development plans.

3. MCTA will promote ease of international tourist access, sustainable funding for destination marketing and branding the coast as a separate destination.

4. MCTA requires all Association members to have a Code of Ethics and Conduct approved by both KTF and the Ministry of Tourism. Members Codes must contain a dispute resolution mechanism whenever the association is engaged in trade.

5. MCTA will help prevent commercial domination by multinationals and supports free trade and competition.

6. MCTA is committed to protect the national heritage, resources and cultures, and to assist develop sustainable wildlife, land and marine conservation management plans and to protect the beaches, marine parks and coral reefs.

7. MCTA requires all companies and individuals selling or promoting tourism services to show accurate objective and honest information with clear terms and conditions of trade including financial compensation in the event of unilateral breach of contract and encourages Associations to create trade codes amongst themselves. 

8. MCTA promotes the equitable distribution of benefit and jobs to local communities from tourism activities with mutual understanding and respect between visitors and local societies. Travel for the purposes of religion, health, education and cultural and linguistic exchange are encouraged

9. MCTA will combat age and gender exploitation, particularly sexual exploitation of children as this is a negative consequence of tourism and conflicts with the fundamental aim of promoting common human ethical values that enhance understanding and respect.

10. MCTA supports visitor codes of behavior so that overseas visitors know how to respect local wildlife and the beach environments and communities. Members are required to assist the most vulnerable, especially children, the elderly and handicapped

12. MCTA will respect Kenya’s artistic, archeological and cultural history and protect monuments and shrines and promote visits to museums and plan activities that support traditional crafts and folklore and not cause them to degenerate or become standardized.

13. MCTA will ensure the fundamental rights of salaried and self-employed workers in tourism and provide adequate social protection by regular compliance with labour laws.

14. MCTA will engage with the Ministry of Tourism to be represented in tribunal dispute resolution in tourism matters so as to represent the customs and standards of the

SOFT LAWS WILL LIFT TOURISM STANDARDS – THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE STAR ON SEPTEMBER 23rd.

Ginger beer and snails seem a comic mix of subjects but when combined, these humble ingredients, created a legal chain reaction that, over time, modified our rights and continues to globally influence consumer protection today. A manufacturer of ginger beer was held accountable in law to pay damages to a claimant that fell ill after drinking from a bottle she discovered contained the remains of a snail. At the heart of this legal nicety is the discovery of an irreducible duty of care the average person owes to everyone else on the planet to be ‘’reasonable’’ in actions and not cause foreseeable harm to another.

Inbound tourists are especially vulnerable because they do not stay long enough to learn Kenya practices, do not wish to waste holiday time with problems, are constrained by language differences, and are heavily reliant on local service providers to obtain the duty of care they expect in their home countries.  Preventing problems before they occur is therefore central to sustainable inbound tourism. Laws covering tourism services are contained in various acts of parliament and the new tourism bill, awaiting parliamentary approval, attempts to draw them together in one new bill. The tourism bill, however, focuses mainly on government authority and licensing requirements that for the most part are easily met.

The Tourism Ministry has little oversight capability, few training facilities, or inspectorate outside the hotel industry and therefore relies on command and control laws in other sectors. These are not always enforced. Only tourism member organizations with minimum entry qualifications and codes of ethics under a national code of practice can provide wide protection because code infringement leads to the loss of the member’s tourism license. Mandatory membership in an association with soft laws does not infringe individual liberty and the first step towards ethical co regulation, self regulation and legal partnership is to link licensing to mandated association membership. The right of free association and free speech are constitutional protection of individual rights under private law, but consumer protection falls to the public law as a sub section of the constitution that governs relationships between individuals, citizens, companies and the state.

Mandated membership of business associations have been upheld by the European Union and in Kenya, membership in the Kenya International Freight Warehousing Association is mandated. The Kenya Revenue Authority does not issue a licence without membership. Tourism Associations welcome mandated membership and any association that does not must be hiding some form of oligarchy or monopoly.  Self regulation is about markets and mandated codes must include joining minima and an agreement that membership cannot be withheld provided the minimum joining standards are met. No one is locked out.

An example of enhanced tourist hotel protection is membership that requires a fire self assessment risk certificate. No certificate, no membership. No membership, no license. Fire prevention inspections and the insurance industry will co-ordinate a process to  prevent the continuous outbreak of fires on makuti roofed tourist facilities at the coast. Another example under the code will be the introduction of a new law of tort for harassment to provide arrest of vendors not legally allowed to trade on our beaches. Beach vendors regard strenuous sale routines to be excellent merchandising, whereas overseas visitors regard them as hostile and a form of badgering. The soft law leads to a new hard one in a beneficial social and legal relationship. Another example, highlighted by the recent accidental death of a young British tourist whilst fishing is still under investigation, so no comment can be made, but it is known that the boat was not owned by a member of the Kenya Sea Anglers Association that has a code of ethics and conduct. Membership may have prevented such a sad occurrence.

An overarching code of practice for the industry is, therefore, desirable to encourage a duty of care in all tourism activity and the Ministry of Tourism and the private sector must together craft a code of practice, or soft law, to compliment the existing legislation. Soft laws are a social and legal engagement between business and government to add governance where it is needed and in tourism must be enforced through licensing and mandatory association membership. Unscrupulous entrepreneurs are a drain on national resources and reduce our credibility in the eyes of potential investors. In a country committed to eradicating poverty and becoming a semi industrialised state within twenty years we need to take these matters very seriously. Good business will deepen and widen our society with higher productivity and better standards of living. Bad business will not. Tourism is a vital component of our economy and tourism licensing linked to mandatory association membership supports sustainable tourism through improved protection and standards.

KENYA AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES DIRECT FLIGHT TO MOMBASA

In a very welcome announcement, Kenya Airways launched weekly direct flights between Amsterdam and Mombasa, in a code share arrangement with Martinair. Tickets can be purchased through Kenya Airways. MCTA has long advocated direct scheduled flights to Mombasa. Lets us hope that this will set a trend to include other destinations in European source markets. A move to scheduled flights will enhance coast tourism by removing complete dependence on charter flights. Launching new scheduled flights is difficult, especially in seasonal markets, as airlines have to bear losses during the start up phase, making continuity essential. Let us hope that KTB will support the KQ marketing efforts.                   

Thank you KQ !!

In addition Ethiopian Airlines announced a new direct service between Addis and Mombasa.

KWS COAST MEETING

At the invitation of Kenya Wildlife Services, MCTA arranged a meeting with members and tourism stakeholders that brought together Associations, companies and individuals from Malindi to Shimoni at the Severin Sea Lodge Conference Room. The meeting was a culmination of a 5 day coast visit by KWS to meet individual companies and conclude with a conference on new measure required to improve KWS service delivery.

Beach traders were given the opportunity to air their views on tourism markets on beach access roads and hotels and KWS opened discussions on the revived beach levy scheme to strengthen the KWS marine division. 

KWS SMART CARD

KWS held a two day Safari Card Training programme in Mombasa as part of a national exercise in readiness to phase out the Smart Card System and attracted over sixty (60) candidates from the member companies who took the opportunity to overcome potential loading problems when the new system is effected. In response to a follow up questionnaire MCTA raised concerns over the strict 24 hour time limit, pointing out that game viewing is a leisure activity and cannot have strict time limits with late penalties. Park visits should be only paid for on nights spent in a park.

RABAI POWER PLANT ENDS COAST POWER RATIONING

With KP&LC inaugurating the new Rabai power plant into the national grid, coast power rationing has come to an end. An additional 50 megawatts will be a stable source of  electricity for more than 400,000 households and businesses.

MANDATORY ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP

Combined with codes of practice, mandated association membership linked to the tourism license can raise standards of safety and service delivery. Once believed unconstitutional, mandated membership is now understood to fall under public and not private law and does not interfere with the right of free association.  This is good news as tourism self regulation will enhance our destination. Examples could be, fire risk self assessment certificates linked to roof insurances at all accommodation providers, and enhanced safety at sea for sport fishing. Self regulation can only be via subsidiary legislation, and not the tourism Act, and each Association must apply to be appointed as a licensing agent.

What do you think ? Would you welcome mandatory membership in your sector ?

NEW MEMBERS

MCTA welcomes KATO to the growing membership list. Your umbrella association is seeking new members from the tourism fraternity. If you know an association, company or individual who will benefit from enhanced coast tourism business,  tell them about MCTA and place them in contact with Millicent Odhiambo, the Executive Officer on telephone 2225428  and 0722-475796.

WORLD TOURISM DAY

World Tourism Day is observed on 27th September every year. National focus this year was on the Western Circuit under a theme of 'Tourism Celebrating Diversity’.  In Mombasa,  several activities took place over a week to mark the event with a  Beach Clean-up at Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach by stakeholders and other enthusiasts and a Tourism-Nite at Club Lambada at Mtwapa presenting cultural dances. In addition tourist arrivals at MIAM were greeted with ‘madafu’ and cultural dances. This all culminated at a show at the Little Theatre Club. Thanks to those who participated in one way or other to make the event successful.

REGULAR BEACH CLEAN UP

Also reported by the media is a statement by KAHC Chairman Coast of a drive by hotels to clean popular beaches weekly in collaboration with beach operators. This is a welcome move and MCTA wishes KAHC success.

TSAVO ROADS

National Parks roads; The Tsavo Conservation Area Management confirms that they are still waiting for the expert report on corrugated areas after grading.

LAUNCH OF SENTIDO NEPTUNE

The colourful launch of Sentido Neptune Hotels & Resorts at Diani was recently presided over by the Minister for Tourism, Hon. Najib Balala, EGH, MP and attended by several invited guests. The media captured the Hon.Minister statement that the Dongo Kundu by-pass project feasibility study will start early next year and the study will be completed in six months. Once operational the by-pass will solve the Likoni Ferry problems to tourism and boost the economic potentials of the South Coast.

MANAGING DIRECTOR KENYA FERRY SERVICE – MR. ISAAC KAMAU

At a meeting with the Coast Business Advocacy Group, attended by MCTA, Mr. Kamau assured the ferries are fully insured by Jubilee Insurance and stated that the ferries can never capsize as they have broad bases with safety compartments. They also have two engines. In case of an engine failure the vessel will easily reach the shore as the distance across the channel is short. Safety of commuters is assured. Constructions of two new ferries is 70% complete with delivery in December. They each have the capacity to carry 60 vehicles. However, the current ramps are unable to take more than two ferries at once and they need to be rehabilitated to fit three to four ferries for there to be a significant improvement on the traffic flow from the ferry.

KFS has factored this in their budget and is waiting approval. Mr. Kamau estimated pedestrian monthly use as 187,000 adding up to 1.7million in a year with 3,000 cars per day adding up to 1.1million in a year. Vehicle revenue was Shs. 400,000/= per day, increased to 600,000 but this increase in tariffs is not enough to cover the budget staff salaries. There is a suggested 1/- one way pedestrian charge as a means for raising income for maintenance.

COAST REGIONAL BUSINESS ADVOCACY GROUP

An offshoot of the highly successful Kenya Private Sector Alliance, KEPSA, the national business advocacy group, the Coast Business Advocacy Group met with the Provincial Commissioner to set a date for a Round Table Meeting on a specific coast business agenda. The group believes in enhancing the business environment in all sectors so as to raise the coast regions economy. The MCTA Chairman also chairs the CRBA Group and the Vice Chairman is Kiprop Bundotich, Chairman of the coast branch of the Kenya Transporters Association. The Executive Officer is Tobias Alando, of the coast branch of the Kenya Manufactures Association. The first Coast Region P.C.’s Round Table is set for 22nd October,2009

MAKE FREE THE KENYA VISAS

MCTA made a strong statement to the press in response to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Moses Wetangula’s contention that half price Visas (reduced from $50 to $25) have not resulted in more tourist arrivals. Against a global background of credit collapse and economic melt down, rescued only by the injection of trillions of dollars, world wide tourism has been in retreat for a year.  Against this negative background KTB have performed magnificently, with a recorded 32.6% increase in arrivals so far in 2009.  Half price Visas enable KTB to market Magical Kenya in a very positive manner. Since the collapse of tourism, Kenya’s GDP has dropped from 7.3% to 3.7%, clearly demonstrating that tourism is vital to lift our economy from merely treading water to accelerated growth.

With respect, Honourable Minister, what the national economy needs is a boost. This will happen if we now make the tourist Visa free for a period of one year. Only after we have done this, will we truly demonstrate the value of this vital action to our economy. Now is not the time to take a self interested view, but rather a national view towards growth.

SOUTH COAST FIRE SERVICES

As the Makuti debate rages on, it is important for us to ensure that there is fire fighting equipment and personnel. During the fire incident recently reported at Bouvan Villas in Diani, the Alliance Hotels Fire engine which stands-by for such emergencies has broken-down, and may require maintenance. Kwale County Council is unable to provide emergency services. in the area. A solution needs to be found. Does Mombasa and Ukunda have private companies that offer fire fighting services? Nairobi has G4S and Knight Support. The industry should talk to the head offices in Nairobi to see what it would take for them to station fire engines in Mombasa, Ukunda and maybe Malindi.

SKAL KENYA COAST DINNER ANNIVERSARY

The SKAL Kenya Coast Anniversary Dinner was held at the Tamarind with live music, international prizes by the Sponsor, Kenya Airways and a special menu themed food around the world, Guest Speaker, MCTA Chairman, John Cleave, explained details on beach harassment and the need for local laws on harassment as part of the Beach Management Strategy implementation.

LAUNCH OF COAST BUSINESS FORUM

The Coast Business Forum (CBF) held it’s first Provincial Commissioners Round Table on Wednesday 21st at  Nyali Beach Hotel with M. Munyi. EBS. the Coast PC, supported by heads of local government departments sitting at 6 Round Tables that covered the topics of Security and Tourism,  Infrastructure, Transport and Cargo Movement,  Local Authority Services,  Industrial Relations and Environment, Energy and Water and Trade issues.

 The CBF is a regional umbrella body of business member’s organizations and mirrors the successful KEPSA national business forum that interacts with government in Nairobi via regular Prime Minister Round Table Meetings. The twelve coast BMO’s are the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO), Mombasa Coast Tourist Association (MCTA),  UJAMAA, Kenya Shippers Council (KSC), Kenya International Freight Forwarders & Warehousing Association (KIFWA), Mombasa Citywide Residents Association (MCRA), Kenya Transporters Association (KTA), Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC), Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), United Business Association (UBA), Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK), and East Africa Tea Trade Association (EATTA). Together they set an agenda to consider ways that the public sector could improve conditions for coast business.

The Round Table Meeting was chaired by John Cleave, Chairman of MCTA and the facilitator was Betty Maina, Executive Officer of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. The government team, led by the Coast Provincial Commissioner, comprised of the Provincial Police Officer, Mombasa City Council Town Clerk, Mombasa City Council Mayor, the MD- Kenya Ports Authority, the Kenya Revenue Authority SDC- Southern region, Provincial Labor Officers, Ag. MD Kenya Ferry Services, MD Coast Water Board, MD- Coast Development Authority, Provincial Director of Environment, Provincial Trade Officer, Provincial Tourism Officer, Regional Manager – Kenya Power & Lighting Company, Provincial Industrialization Officer, and KEBS Regional Manager.

The PC collected promised solutions from various heads of local government on issues that included cargo movement, water and sewerage improvements, power supply costs, labour relations, local government service delivery, beach management, crow control and security. The PC went on to promise the formation of a new Business Forum Liaison Committee and it was agreed to meet every 2 months to add issues and capture improvements. Key agreements for immediate action included easing of traffic congestions, reduction of business licenses, removal of license duplication, and procurement of new ferries for Likoni by early next year. The high cost of energy will be escalated to the Prime Ministers Round Table as well as the Parliamentary Energy Committee.  
.

RESTORATION CEREMONY OF THE JOHANN LUDWING KRAPF MEMORIAL

At a colourful ceremony on Sunday October 18th, on Silos Road, the German Ambassador officially opened the renovated Ludwig Krapf memorial. During her speech she revealed that the Mayor of Mombasa promised to rename the road to Ludwig Krapf Way. With financial assistance from the German Government, the Museums of Kenya undertook to restore the grounds and the monument for the benefit of residents and visitors. Jimmy Ketan, the Fort Jesus Curator lovingly planted a beautiful garden and added benches and an all weather foot path. The story of the restoration was amusingly related by the former German Consul, Sadiq Ghalia.

Johann Ludwig Krapf was a German Christian missionary that spread the gospel in Ethiopia during the middle of the 19th century and later in Kenya where he translated Swahili for the first time from Arabic. He is famous for being one of the group of first Europeans to see the snow of Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya. His Swahili transcripts are the first written record of tribal warfare in earlier days.

A truly remarkable man, he was one of the first to start building sympathetic race relations and his hard life is an enduring cultural legacy. The German Embassy in Nairobi is named after him and it is hoped that tour firms will add the memorial to their cultural and heritage excursions.

MINISTER FOR TOURISM – HON. NAJIB BALALA APPOINTED VICE CHAIRMAN UNWTO

MCTA congratulates Kenya’s Minister for Tourism, who was recently honoured by being elected the Vice Chairman of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This prestigious position has been earned by visible tourism achievements and contribution and consolidates high level recognition of our most dedicated tourism minister to serve in Kenya.

COAST FISHING INDUSTRY SET TO BENEFIT

Fisheries Minister, Paul Otumo stated that the coast is set to benefit from development partners investments of 4 billion shillings in marine culture that will enhance fish production and provide employment for youths. He also revealed that of the estimated potential 150,000 annual tonnes of fish caught each year in Kenyan waters, only about 7,000 tonnes goes to Kenyan fishermen. The rest goes to illegal foreign fishing boats. Meanwhile KWS are considering an agreement with the Fisheries Department that will create a new zone between the beach and the reef that will fall to only one regulator. Such a move will help local communities and overall beach management.

KENYA COAST JOINS IN TEST TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM

The effectiveness of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System was tested simultaneously by 17 countries, including Kenya on Wednesday October 14th. The exercise was held at the Kenyatta Public Beach as part of the World Disaster Reduction Day and included bulletin reports and public evacuation programmes. The Kenya Meteorological Department indicated that the exercise was a success.

CARBON LEVIES SET TO HURT LONG RANGE TOURISM

MCTA joins the protest that emerged following the announcement of a $50 carbon levy on long range charter flights from the UK to become effective from November 1st. This ill conceived scheme is sure to hurt the economies of developing nations that depend on tourism to grow their economies, thus hurting the most vulnerable populations in the world. Modern jets are an extremely efficient means of travel and the airline industry leads the way in reducing carbon emissions with massively expensive research in engine innovations and by building larger aircraft. This is the equivalent of shooting the messenger as the airline industry contributes only 2% of the world’s carbon emissions despite the huge scale of global air travel.

Let airlines plant trees or make some other social contribution. But, please keep off with your carbon levy.

Another threat to the cost of air travel comes from the United Nations that seeks to impose in Kenya a $4 tax for health services. Such global schemes should be voluntary and not be imposed. If rich nations wish to assist in fight Aids and Malaria in poorer countries, then let them do so with thanks. It seems that aviation is under attack as if flying was a luxury or ‘’sin’’ such as cigarettes or alcohol to be taxed. Can we please have some common sense ?

LAMU WOLRD HERITAGE STATUS IS SAFE

Following a recent global world heritage conference in Ecuador, an international donor emerged to assist Lamu Town to restore properties within the world heritage site and return Lamu to its former glory. The Organization of World Heritage Cities also pledged funds for the construction of a drainage system and pavements on the Island.

TEN OF THE BEST AT THE COAST

The in-flight magazine of Kenya Airways carries advise on the top ten places to enjoy a coast night out. The Kenya Coast has always been popular for entertainment and the guide lists the top ten in the following order for a quality night out.

The Tamarind Dhow, Malindi Casino, Bobs Bar, Kahama’s, Yuls. The Florida Nightclub, Tembo Disco, Casablanca Club, Mamba Crocodile Village, Noons Nightclub. MCTA does not officially endorse that order and if you want to find out which is best, then visit them all!

EAST AFRICAN TOURISM CO-OPERATION, FANTASY OR REALITY ?

Can all the East African Countries, each with their own tourism marketing budgets, brand concepts and different attractions actually succeed in a joint destination marketing strategy and overcome fears of dominance by one over the other ?

MCTA hopes that this will prove possible but the East African Community tourism agreement to harmonize standards and services may be interpreted too literally and cause more problems than it solves. Let us all hope for the best outcome and that a new visa agreement will be a benefit. However tourism stakeholders in Kenya now urge the government to waive all visa fees and emulate the successes of Mauritius which leads Kenya and South Africa in terms of marketing successes. We urgently need to introduce free movement of people and goods across the East African borders as a first step

LAMU CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Lamu is a repository of Swahili culture and successfully keeps alive an ancient, honourable and dignified heritage.  The Lamu Cultural Festival was inaugurated in 2001 to revive the threatened Swahili cultural heritage and to constructively respond to global and local changes impacting life styles and economy. The 9th Lamu Cultural Festival took place from the 20th to 22nnd of November with the patron Hon Najib Balala, flying in with special guest the Minister for Tourism of Morocco, Hon. Mohamed Boussaid. During the formal speeches, held in the Old Fort, the Lamu residents were quick to tell their distinguished visitor that Lamu had many families with an almost identical family name, thus instantly establishing a rapport.

Wearing the iconic red Fez (once commonly worn by hospitality staff at the coast) the Morocco Minister was clearly impressed by the friendly reception accorded him. Many cities in Morocco have become internationally famous and the country attracts 8 million tourists year, a far greater number than Kenya. His announcement to invite a Lamu cultural delegation to Morocco was warmly received, as was the suggestion of twining Lamu and Fez.

Many Embassies support the Lamu Cultural Festival and the French Ambassador, who is well known in Lamu, made a speech in a mixture of English, French and Swahili that was well received. The islands spectacular sand dunes have served for millennia as catchments for rain water and the archipelago’s mangrove forests serve as rich fishing grounds.

These natural resources must be preserved. Lamu’s prestigious position as a world heritage site brings many challenges. The environmentalist’s prohibition of cutting down mangrove during the 70’s was a serious threat to Lamu’s economy and it has since been recognised that the rule was a mistake.

Sub dividing and selling residential plots on the sand dunes seriously threatens the water table with high salinity, a fate that drove out all the residents from neighbouring islands in the past. The purchase of old town properties by foreigners that fall in love with the peaceful existence of Lamu, also threatens to drive out too many families that are the intangible holders and protectors of the heritage. The greatest commercial opportunity, but also the greatest potential cultural threat, to Lamu, is the construction of a major sea port and oil refinery at Magongo. The National Museums of Kenya places huge importance on maintaining Lamus heritage untarnished by land grabbers and other unscrupulous developers and the Chairman, Issa Timamy, a Lamu born man, made a strong and defiant speech to show full solidarity for the traditions of the world heritage site.

The festival brought out throngs of thousands to the Lamu seafront to witness traditional dances from Matondoni, Siyu, Kiunga and Pate. The festival excitement was palatable with fluttering flags and banners everywhere, loud music and cultural stalls dotted everywhere. Swimming, dhow races and donkey races all added o the carnival atmosphere and the crowd was wild with excitement when the lead dhow capsized late in the race with much mutterings of the “Mganga” being paid for a magic potion.

The culmination of the Festival was the launch of a new coffee table book with hundreds of beautiful photographs, entitled ‘’Lamu, Kenya’s Enchanted Island’’, the sale proceeds of which will go to assist the people of the island. With text by George Abungu, the Kenya representative to the World Heritage Committee, and pictures by well known photographers, Carol Beckwith, Angela fisher, David Coulson and Nigel Pavitt, this will be a lovely and authoritative study on Lamu for all book lovers.

IDD UL HAJJ CELEBRATED WITH FEASTING

All over Kenya, and especially at the coast, Muslims celebrated Idd ul Hajj on Friday 27th November.  Families are required to sacrifice a goat and divide it into three portions, one for the family, the second for the neighbours and the rest for the poor. Morning prayers are followed by free interaction between all to show the universality of Islam and the brotherhood and equality of its followers. It is a day of peace, and harmony. Thousand were led in prayers all across the coast province.

COAST UTALII COLLEGE NO LONGER A DREAM

Hon. Najib Balala, Minister for Tourism, has named the new coast Utalii College, the Ronald Ngala College. Construction will start in June next year and it will be built on 40 acres at Vipingo. An additional 20 acres is available for a strategic partner to build an adjacent hotel. A hospitality training centre at the coast will be a large boost to the coast tourism industry and is in accordance with national plans to prioritize coastal tourism
development. Students will start to enrol in 2011.

Starting in January next year, Nairobi Utalii College will offer degree courses in hotel management and tourism management and will admit 30 students to each degree course. The Utalii Principal, Dr Kenneth Ombongi, appointed 6 months ago, is delighted and said that the degree course is offered in conjunction with the University of Nairobi and approved by the commission for Higher Education in 2007.

KENYA COAST MARKETING

Every year, coast hoteliers and associated tourism service providers, send a select marketing team to Europe for the annual R.E.W.A. launch of their Summer Brochure. This year the week long event was held on the Spanish island of Mallorca. The Kenya stand at REWA always confirms to the Brand Kenya toolkit and attendees wear standard Magical Kenya safari uniforms as well as traditional dress. John Mutua, MD of Leisure Lodge is popular as a Maasai, and the marketing group literally make a loud song and a dance throughout the event.

Asked for comments on the trip, Kevin Cleave, Director of Safety at MAS, observed that Mallorca exhibits characteristics of a mass tourist destinations and was of the opinion that service and friendliness are much higher at the Kenya coast. 

TOURISM BUSINESS COUNCIL

Hon. Najib Balala, Minister for Tourism has called for the formation of a Tourism Business Council to include tourism businesses as well as major providers, such as alcohol and beverage manufacturers, major food suppliers and airlines, similar to that in South Africa. The council will collect a fund for destination marketing and this is provided for in the new tourism act currently on its passage through parliament

This coincides with KTF forming a new constitution to allow for new Business and Corporate membership in a Business Council. These ideas can be brought to life through a TBC being mandated to collect the tourism levy under an agreement to make the collection voluntarily broader based and more efficient. The CDTL currently consume between 40 to 50 % of its levy on collecting costs and is under instruction form the Minister to reduce the collection costs to 14%. The private sector can perform the same task for 5% and can bring public/private sector synergies to destination marketing with brand enhancing activities.

MINISTRY OF TOURISM PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS

The Ministry of Tourism has signed performance contracts with all the Board of Directors of its six State Corporations and directed them to cut down their costs of operations in order to channel resources  that give high returns. In a ceremony organized at the Kenya Utalii College the parastatals namely Bomas of Kenya, Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Kenya Tourist Board, Kenya Tourism Development Corporation, and Kenya Utalii College as well as Kenya Safari Lodges and Hotels presented their performance targets and work plans up to June 2010.

In regard to the CDTLT, the Minister directed that management bring down operating cost to 14% in order to dedicate more resources to support training at the Kenya Utalii College and marketing through the Kenya Tourism Board. Presenting the Kenya Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) performance targets for the 2009/2010, Acting Managing Director, Ms Marianne Jordan, said the corporation had recovered loans amounting to K.Shs. 47 million for the first time in 15 years. She said plans to privatize mature assets of the corporation such as the Hilton and the Inter Continental Hotels were on course.

Hon Balala said the privatization of the assets was necessary but cautioned that the process must be carried out in a transparent and accountable manner to ensure that Kenyan taxpayers get value for money.  He said all the tourism assets listed for privatization will be refurbished first to reinstate their true value before they are sold. In respect to the Bomas of Kenya he suggested seeking a strategic partner to improve the cultural tourism product offered so as to attract international tourists. Currently, school parties constitute the largest customer base for Bomas.

MAKE FREE THE KENYA VISAS

MCTA made a strong statement to the press in response to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Moses Wetangula’s contention that half price Visas (reduced from $50 to $25) have not resulted in more tourist arrivals. Against a global background of credit collapse and economic melt down, rescued only by the injection of trillions of dollars, world wide tourism has been in retreat for a year.  Against this negative background KTB have performed magnificently, with a recorded 32.6% increase in arrivals so far in 2009.  Half price Visas enable KTB to market Magical Kenya in a very positive manner. Since the collapse of tourism, Kenya’s GDP has dropped from 7.3% to 3.7%, clearly demonstrating that tourism is vital to lift our economy from merely treading water to accelerated growth.

With respect, Honourable Minister, what the national economy needs is a boost. This will happen if we now make the tourist Visa free for a period of one year. Only after we have done this, will we truly demonstrate the value of this vital action to our economy.  Now is not the time to take a self interested view, but rather a national view towards growth.

MINISTER HOSTS ITALIAN TRAVEL WRITERS

As part of their continuous national marketing campaign KTB hosted a cruise dinner for a group of Italian journalists with the Minister of Tourism aboard the Tamarind Dhow at Mombasa. The Italian writers, sponsored by Gist, were on a one week Familiarization trip and visited many parts of Kenya, including Malindi, long popular with Italian visitors.  Minister Balala was accompanied by the newly appointed KTB Managing Director, Muriithi Ndegwa, PR Manager Khalid Salim, PR Officer Ann Kanini and Mombasa based Hellen Omukoko. Hon. Najib Balala described the Italian tourism market as one of the strongest and most loyal to the Kenya coast.

Meanwhile celebrity tourism has seen visits to Kenya by Serena Williams, Bolt, Angelina Jolie and Nicolas Cage amongst others. These high profile visitors raise the image of Kenya.  Jake Grieves Cook, KTB Chairman says that such visits wipe out fears that Kenya is unsafe and make room for future growth.

NEW FLIGHTS TO MOMBASA

MCTA congratulates Kenya Airways, now selling seats on a weekly service between Amsterdam and Mombasa. Launching scheduled flights is costly and airlines incur early losses on new routes. Once established, new routes need protection to grow and prosper. Many tourism stakeholders believe the government share in KQ must underpin the national tourism development policy to prioritize coast tourism growth. Shareholder profits, GDP, and coast sustainable growth combine….in the long term….as beneficiaries of direct schedules from Europe to Mombasa.

MCTA wished Martinair, the code share partner, and KQ great success with hopes that our national airline, the Pride of Africa, will continue to expand services from Mombasa to other destinations in Europe to support the KTB brand value. Direct flights are magic. In addition Ethiopian Airlines commenced direct service between Addis and Mombasa that connect major European cities. All scheduled flights lift the coast destination to a higher end of the travel market, a written coast tourism policy objective.

Coast tourism arrivals are again on an up trend as the destination builds momentum. New charter flights include, XL from France, plus a return of Corsair, departing Charles De Gaulle, and Aq Fly from Brussels.

NEWS FLASH

MCTA will host a half day morning workshop on December 10th at Whitesands on broadband and credit card on line payments. The workshop is open to all tourism players. Make sure you attend this important event as you can be connected for instant credit card payment within 24 hours! There is limited seating so book now.

SEASONS GREETINGS, JAMBO, SALAAM ALEIKUM FROM OUR BEAUTIFUL KENYA COAST

In the last half of the last month, it is permitted to reflect. Another year has gone by dominated by the politics of theft. A simple calculation of the total government money stolen must exceed our annual budget. This is equivalent to a national criminal network. Non-criminal, networked and positive flows of knowledge, information and capital cannot thrive under poor governance and rampant corruption.

Giants on the social front, such as John Githongo with his new grass roots democracy movement and Professor Wangari Maathai who dreams of a ‘’Colossus to bestride and unite the Land’’ (regardless of tribe) are reminders that the torch of civil society burns strongly in Kenya. If such a new leader is out there, chances are , that he or she is today a teenager absorbing all the lessons of civil society. This is our future hope and reason to continue working to cultivate the business ethic. The criminal mind reduces values by taking. Business adds value through planning and a desire to make things better.

MCTA thanks and congratulates all government employees and civil servants, be they MPs, Cabinet Ministers, local councillors, policemen and women, secretaries, messengers and everyone everywhere in Kenya who performed their duties and who did not take a bribe.
MCTA thanks and congratulates all the hard working individuals at the Kenya Private Sector Alliance and it’s regional offshoots for their continuous efforts. Thank you also to the CEO’s and Committee Members in KTF, KAHC, KATO, KATA, PERAK, KAAO, ECO TOURISM, KASA, WMA and all the other Business Member Organizations that work to improve tourism.

MCTA thanks the Minister for Tourism and the Kenya Tourism Board for their effort at turning around our tourism industry. My personal thanks go to the Staff, Trustees and Committee Members of MCTA for all their efforts at revitalizing the coast tourism umbrella body.
MCTA wishes all members, trustees and staff a safe and memorable Christmas holiday and best wishes for a thriving business in 2010. The pictures below show beautiful, peaceful coastal scenes.

MCTA IN 2010

MCTA plans for the first half of 2010 including the launch of the new MCTA website, a series of Workshops on Beach Management, Ring Net Fishing, Codes of Practice, Cultural Developments and the Bush Meat Trade.

We also plan a two day retreat for key stakeholders, in Tsavo, for Strategic Planning.

MCTA plans to distribute a free Tourist Guide Book to every international tourist arriving at Moi International Airport during 2010 as a destination friendly and useful gesture. This will be in collaboration with the Department of Immigration, Kenya Airports Authority and the Kenya Tourist Board.

2010 will be a membership drive year. To achieve it’s vision of being the voice of authority for coast tourism, MCTA must attract key players from all over the Coast, including hotels and all accommodation suppliers, tour operators, travel agents, the entertainment industry, sport activities on land and sea and every business that prospers with a growing and sustainable coast tourism industry.

A key message must be that failure in the past to achieve only piecemeal development and setbacks, does not mean that we cannot in future begin to plan and act together.

MCTA SALUTES LOCAL HEROES

At a cocktail reception, held at The Tamarind Restaurant, John Sutton, the founder of the Crisis Response Development Foundation explained how his indignation at the unnecessary death of two divers at Pemba Island led to his interest in developing a beach safety centre with trained lifeguards.

Over the last few years he has voluntarily gathered together young men at Kenyatta
Public Beach to benefit from professional training as beach lifeguards by the UK based Royal National Lifeboat division that specializes in inshore lifeguards.

After building a beach watchtower, placing red flags to delineate a swimming zone, and training lifesavers to be on regular duty with professional rescue equipment, the Kenyatta Public Beach is today much safer than in previous years. Death by drowning was a severe risk taken by non swimmers that took to the sea for fun and recreation.

Going down to the beach is a new social phenomenon for Kenyans that provides fun opportunity to relate to others in a relaxed setting. The volunteer lifeguards have found new pride and authority and provide an essential safety service.

Two lifeguards from UK have just completed a three week training programme organized by CRDF and John Sutton was awarded a plaque by the RNLI for his outstanding voluntary services that has resulted in a recorded 36 lives saved at the Kenyatta Public Beach in the past two years. This is all the more impressive when you learn that John Sutton lives and works in Nairobi. The time has come for Mombasa society to take over these responsibilities.

CRDF have saved 36 Kenyan lives and John Sutton is pictured here receiving a plaque from a Senior UK RNLI Lifeguard for this outstanding achievement.

NEWS BRIEFS

Civil Servants will be locked out of private business in the new constitution. This will reverse a 40 year old rule that ushered in an era of public sector corruption. All employment contracts public or private sector, should spell out that employees are to exclusively work for their employer.

MCTA’s Mohamed Hersi, a Director of the Water Board, endorses the move to consolidate the water service providers and reduce the number of companies from 7 to 2. Mr. Hersi called on politicians to stop interfering with the water improvement programme but the Town Clerk, said that the plan, whilst noble, may be too difficult to implement.

The Lamu County Council has banned motorized transport to remove the influx of motor bikes and tuk tuk’s. Only an ambulance and the DC’s car will be allowed. The KAA will invest K.Shs. 140 million in a new state of the art terminal building at Lamu.

The World Bank, French Development Agency and the EU Bank will lend 16.8 billion shillings to the KAA to enable the Nairobi Airports third phase of expansion to take place.
JKIA was originally designed to handle 2.5 million annual passengers and currently handles 4.8 million. By 2018, after completing the third phase, the airport is expected to handle 10 million passengers. Meanwhile the construction of a three story, 1.500 capacity car park will start next month as part of phase two.

Two new 70 metre Ferries are expected to be delivered to Mombasa by February next year to alleviate the congestion experienced at the Likoni crossing during peak holiday periods. KWS has tendered for the expansion of the Ferry ramps to accommodate the new ferries and allow side by side loading and discharging of passengers and vehicles.

The GOK design for the construction of the Dongo Kundu by-pass road is expected to be completed by May next year. Long seen as a bottleneck constricting the growth of the south coast, the by-pass is critical for the tourism industry. Construction costs are estimated to be 7 billion shillings and construction will take 4 years to complete.

The Kenya Investment Authority plans a conference to be held in Mombasa from 21st to 23rd February 2010 to unlock the potential of the coast. Details will be forwarded later.

Airlines and the public should be prepared to fight possible proposals to introduce a health levy to airline ticket charges in Kenya, unless the scheme is voluntary. In addition the new EA Community Accident Inspectorate plan to introduce another airline ticket levy that is inappropriate. The creation of harmony between separate states in their air accident investigation capability should reduce costs, not increase them.

The French Development Agency is funding a project to install a modern solid waste management facility at Mwakirunge with modern landfill, transfer stations and a road network that complies with environmental laws. The Kibarani dumpsite along the Makupa causeway, for a long time an eye sore, has been closed down.

In Parliament the Competition Bill passed through its second reading. The Appropriation Bill 2009 was passed and gives authority to withdraw and spend the balance allocated for the financial year 2009/10. The Alcoholics Drink Control Bill 2009 was introduced through a first reading.

KWS NEWS

The KWS Director, Dr. Julius Kipngetich, plans to brand the national parks next year and wants to attract private investors to build tourist attractions to build the KWS revenue base and expand its budget from 5 billion to 7 billion shillings as the wage bill has doubled since he took over from one billion to 2 billion shillings. The Director has also raised concerns over the rapidly expanding population growth. The KWS mandate is to protect wild animals but land pressure from a massive population growth leads to constant human / wildlife conflicts. Birth control is essential he warned or else wildlife will no longer exist in Kenya. Good news is that Kenya’s rhino population of 417 in 1994 has now increased to 800 and KWS has a target of 2,000 by 2025. A new strategic plan for Nairobi National Park will see new attractions including a luxury tented camp. The existence of Nairobi Park is threatened by encroachment and KWS will work with local communities to find solutions. In Western Kenya, KWS are taking special measures to protect the rare Sitatunga in the Kingwai Swamp in Nandi Central district.

SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS ENDORSE RANSLEY REPORT

Tourism is a sensitive industry and tourists flee trouble spots as fast as global capital vanishes from troubled stock markets. Leading tourism associations in key source markets consistently tell KTB that tourist security is the number one deterrent in selling Kenya and the swathe of travel advisories issued against various forms of travel to Kenya as well as specific tourist areas, is testament to the urgent need for the police to reorganise their services, not only for all Kenyans but also as essential support to Kenya’s leading economic stimulator…Tourism.

The recently appointed Commissioner of Police, Mathew Iteere, recently chaired a two day meeting of provincial police officers and formation commanders at Vigilance House to review the 300 page Ransley Report.

The Justice Ransley Report on restructuring and strengthening the Kenya Police Force makes numerous recommendations, including a review of the most senior officers against a set of criteria to be agreed jointly by the Public service Commission, the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission and the National Security and Intelligence Services. The review will test for integrity, professionalism, track record and psychological fitness.

The Ransley Report also recommends a new command structure to govern the force that includes some departments becoming semi autonomous with an independent oversight authority. One billion dollars is needed to reform, modernise and re-equip the regular and auxiliary police forces and the GOK has pledged 60% and will source additional funds from development partners.

Kenya’s top police officers have now endorsed the police reform report with a 90% approval rating. Meanwhile, widespread operations to recover illegal firearms continue throughout the country.

MINISTRY OF FORESTRY and WILDLIFE

Hon. Dr. Noah Wekesa, Minister for Forestry and Wildlife reiterated that the Forestry Act CAP 385 2005 devolved regional forestry decision making to local councils and the private sector in Forestry Conservation Committees. The Eastern Region, which includes part of the Coast, is semi arid, and is especially challenged by charcoal burning and over grazing. However, these areas have large potential for Kenya to achieve it’s target of 10% forest cover by 2030 and the Ministry, via regional FCC’s, now focuses on semi arid areas with programmes to plant newly researched fast growing indigenous tree species.

In addition, opportunities for local communities exist with the commercial production of aloe-vera, gums and resins, honey production as well as sustainable commercial production of charcoal under rules in the Subsidiary Forest Act legislation.

Rainfall comes late in the semi arid lands, around October to December and the Minister launched this year’s Short Rains Tree Planting Campaign under the theme ‘’Plant trees, get water, feed the nation’’ 22 million seedlings are available for planting during these months. The Minister appealed to all Kenyans to plant 3 trees for every one cut down. Given that 80% of domestic energy in Kenya is wood based and that average per capita wood consumption is one cubic meter for each of 40 million Kenyans, we had all better heed this message.

PETITION TO SAVE LIONS. SIGNED BY MCTA

Killing lions with poison is a deadly challenge to our human values and a grave threat to tourism. MCTA signed a petition addressed to the Prime Minister. Please see the link below. MCTA asks you to read the petition and sign if you are in agreement with the views.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/480914470

KENYA BOARD TOURISM

The Kenya Tourist Board held a well attended stakeholders forum on Friday 29th January,2010 at Mombasa’s Sarova Whitesands Hotel that was highly interactive under the direction of Muriithi Ndegwa, the new KTB Managing  Director and the Ministry of Tourism Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Eunice Miima.

Both spoke at length as KTB revealed their new JAMBO film advertising campaign that is refreshingly modern and attractive featuring Kenyans waving, smiling and saying ‘’Jambo’’. This is set to run as a series of 15, 30 and 45 second film clips on various international TV channels.  A friendly Jambo will become synonymous with Kenya and combined with the current CCN TV Ad will give inbound tourism a significant and timely boost. The results of last years KTB Exit Survey conducted at Moi International Airport showed impressive ratings for the safari product but a poor showing for our beaches with cleanliness and harassment being responsible for the dissatisfaction. Minor corruption practices, such as non availability of change, for cash purchases at the airport was often  cited.

The 24 hour ‘’tummy bug’’ was also shown to be a significant problem and had coast hoteliers on their feet defending their food hygiene and blaming malaria medication. Coast hoteliers were also in some disagreement over overseas contract rates and the geographical and seasonal distribution of beach hotel rates.  Congratulations to KTB for an excellent forum. More forums are promised in future as it has been realized that integration of purpose will result from more interaction. Harmonization of hotel pricing will add destination value and MCTA is hopeful that these interactions will prove very positive. It is now time that the 24 hour stomach upset is well investigated, understood and a solution found.

WELCOME TO WMA AS A NEW MEMBER

Watamu Marine Association is a welcome new member of MCTA. WMA is a business member’s organisation with a strong conservation agenda that successfully promotes sustainable tourism in Watamu under the able leadership of Steve Trott. With an active beach cleaning scheme and membership that includes various local communities and ladies groups, the WMA have written a code of conduct for the beaches that has been forwarded to the Ministry of Tourism for incorporation in the national tourism code. MCTA and WMA have common cause and this is a valuable step in co-ordinating efforts on coast policy and regulation. MCTA has become an affiliate member of WMA.

MCTA TOURIST GUIDE CAMPAIGN

MCTA aims to give 100,000 free tourist guides to arriving international visitors during 2010. The campaign started immediately after Christmas and by the end of January, a total of 13,140 copies of the Yellow Pages Tourist Guide have been handed over by Immigration Officers at Moi International airport. At this current rate of delivery, the 100,000 annual target should be easily met and Yellow Pages have committed to printing enough guides.

This adds positive and visible support to the KTB JAMBO campaign, a major new marketing direction to highlight the naturally friendliness and warmth of Kenyans. MCTA has partnered with the Coast Immigration Department and Yellow Pages to provide every arriving international tourist, a free copy of a Tourist Guide as they have their passports stamped at the arrivals hall.

Visitor arrival experience is important and a useful free gift, provided by a smiling immigration officer is very welcoming. The Tourist Guide is crammed with useful
Information and a welcoming message. MCTA is committed to continuing the free distribution service as a coast destination support initiative and Yellow Pages are keen to add coast  content and advertising that is relevant to coast tourists.

RING NET FISHING

Commercial scale fishing employs ring netting as a mechanical method of stretching a large net into a circle from the sea surface, often using two boats, to trap large shoals of fish. The net can be drawn together to close the net at the bottom as well as the sides like a purse. Used at sea it is very effective with catches running into tons.  However when used inshore, ring netting is destructive as it causes damage to coral and removes young fish from breeding grounds. The practice of inshore ring netting started in Tanzania, where it is now banned. Many Tanzanian ring net fishermen have spread into Kenya waters from Vanga to Malindi and the Kenya Fisheries Ministry now also bans the practice. Ring net fishing is therefore now illegal along the Indian Ocean coastline. Whilst committed to producing a Coast Fisheries Management Plan, our Fisheries Ministry temporarily lifted the ring netting ban on the Kenya coast until April whilst the practice is monitored. There has been a very strong protest by tourism industry from deep sea anglers to diving organizations and KWS. MCTA has joined with the Watamu Marine Association, KWS, diving organizations and environmentalists to ask for urgent meetings to bring order into a situation that has seen tempers flaring. We respectfully ask the Minister to give directions that will quickly resolve the matter and protect the inshore marine environment.

Steve Trott, Chairman of MWA, points out that tonnes of fish flooding the market from ring netting controlled by Tanzanians means that local people are forced to cut their prices by half. It is time that the Ministries of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Wildlife integrated their policies for sustainable development.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

A MCTA membership drive will soon be underway within the entire coast region so that MCTA can become truly representative of a full range of coast issues from Shimoni to Kiunga and Voi and beyond. A series of meetings is planned with coast tourism stakeholders to capture issues and expand membership under one common goal.

LIKONI FERRY

With the delivery of two new ferries set for the end of March, and with motorized traffic levels dropping after the Christmas and New Year rush, the Likoni ferry problems are due to be solved next month.

However the number of pedestrians crossing daily is set to grow and the Dongo Kundu by-pass road will not be completed for at least another four years. This is a formula for disaster with crowd control becoming more and more difficult. Already pedestrians have been killed and crushed in stampedes. A solution will be to place more ferries on the Mtongwe crossing as free service but raise a pedestrian crossing fee.

This will raise revenues to support maintenance and raise safety levels and also reduce the dangerously swollen pedestrian traffic. The authorities need to decide a crossing fee that discourages idle crossing but is not too high for salaried persons. Probably Sh10 would be about right?

RHINO PROTECTION PETITION

Last year MCTA signed a petition against the importation of Furidan, a poison used on plants that kills lions. Kenya’s lion population is dwindling as modern commercial interests dominate conservation concerns. Another petition is now in circulation that promotes rhino protection. Rhino populations are lower than that of the lion and they are more vulnerable to extinction than lions.

At issue, is the construction of a 30 bed camp at a recognised rhino breeding ground in the Narok Council managed section of the Mara. The camp will be opened in March and run by Ashnil Management, part of the large British based Somak group.

A Mara Management Plan, developed over the past two years by specialists and the County Councils, awaits signature to bring it into effect. The Plan has a detailed zonation scheme with regulation of camp beds to protect the Mara ecology from excessive exploitation. It has long been recognised that the main Mara area has been over developed by commercial interests and that future development must be strictly confined to new eco friendly conservancies in the outer Mara areas to create migration corridors and buffer zones. The Plan identifies suitable camp sites in the outer areas.

The planned restrictions quickly spurred the construction of more camps within the already over crowded gazetted reserve. Outrage at this lead to a freeze on all developments until the Mara Management Plan is signed. Despite the freeze (or maybe because of it) a large number of camps have been built as the licensing system is weak and easily corrupted. One developer even built a cheetah petting zoo. Whereas the zoo was stopped by outrage from conservationists, the camp, along with many others including the Ashnil Camp is still being built. Figures from rhino rangers in the national reserve show that since work started on the Ashnil Mara Camp, the number of rhino sightings has at times dropped to zero. The camp is built on part of the largest stretch of dense woodland favoured by black rhino in the Masai Mara, which in the 1960s had 150 black rhinos. Less than 40 of the critically-endangered Rhino live in the Masai Mara.

"Black rhinos are extremely shy and sensitive, and they need the shade and seclusion of riverine forest to calve," said Samson Lenjirr, the former head of the Masai Mara's rhino programme. ‘’These rhinos can't put up with permanent human settlement there, with generators running all day, tourist vans coming and going." Rhinos previously in the area have vanished since construction started. Five were sighted as work began in June 2008. But in June last year and again in December - the months when sampling is done - none were seen.

Somak Holidays, the British company taking bookings for the lodge, promised to stop sales if evidence was found that the rhinos were affected. Somak Safaris, based in Kenya, handles 30,000 tourists in Kenya each year, and many will visit the Masai Mara.

Those campaigning against the lodge's location hope authorities will order it to be pulled down and moved to an alternative location already earmarked elsewhere in the reserve. "I don't want to impede the business interests which bring prosperity to Kenya," Mr Scott, the Big Cat Diary presenter, said "But things simply can't go on like they have been’’. More than 1,000 people worldwide, including Jonathan Scott, presenter of the BBC show Big Cat Diary, have signed an online petition calling for a halt to bookings.

The petition is at http://www.thepetitionsite.com The question is, how many in the tourist trade will sign ? The only force stronger than mother nature is father profit.

ORIFLAME INTERNATIONAL COSMETIC CONFERENCE

Congratulations to Whitesands Hotel for the recent Oriflame seven day conference held in Mombasa with 1,400 conference attendees. This is the largest conference held at the coast and leads the way in promoting the Kenya Coast as the perfect place to work and play. The Gala Dinner was held in a specially imported super dome with a list of famous guests. During the glittering occasion with super models, a cheque for one million dollars was awarded to the main winner. Mr. Fred Andersson, Oriflame Chairman, said that Kenya was chosen because of its renowned natural beauty and hospitality of the Kenya coast people.

KENYA WEEK IN DUBAI

Last month, the Kenyan Minister for Tourism, the Honourable Najib Balala, announced at the Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa in Dubai, the official opening of the Kenya Tourist Board's Middle East Representative Office to further boosting the number of visitors from the region to Kenya. Visiting the U.A.E. as part of the first ever "Kenya Week" of promotional activities to be conducted in the region, the Minister took the opportunity to highlight the attractiveness of Kenya as a leisure and business destination for travelers from the Middle East, including Kenya's quality wildlife and safari experiences, unique culture and hospitality on offer, and superb family focused attractions. Additionally, Kenya was highlighted as a destination full of attractive tourism investment opportunities. The opening of the new KTB office proves the importance of the Middle East as a developing market for Kenyan tourism and KTB’s commitment to develop this market.  For the first three quarters of 2009, visitors from the U.A.E. outperformed all other international inbound markets in terms of providing the highest increase of visitors to Kenya at 41.2% compared to 2007.
The Minister also took the opportunity to officially announce the launch of the Kenya Tourist Board's new Arabic "Magical Kenya" website.

The Minister added, "Kenya Week has proven such a success in allowing us to bring a little bit of the excitement and attractions of Kenya here to the Middle East that we have decided to make "Kenya Week" an annual affair. At the same time, we trust this "taste of Kenya" will encourage more and more people from the Middle East to visit and experience first hand the magic of our homeland."

NEWS BRIEFS

• Coast MPs oppose the 47 counties in the draft constitution and demand only 18 regions with autonomy.  The Coast Parliamentary Group are demanding full regional economic and political autonomy and promise to oppose the bill when it reaches parliament.

• The draft Tourism Bill has passed the cabinet and a group from the AG’s office will meet at the coast for a week to consider provisions in the bill before it is presented to Parliament.

• After a 4 day visit to the coast, the Tanzanian Vice President Mohamed Ali Shein, agreed to jointly promote Tanzania and Kenya and enhance bi lateral co-operation in investments, infrastructure, transport, energy and health. Plans emerged to construct a second container terminal and dredge the harbour at Mombasa Port for bigger ships and also convert berth 11 to berth 14 to full container facilities.

• Malindi Hospital will receive a grant of 60 million shillings from San Marco Hospital and the University of Pavia in Italy, to set up an intensive care unit and train nurses.

• KWS officials have smashed a syndicate that stretches to the Middle East, in their campaign to save our rhinos. The rhino horn trade is driven by demand from Asia.

• KWS has also completed a joint regional effort to crack down on elephant poaching.  Kenya opposes moves by other African countries to remove elephants from CITES 11.

• KWS statistic show that elephant kills have gone up from 47 in 2007 to 216 in 2009 with clear indications that poaching is on the increase.

Fred Mweni led a recent Coast Investment Forum under the auspices of CDA, TARDA, CPG, and KIA. The Coast people’s forum acknowledges there is much work to do to improve the coast investment climate. Such investment forums provide a valuable opportunity for potential investors to appraise the Kenya coast as a place of future growth.

COAST TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS FORUM

A one day Coast Tourism Stakeholders Forum on infrastructure was held at the Whitesands Hotel on March 2nd, chaired by the Tourism Permanent Secretary, Mrs Eunice Miima. The Minister for Tourism, Honourable Najib Balala and the Director of Tourism, Mr. Kipkorir Lagat were in attendance.

The tourism industry has many issues under the direct control of other ministries and the purpose of the forum was to enable the private sector to interact with the Permanent Secretaries of Water, Roads and Transport.

Expectations were high as the first stakeholders forum held in Diani during January 2008 led to the preparation of a private sector Coast Tourism Strategic Plan, since adopted by MCTA as its core agenda guide.

In his opening address, the Minister informed the well attended forum that the Tourism Bill has passed the Cabinet and the Special Parliamentary Technical Committee and is back In Parliament for final approval. This bill has been 10 years in the making and it is to be hoped that it will be passed into law soon. His Ministry has asked for a budgetary allocation of 2 billion shillings and has plans to attract new airlines to fly to Kenya. KTB will continue marketing Kenya overseas under the successful Magical brand, but also plans to start marketing domestic tourism with information offices to be opened across Kenya.

The national 2012 targets, under Vision 2030, have been scaled back from 3 million to 2 million visitors. Whereas tourist arrivals into Nairobi have recovered, arrivals by air into Mombasa are well short of 2007 levels. It is therefore essential to address the various issues facing the coast tourism industry still struggling to recover.

The Minister called for the prosecution of those individuals in the Kenya Ferry Services and the  Ministry of Transport responsible for the theft of funds and called for an end to impunity for the powerful. The recent collapse of the Likoni ferry services is a national disgrace with serious implications for the south coast tourism industry. The Minister spoke against the idea to raise charges for pedestrians using the Likoni Ferry and said that the government is obliged to help the common man.

Honourable Najib Balala called for more coast tourism stakeholders meetings in future to discuss environment, security and local government. In addition a stakeholders meeting to discuss beach management was promised.

Titus Kang’angi, the Chairman of the Coast branch of KAHC made a presentation of agreed private sector issues and the three ministries made replies.

Dr Cyrus Njiru, PS Ministry of Transport expressed his personal support for free trade and
business expansion to drive the economy and he answered transport questions in depth.

Engineer Meshack Kikenda, the Director General of the Kenya National Highway Authority made a highly detailed response on specific issues and a presentation of countrywide road construction and rehabilitation plans.

Engineer Lawrence Simitu, the Director of Water services also made a detailed presentation of coast water issues with details of short, medium and long term plans to improve the water
supply.

Victor Obdubah, the Chief of Immigration at MIA promised to improve the international arrival processing procedures and Nancy Kariuki, the Director General of KMA promised to continue working with MCTA and boating experts to craft a new code of conduct and regulations for
water sports that will include the requirement to carry insurance.

Some of the more stunning inadequacies are with the Water Boards. Recent Legal Notices to regularize the constitution of the water companies now means that grants and funds (long available but not released) can be released by the World Bank and the French Development Agency. This however will only allow minor short term fixes and modest medium term improvements, mainly to the Marere pipeline that services Kwale and Mombasa Island. The 7 billion shillings available can allow rehabilitation of pipelines, plant and equipment that will improve supply by 56,000 cubic metres daily.

The coast is estimated to need 480,000 cubic metres of water a day but receives about 100,000 cubic litres. Mombasa Island receives about half of its needs, whilst interconnections between the Baricho and Mzima pipelines means that some north coast hotels receive no water whatever. Construction of a new Mzima pipeline that will deliver 160,000 cubic meters daily (the old pipeline is beyond repair) is estimated to coast 40 billion shillings but no funds are currently available.

Engineer Moses Kinya, the Managing Director of the Mombasa Water Company explained that rationing on the north coast provides water only 4 days per week. He also revealed that his
offices bills 50% of their services based on estimated usage rather than metered supply. The overall water shortage is grim and the Minister for Tourism repeatedly asked for details of agreed plans to provide solutions.

It was agreed to form small task forces composed of MCTA, KAHC, KATO and PERAK to address issues of ferry scheduling for vehicular and pedestrian traffic and also to resolve the bottleneck for international al tourist arrivals at MIA.

KTB TOURIST ARRIVAL STATISTICS

KTB have now released annual tourist arrival statistics for 2009. Whereas arrivals at Nairobi’s JKIA have returned to 2007 levels, arrivals at Mombasa MIA are still low. This follows a clear pattern of slow post crisis recovery for the coast charter market. 2007 MIA arrivals were 276,000. Given a 5% annual increase in line with the positive trend
before the 2007 election, 2009 would have seen 304,000 and a breakthrough the 300,000 level for the first time.  Instead the actual 2009 air arrivals at MIA were 176,000 or 58% of our expected arrivals. These 2009 arrivals are the same as 2002/2004 considered to be tourism crisis years. Fortunately the new JAMBO TV campaign features many coastal scenes and summer 2010 may be the start of a true coast tourism recovery.

SOUTH COAST BY PASS ROAD

The UK consultancy firm Mouchal Parkman has produced basic plans with three options for an over land connection between the south coast and MIA. The three surveyed routes each have their pros and cons with different route lengths, number of bridges required and closeness to the proposed new port development. One route has won favour but it is unclear if a final decision has been made. The preparation of detailed route plans will take about 18 months and it is estimated that work may start on the Dongo Kundu road construction in three years time.

WATER SUPPLY

Although the Water Act came into effect in 2002, we have had to wait until now to pass a legal notice known as the Water Services Regulatory rules 2010 to provide for licensing rules to regulate water management. This will allow grants to be released, previously held up due to legal governance issues.

The legal notice provides rules to register and licence water agents with requirements to record yields, volumes, sales and quantities. The selection of local authority owned companies, sub contracting and the closure of unsafe supplies is regulated. It is acknowledged that competitive procurement is not always possible but at least requires that managing directors be employed only after a competitive selection process.

HOTEL AND RESTAURANT AUTHORITY

The newly formed HRA Board launched a series of workshops to introduce the new East African Community hotel, camp and restaurant classification criteria. Workshops were held simultaneously all over Kenya including Malindi and Mombasa at the coast.

Nineteen professional trained and qualified hotel and restaurant graders will be deployed throughout Kenya in teams to inspect all classifiable hotels and restaurants.

Details of the new criteria will be sent to all hotels and restaurants well in advance to help them prepare for the classification exercise which is expected to start by June and last many months. This is a huge undertaking and a current inventory will be drawn for all the licensed properties covered by the HRA Act. Having internationally recognized hotel star ratings in Kenya and the rest of East Africa will be a huge asset to the tourism industry and the HRA Board will consider an appropriate strategic plan to help the Ministry of Tourism improve all aspects of hotel and camp
licensing.

MARA RESERVES CAMP LICENSING

Reports are circulating that the Narok County Council wish to go ahead and sign the Mara Management Plan.  This will give a contractual framework to legally regulate the number and location of campsites and lodges.  However the Management Plan remains unsigned under suspicion that this will be delayed until the opening of newly constructed camps that are contrary to the Management Plan.

It is clear that the tourism industry has failed to self regulate accommodation supply within council managed conservancies.  The results are a disaster in the making for sustainable conservation and the tourism product.

We now need to consider ways and means that the Ministry of Tourism can play a leading licensing role whilst we provide stronger and more meaningful guidelines to NEMA. One possible solution may be under the HRA Act, via legal notice that requires new camp applications to first
comply with MOT approved conservation management plans.

CELEBRATING COAST TOURISM HEROES

A young Belgium lady, working towards her PhD in social anthropology. Sarah Helwert has lived and worked in Lamu for the past two years. For cultural acceptance she now wears the bui-bui and is a common sight in Lamu and is well respected. Her academic work has been overtaken in importance by social help to a group of young Lamu men, formerly drug related ‘’drop outs’’ on the fringe of society who worked occasionally and without standards. She has taught the group business ethics and a work culture and today they thrive commercially under a code of conduct designed to add value to the tourist experience and to also assist the turtle rehab programme. United as a business members  Lamu Dhow Operators Organisation, the group trained in First Aid, Land and Sea Rescue, Environment Care, and are involved in peer education on HIV Aids and drug abuse.  Congratulations from MCTA.

BEACH MARKETS

The Steering Committee for the Beach Management Programme, composed of KWS, KAHC, KATO, MOT and MCTA met to review the architect design of proposed tourism beach market stalls that will be constructed in Malindi at Silversands next April.

Design recommendations were made for the stalls to be maintenance free with simplicity of design, to be well ventilated and use local materials for ethnic authenticity. Drainage was to be out of site and the access from the beach to be wide and include tables and benches as rest places. The restaurant area should be close to the beach and associated with the local Fisheries BMU so that fresh sea food dishes could be served daily. The provision of toilette facilities, electricity and water is essential.

The Committee also agreed the need for council bye laws that make trading on the beach an illegal activity. The question of Beach Patrols for security and law enforcement was considered.

KWS

In a magnificent gesture, the Director of KWS, Julius Kipng’etich, has promised to make all marine park entrance free and, in addition, provide professional KWS beach patrols. Beach patrols are considered essential to the success of the beach management plan so that transient and new local traders do not proliferate and fill the places previously occupied by the licensed and relocated and beach market stall operators. No other beach patrol plan is in place and the KWS model is known to work. Free marine park entrance is a huge incentive for the destination.

To make the KWS offer operational it will be necessary for tourists to each pay a $0.50 beach fee per night. A one week coast holiday will cost an extra $3.50…a very modest amount that will be added to overseas package prices and paid at the point of sale in Europe. It is essential to agree this immediately with the overseas suppliers, so that the beach fee can be paid to the beach hotels by the booking agents.  The hotels will forward the collected beach fee to KWS.

MCTA fully endorses this plan and hopes that the beach hoteliers will agree to the plan collectively and all add the fee to their winter rates. This needs to be done as soon as possible.

TRIPARTITE MEETING

Following the 2008 peace accord and the creation of a coalition government, numerous new ministries were created and it became difficult to hold tripartite meetings between KTB, KWS and KTF. This was recently overcome and a Tripartite Meeting took place on Monday 15th February at the KWS Headquarters and the Director observed that the tripartite meetings should now be held every quarter without fail.

KWS agreed to introduce differential seasonal fees with lower fees during the green or low season periods. Park Fees will increase in 2011 in line with a 2-year schedule but a review is planned with the private sector that will take into account seasonality, length of stay in the Parks, cheaper cost for longer stays, and cheaper cost for a combination of Parks.  Park fees would also be lower for properties inside the Parks as opposed to those outside.

KWS acknowledged that public roads leading to national parks, whilst not under KWS jurisdiction, still gave them a bad name and therefore KWS will spearhead a delegation to Chief Engineer Roads and Director of Budget to seek adequate funds for tourism roads. Specifically, Dongo Kundu By-Pass will be targeted for allocation of funds.

KWS is keen to help improve the tourism industry to improve the current low level of driver guide competence and will support a new KATO plan to develop a training scheme for Driver-Guides to create a minimum qualification for Guides with training to be held at the KWS Institute in Naivasha.

KWS offered to be responsible for and manage the new Tourist Protection Unit (TPU) contained in the tourism Bill so that the Tourist Police Unit can concentrate its efforts in city and adjacent areas. The current Smart Card was about to be phased out with a smooth Change-over to the new Safari Card that solves issues such a short over-stays by having a “per hour” charge”. Safari Card users must register early and not wait until the last minute.

MCTA BEACH TRADERS WORKSHOP

MCTA is assisting beach operators to build leadership and organizational capacities for their business and governance and a one day MCTA Capacity Building Workshop, held at the Sunrise Hotel on 9the February, brought together, for the first time, 65 beach operators from Malindi, Watamu, Kilifi, Kikambala Mombasa, South coast, and Shimoni to equip them with Leadership skills, knowledge of good governance, collaboration skills with other tourism stake holders and micro financing.

Beach Operators governance is a new initiative with little past contact between the mainstream tourism and beach operators. The workshop adopted participatory learning approaches that were geared towards creating insights, ideas, and opinions from the participants and also generate debate to foster peer learning.

Presentations were made by MCTA, Equity Bank, KAHC, KWS, MOT, the Mombasa Municipal Council and SOLWOI. Topics included the negative effects of beach harassment, the principals of good governance, leadership qualities, tourism licensing, collaboration, child sex tourism and entrepreneurship and micro banking.

The Beach traders concluded they must take responsibility for beaches that are safe, secure, clean and organized. North coast beach operators hope to soon become MCTA members. Others recognized the benefits of meeting to draft their code of conduct. Beach operators can also protect children from sex tourism. The code of conduct will be drawn separately by boat and beach operators and then harmonized in one document.

The workshop was unique in its design and focus, bringing together all the 12 affiliate associations under one umbrella in a major milestone towards beach sustainability.

NEWS BRIEF

Parliament reconvened at the end of February and proposals to build a free port at Dongo Kundu plus a new deep sea port at Lamu are to be given priority. The Japanese government is funding a Sh20 billion development of a second container depot at Mombasa Port.

During a visit to Mombasa, Chinas Ambassador Deng Hongbo, said his government may partner with Kenya to construct the Dongo Kundu south coast by pass road to ease congestion at the Likoni ferry and boot tourism.

Mombasa Tea Auctions moved up a gear as Kenya has become the world’s largest tea exporter with 342 million kilos going to 47 world markets.

The EAC Leaders Forum, held in Mombasa, in November 2009, has resulted in the recent publication of an EAC Communication Policy and Strategy by the Ministry of East African Community.

The Regional Assembly plans to pass a bill that will ensure a common EAC approach to protecting wildlife. This will add further value to the customs union and the agreed EAC hotel classification standards now being implemented in Kenya.

During the State Opening of Parliament the president declared support for various business friendly Bills. The World Bank rates Kenya in position 95 out of 183 countries in its Doing Business Report. To be revised are the Companies Act, the Bankruptcy Act and an NSE Act in order to enhance governance issues and reduce beaurocracy

KWS is restocking Amboseli Park with plans game to restore herbivore / carnivore balance. Costing 103 million shillings the plan is to relocate 7,000 animals, mainly Zebra and Wildebeest.

The coast region is currently a marginal agricultural area, due to lack of irrigation schemes, but will benefit from the December rains and the Kenya National Cereal and produce Board is expected to purchase 4 million 90 kg bags of maize for the depleted national reserve from the coast region.

Although countrywide, 210 constituencies have received 3.3 billion shillings for road repairs, the funds cannot be used until local road committees appoint two signatories to their Constituency Road Committees accounts to comply with Amendments to the Finance Bill 2009.

The banned Mombasa Republic Council state they will take their coast secession demands to the East African Parliament. Their demands are based on ancient deals made during the closing decade of the twentieth century, long before independence. The Coast PC, Ernest Munyi promises to keep the outlawed group under close watch.

Serious allegations have been made that prominent coast politicians act to protect drug barons. Many coast residents are unhappy with the lack of government effort to fight the coast drug trade and fear for the safety and future of their children.

The Minister for Special Programmes, Naomi Shaban addressed a seminar in Mombasa organised by the National Agency on Drug Abuse and the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake  Chairperson Rukia Subow demanded that  Four coast MPs, Hassan Joho of Kisauni Constituency Mombasa, Benedict Gunda of Bahari, Lamu West MP Abu Chiaba and Gideon Mungaro of Malindi call on the state security apparatus to force a major crack down on this coast vice.

SECOND COAST TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS FORUM

The Kenya Tourism Board hosted a second coast tourism stakeholders Forum at Mombasa’s Whitesands Hotel on Tuesday 23rd March to meet 17 overseas marketing representatives and listen to presentations by the Tourism Police Unit on coast security and the Kenya Wildlife Services on coastal conservation.  MCTA presented a private sector perspective entitled ‘’building the coast tourism industry we all want’’
At a Forum held two days before in Nairobi, the Minister for Tourism Honourable Najib Balala  officially launched ‘’Jambo,’’ a major TV advertising campaign on BBC World News, that celebrates the Swahili language and the historic friendliness of Swahili speaking peoples. The 60 second commercial is funded by the EU, and will appear on European, African, Asian, South Asian, and American feeds, giving the campaign global coverage.

The TV Ad will run up to June this year and can also be uploaded at www. bbc.com with a 15 second video version that features many Swahili coastal scenes.
This is the first time that KTB is advertising on BBC World News and is part of an aggressive  campaign to reach out to a wider audience.

Thank you KTB!

The Minister in Nairobi was quoted as stating ….

‘’Our coastal tourism product is tired and needs revitalization. We are working hard on obtaining a credit facility at the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation that will assist in refurbishing beach hotels.

Measures to improve the quality of service and competitiveness of our product include the
re-classification of tourism facilities and enhancing the human resource capacity. The Ministry will conduct a nationwide classification exercise of tourism accommodation facilities based on East African Community criteria. We are also establishing a fully fledged tourism academy at the Coast. This will help in developing human resource capacity and sharpening skills in the Coast region to raise the contribution of coast tourism.’’

KARIBU CAMPAIGN WITH YELLOW PAGES AND IMMIGRATION

During the MCTA presentation the audience warmly applauded the Mombasa Airport Immigration Dept and Yellow Pages, who have partnered with MCTA to distribute free tourist guides to all arriving international visitors at Moi International Airport. The quality of visitor experience is fundamental to the success of any destination and the MCTA ‘’Karirbu’’ campaign allows a smiling Immigration Officer to hand over a colourful tourist guide packed with useful information. This friendly gesture is extended to all arriving tourists. It is hoped that at the next tourist guide printing, a useful tourist code will be added and many more trade advertisements will be placed because of the wide distribution. Every arriving tourist group or couple will receive a Guide.

 TOURISM POLICE UNIT AND COAST SECURITY

Jacinta Kinyua, the lady Commandant of the TPU travelled from Nairobi to address the Tourism Stakeholders Forum and she ably described the TPU  history, mission, structure and responsibilities of providing tourist security. With numerous branches at the coast, the TPU has performed admirably and crime against tourists at the coast is at low levels. This high level of safety has been achieved despite some difficulties in not being fully autonomous.

The Commandant summarized as follows ……In a nutshell, ladies and gentlemen, I am in no doubt Kenya, remains a safe tourist destination. The Government has put up strong measures to ensure general tourism security, but your  personal security is always our concern.
Please help us by not making yourself vulnerable to criminals. Be sensible and don’t travel alone late at night. If you take care and stay alert you have less chance of experiencing a problem. Security begins with yourself.

KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE AT THE COAST

Issac Mugo from KWS Headquarters spoke about KWS coastal terrestrial and marine services and pointed out that in 1968 the Malindi and Watamu Marine Parks were the first marine parks gazetted in Africa and the 3rd in the world. Mombasa also lays claim to the only marine park within a city boundary.

The coast offers a wonderful experience with Tsavo East and West, Kenyas largest terrestrial Game Park and also pristine and undisturbed corals with over 250 species of coral fish in the four marine parks or reserves.   4 species of Dolphins are found at Kisite and the marine park is popular with honeymooners and has a special campsite. The shy Dugong, mistaken for mermaids in the past, is found in the Kiunga Marine Reserve and migratory Humpback Whale and Whale Sharks are seen seasonally all along the Kenya coast. The coastal Shimba and Arabuko Parks are the only remaining coastal forests in East Africa. The Sable Antelope can only be seen in Kenya at Shimba Hills and other rare coast wildlife attractions are the Mangabay Monkeys at Tana River, the Sokoke Pipit and diminutive Elephant shrew at Arabuko Forest and the Colobus Monkey at Diani Beach.

VIEWS OF THE MDR’s

Views expressed by the Marketing Development Representatives are always a welcome
opportunity to learn valuable visitor feed back. French interest at the coast is increasing with three recent investments at the Lookea Club, Club Ole at Tiwi and the Edorado Club. Some of the issues raised include unfriendly customs officials at Moi Airport, a need to refresh many coast beach hotel menus with a more modern and interesting variety of meals, and a need for better trained driver guides.

DONGO KUNDU BY PASS TO THE SOUTH COAST

Of the three routes surveyed the ‘’green line’’ seems to be the most favoured. Many South Coast hotels will close soon after Easter for renovations after a faltering season plagued by problems with the Likoni Ferry.
News of the survey gives much hope that the long anticipated south coast by pass road will finally be a real world project. Diani and Galu Beaches are described by many as among the best in the world.

LIKONI FERRIES

With sea trials completed the two new ferries will soon depart Germany for Kenya. Although too late for the Winter Season the Summer Season will see bigger ramps, more vehicle and pedestrian ferry services. 
MCTA has called for those persons suspected of stealing money from KFS and causing such misery to so many, to be charged with theft.
Impunity must end and ‘’government by greed’’ must stop. This is a matter of national importance and the Parliament Group investigating the alleged theft must take action.

RING NET FISHING

MCTA thanks Martha Mukira, Provincial Fisheries Officer, Marine & Coastal Fisheries Directorate for joining the MCTA Conservation sub committee meeting recently to listen to various private sector views.  She explained that the new 2009 Fisheries Bill will strengthen the rules surrounding fishing in all Kenyan waters and that a management plan will be put in place.

The 2007 Fisheries Beach Management Unit Regulations provides considerable powers to local fishermen to self regulate their activities and, when followed correctly, will help bring order to an area acknowledged to be troubled in the past. The Chairman of the Malindi BMU is alleged to be the owner of a ring net fishing boat which may provide status to allow the gear to be used in areas close inshore. However KWS are now patrolling and monitoring and this is a requirement for the temporary lifting of the ban on ring netting.

Mrs Mukira has provided a Fisheries Rapid Assessment of the Tana River ring net fishery of the Kipini fishing grounds where two ring net gears are in use. The assessment team comprising of  District Fisheries Officers and KMFRI research scientists conclude that the Tana River operation is non destructive and economically beneficial but needs a long term operational investigation.

Millicent Odhiambo, MCTA’ s hard working Executive Officer, recently went on a flight over the sea at Malindi and photographed a ring net boat with its nets in the sea less than a mile from the shore as measured by an on board GPS.  Scientific’’ evidence, however, seems to count for little when big money can be made catching tons of fish regularly. MCTA has offered a convenient and neutral meeting place for open discussions on ring netting.

NATIONAL TOURISM CODE OF PRACTICE

The Tourism Bill, currently on its passage through Parliament, requires the establishment of a national code of practice in which the tourist license will be tied to membership of tourism association with a code of conduct and self regulatory dispute resolution mechanism. Much work has been done by the steering committee and MCTA hopes to introduce rules that relate to coastal tourism as well as child sex tourism.

NEW MEMBERS

MCTA welcomes Liberty Africa of Mombasa, a high end boutique tour operator with offices at Ratna Square managed by Emma Metcalfe as new members as well as two new Malindi based organizations, Southern Sky Safaris, operated by Phil Mwavala, is a destination management company handling clients from Italy and Casino Malindi, the well known and popular gaming establishment owned by Bobby Chelini who helped create the Malindi Security Patrols.

Karibuni.

SKAL KENYA COAST VOTES FOR A NEW CHAIRMAN

At the recent SKAL Kenya Coast Annual General Meeting, held at the Jahazi Marine restaurant at Kisauni, Sylvester Mbandi stepped down after two successful years as club president to much applause and the members unanimously voted in MCTA Vice Chairman
(Hotels) Larry Mvoi.

Larry recently started his own tour company, based at Yusuf Ali Mansion in downtown Mombasa, known as Inside Mombasa. MCTA wishes Larry …..  long life, good health, happiness, friendship…SKAL!

MCTA VISIT TO LAMU

MCTA made a two day visit to Lamu during the recent Maulidi Festival and held a series of
presentations and discussions with the private and public sector. MCTA will now support a
movement with National Museums of Kenya to develop a local guide curriculum and testing and certification system to raise the standards of local guiding at Kenya’s famous world heritage site.

The visit was also part of a coastwide membership drive.

KATO COAST ELECT MONIKA SOLANKI AS NEW CHAIRPERSON

One of the longest serving and most popular and successful KATO COAST Chairpersons,
Tasneem Adamji stepped down last year and the Executive Committee voted Monika Solanki of Lofty Tours as their new chairperson. Mike Murithi praised the hard working Tasneem, now the KTB Marketing Chairperson, and observed that it will be hard for anyone to fill her shoes. Monika acknowledged her predecessors powerful influence for good at the coast and promised to work hard to emulate her success.

NEWS BRIEFS

• The Kenya Revenue Authority electronic cargo payment system broke down, seriously  disrupting Mombasa Port operations. Known as SIMBA, the system is obsolete and has  always been of little use. Replacing SIMBA with a global system is long overdue.

• KAA has suspended the launch of the 27 billion shilling hotel at Jomo Kenyatta Airport over allegations of financial impropriety. KNCHR has challenged KAAC to investigate the matter.

• The current KWS crackdown on poachers continues and KWS Senior Warden Donald

Woodley recently praised his anti poaching team for arresting poachers and recovering guns. KWS rangers also engaged and killed poachers in a separate fire fight.

• Local  Heroes KWS rangers, John Laigwani and the late Joel Muga, became the first Africans to be honoured for their contribution to the dangerous business of protecting wildlife at the  Qatar Conference of Parties to CITES.

• Kenya won the fight to keep Elephants on CITES 11 and prevent the sale of Ivory in other African nations.

• KACC moved against former Mombasa town clerk and councilors over the sale of

Mombasa’s CBD Uhuru Gardens. The Mombasa Municipal Council alleges that the gardens  were sold to pay council salaries and wages. The council agrees to refund the sale amount. Mombasa residents were scandalized over the sale of this precious public amenity.

• The East African Submarine cable EASSY is the third fiber optic cable to land at the Kenya coast on March 22nd. After 2 months of testing the cable will go live and internet prices should start to go down.

• Marine conservationist Volker Bassen has won two prestigious awards for documentary  films on whale sharks filmed in Kenya’s south coast waters. The East African Whale shark  Trust EAWST works to save the giant but harmless whale shark.

• The Minister for Internal Security, the honourable George Saitoti set fire to more than 2,500  guns in Nairobi’s Uhuru gardens as a symbolic gesture of Kenya’s commitment to the 2000 Nairobi Declaration on eradicating small arms. His Ministry is preparing a cabinet paper with  stiff penalties for illegal possession.

• The Mara task force Report has been handed to the Minister for Tourism who has ordered a  crackdown on Mara camps and lodges operating without correct licenses.

• Congratulations to all those who responded to help tourists caught in flash floods in

Samburu camps. Rapidly rising waters swept away some personal belongings but no tourist as hurt during the crisis.  Seven camps or lodges suffered total or near total loss of property and a number of others have been significantly damaged during the catastrophe. Many camps are still assessing the situation but are determined to rebuild.

• Sheikh Baskuti Said Ali continues his lonely fight against the drug trade at the coast. This is not a tourism issue but is sadly affecting the youth, especially in Lamu.  Outspoken Cabinet Minister  Naomi Shaban also states that some drug barons are protected by coast MPs. It is time the anti narcotics bureau took a serious look at this situation.

2009 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING INVITATION

The 2009 MCTA AGM will be held on Wednesday May 19th at the Weldon Room at the Tamarind Village. All members are welcome and teas and snacks will be provided together with a cash bar. Arrival and sign in is from 3.30pm to 4 pm and the AGM will close at 6.30 pm. There will be two guest speakers on the subjects of Coast Tourism Branding and also Water for Life and the new website will be displayed. Seating is available for only 70 persons so please come early. The past 12 months have been very active and members are urged to attend.

SHAKA THE LION CUB

The story of a 6 month old Lion Cub, named Shaka, has captured public interest as individuals, conservationists, MCTA and KWS moved to help the wounded lion cub inside the Ngutuni Sanctuary that was unable to move easily or feed due to a dislocated rear leg. Shazard Kasmani of Imperial Bank and the Kenya Divers Association and a member of the MCTA Conservation Committee arranged for driver-guides in Tsavo to feed the young lion and bring in a KWS vet. After some days a KWS plane was flown in, Shaka was tranquilized and captured, treated for injuries and flown to Nairobi’s animal orphanage. Efforts are now underway to establish a treatment centre in Voi and create a Shaka Trust. Congratulations to all and thanks to KWS.

360 DEGREE PICTURE OPPORTUNITY

MCTA is acting as agent for Universal Vision a UK company that specializes in 360 Visual Tours. Some samples have been placed on the MCTA website home page and you are encouraged to visit www.kenyacoast.net  to view these special moving shows. You can book a free photo shoot of your property or service as the specialist photo team will be at the coast during June. If you want to have your own unique 360 Virtual tours please contact us.

2010 to 2014 MCTA STRATEGY

MCTA held a two day Strategic Planning Retreat at Malindi’s delightful African Dream beach hotel operated by the Plan Hotel group under the professional care of Bruno Fontana. During the stay participants visited some of Malindi’s unique hotel properties and learnt of the surprisingly high standards and the fusion of Swahili and Italian art designs that are truly unique. Led by consultant Rogers Odima of C.I.M.S, the participants included MCTA members plus tourism private and public sector stakeholders with participation from many parts of Kenya that included Ken Invest, KWS, MOT, KTB, KTF, KAM, hoteliers, airlines, travel agents and tour operators. The Retreat was officially opened by His Worship, Samson Mkutano Mapinga, the Mayor of Malindi and the Malindi Tourism Councillor, Ken Nyacharo also added some opening remarks. The strategic plan for the next 3 years will be unveiled at the AGM.

NEW MEMBERS AND MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

MCTA has pleasure welcoming the following new members :-

• The South Coast Residents Association; The Casino Malindi and Southern Sky Safaris of  Malindi.

A morning MCTA Meeting was held at Casino Malindi and a presentation made to prospective new members and the recruitment team will soon follow up. Thank you Bobby Cellini for the Conference Room and modern IT equipment that allow the presentation to be shown on a giant TV screen.

Cocktails were held at The Tamarind Private Dining Room for potential new Mombasa members and a presentation highlighting MCTA history, achievements, objectives and current agenda was well received by 30 selected guests. Thank you Tamarind for an excellent venue and superb bitings.

To achieve its mandate of promoting coast tourism, MCTA requires funds and member subscription provide those funds. At the AGM you will receive Brochures as part of our membership drive. Each member is now asked to market and sell the MCTA strengths and sign up one new coast tourism member.

LOCAL HERO

MCTA honours local heroes by congratulating Sheikh Basukuti Sail Ali in his continuous crusade against the illegal drug trade at the coast. Mombasa Old town and Lamu residents become sadly affected as unemployment is high and the youths are especially vulnerable. The fight continues with new screening processes at the port and a recent successful heroin raid .Cabinet ministers have called on the coast police and high authorities to crack down on drug barons even when it is known they are politicians.

MCTA ACTIVITIES

To enhance internal governance via training programmes, both Millicent Odhiambo the MCTA Executive Officer and Abzein Alawy, the MCTA Chairman of the Cultural Committee travelled to Nairobi for a one day course on Business Management conducted by the Business Advocacy Fund. In addition Millicent will attend a two day course in Nairobi on Budgetary procedures.

The French Embassy has generously made a grant of Sh1.2M to the MCTA Cultural Committee to help create an Old Town Food Bazaar. This will be an evening event close to Fort Jesus featuring Swahili food and culture and is intended to help the Old Town community and provide an interesting and rewarding cultural experience for our overseas visitors as well as residents.

MCTA is pleased to announce that the Executive Committee has appointed Mohammed Hersi as the new MCTA Vice Chairman of Hotels.

Larry Mvoi remains the Chairman of the Marketing Committee, a role for which he is well suited. Already he has moved to arrange a book distribution service plus place MCTA on a new prestigious Coffee Book amongst many other activities.

MCTA had a stand at the first national Museums of Kenya Malindi Cultural Festival and participated in various shows during the two day week-end event.

Phase I of the coast branding feasibility study has just been concluded with agreement that the coastal essence is the friendliness of its people and their unique Swahili cultural influences. The coast destination brand must therefore be centred on the word…Swahili.

To enhance cultural awareness MCTA has distributed two books (Mombasa Old Town) and (Discovering the Kenyan Coast) to various hotels and soon at selected bookshops. These attractive publications can be purchased at :-

Tamarind Boutique; Reef Hotel; Pa Pweza Adamsville; Plaza Beach Hotel; Serena Beach Hotel; Severin Sea Lodge; Nyali Beach Hotel; Tamarind Restaurant; Sun n Sand Beach Resort and Voyager Beach Resorts.

MCTA has now partnered with GO PLACES to distribute a special Coast Version of the Hotel, Restaurant and Entertainment Guide at Moi International Airport. This is in addition to the distribution of the Yellow Pages Visitors Guide.

VOLCANOS ONCE SHUT OUT THE SUN FOR 18 MONTHS

Iceland’s volcanic eruption and the resultant cloud of dust that drifted over Europe caused global major air travel disruption with the world’s largest closure of airspace since world war two. It is predicted that more volcanic eruptions will occur on Iceland. IATA accuses the European Airspace regulators of acting on computer model simulation and not facts. In addition flaws in Europe’s draconian consumer protection rules must now be resolved. Ultimately it is insurers who provide protection and airlines cannot be held responsible for forces of nature beyond any ones control.

The Kenya Coast and package flights was affected by the airspace closure but as the event was close to the end of the winter season, the disruption was not as severe as in many other parts of the world and the last charter flights flew out the stranded passengers after a one weeks enforced stay to close the ‘’high’ season.

VISAS

The arrest of 4 suspected terrorists from Dubai who proved to be ‘’Dubai Royals’’ on holiday, triggered a Visa War as those arrested claimed to be security personnel.

The resultant difficulty of obtaining a Visa for Dubai is seriously hurting many Kenyans and the Minister for Foreign Affairs will visit Dubai to try and repair the diplomatic damage. Meanwhile suggestions to prevent security ‘’profiling’’ are truly regrettable as the profiling system is highly effective when practiced professionally.

On a more positive note it has been confirmed that Kenya’s Ministry of Immigration has created a technical committee to oversee the implementation of an Electronic Visa for Kenya. This wonderful news is underlined by the fact that Rwanda, one of the five EAC members already has introduces electronic Visas.

KWS

New rates for national parks are set for 2012 with increases to $75. The new smart card has been shown to have limitations with large groups that cannot be captured and paid on one card. Tour Operator concerns are now raised on possible delays caused at the KWS Park Gates. Dr. Julius Kipngetich, the Director of KWS, promises that the new wildlife bill carries stiff penalties for poaching and closes loopholes that currently allow overdevelopment of camp and lodge beds in wildlife areas and prevent unscrupulous developers and county councils from sidestepping management plans.

8 persons are charged with killing a Rhino and are accused of illegal hunting. KWS exhibited the Rhino Horn in court. This continues the crackdown by KWS on all poaching in Kenya.

NATIONAL MUSEUMS

The Kenya National Museums NMK celebrates 40 years of service with riveting lectures by Richard Leaky and Ian Craig. Dr Joyce Nyario recently addressed the question of whether there really are 42 tribes in Kenya.  Pity some lectures are not at Fort Jesus in Mombasa, home to much of Swahili history.

National Museums of Kenya have launched their 2009-14 Strategic Plan designed to provide result based management to solve contempary issues using science, technology and innovation in a modern economy. Well done and good luck NMK.

LAMU

Conservationist in Lamu lead the way in showing how to stop inappropriate developments with the Town Clerk refusing permission to a local big-wig MP who wants to develop large scale properties on the sand dunes that damage the water table as he tries to hide behind inadequate or corrupted NEMA
approvals.

This is what the Mara needed years ago.

Lamu hoteliers want the town’s sewerage system to be privatized. Donors are available to help Lamu replace ancient sewers with a modern hygienic system whilst retaining world heritage status. Indeed it may be that lack of a hygienic sewerage system could lead to a loss of the world heritage privilege.

The Lamu County Council must learn the values of outsourcing do not mean loss of control.

WATER

The Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company, MWSC has disconnected contaminated water supply pipes on Mombasa Island after it was shown that a developer had connected a septic tank to storm water drains that serve the affected area.

Malindi will benefit from Sh.75 million allocated to the Malindi water and Sewerage Company the company Chairman informed tourism stakeholders.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The Kenya Ferry Services has appointed a new Managing Director and tenders have gone out to build new landing ramps that will enable more departures and arrivals. Meanwhile there is no news on impending prosecution of those responsible for the theft of 450 million shillings that lead to the scenes of chaos and jeopardised the south coast tourism industry.
The Kenya Ports Authority — KPA plans to upgrade Berth One to become a cruise ship passenger terminal with a sealed bid competition for the development project. This is a sensible low cost solution compared to the more ambitious task of building a new berth. This long awaited step must not be stopped by the doomsayers as piracy will eventually be brought under control.

Mombasa Port traffic increased by 16% in 2009 and handles more than three times the container units it was designed for thanks to container freight stations and a 24hour work ethic. However the SIMBA computer payment system for KRA crashed, causing major disruptions to the ports activities. It is time SIMBA was replaced. Meanwhile 90% of transit cargo is carried by overloaded trucks.

This destroys the roads and is a massive failure of Kenya’s railways system. Kenya’s poor road scenario is not helped when local politicians are unable to use 15 billion shillings of funds allocated in the national budget available for road repairs. A fast track but safe procurement system is needed. The EU Delegation leader said donors are willing to improve the capacity to fully utilize the infrastructure development. funds.

A port dredging contract has gone to tender. The dredging works are estimated to cost Sh.7 billion and will allow deeper and larger ships to use Mombasa Port.

This will allow direct shipments instead of transhipment via other ports.

The Ministry of Planning has rolled out an ambitious investment plan involving all sectors of the economy including tourism.  It is not clear how well this is co-ordinated with Ken-Invest or how supported the plan is with business incentives and tax breaks. In addition tourism faces stiff work permit requirements and KMA continues to push Clause 16 that requires 51% Kenyan ownership of any shipping concern. These issues point to a lack of policy cohesion on attracting investors. Meanwhile the Coast Water Company faces large problems in obtaining funding to rebuild Mombasa islands dilapidated sewerage system. During the 2010/2011 financial year Kenya will spend Sh156 billion on infrastructure split between roads, housing, transport, public works and energy. Infrastructure development is crucial to stimulating economic growth but the costs of energy in Kenya remain 3 to 4 times higher than is some other parts of the world.

LEGISLATION AT COMMITTEE STAGE

The Competition Bill (Bill No. 3) of 2009 published by Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, is intended to repeal the Restrictive Trade Practices, Monopolies and Price Control Act (Cap 504), and to provide for the conversion of the Monopolies and Prices Department to an autonomous regulatory agency to be called the Competition Authority. The authority shall be responsible for safeguarding and promoting competition in the national economy, protect consumers from unfair market conduct.

NEWS BRIEFS

• Congratulations to Lucy Karume on being re-elected for a further 2 years as Chairperson of
• the Kenya Tourism Federation. KTF has also modernized its constitution, something MCTA may wish to emulate.

• The Hotel and Restaurant Authority will delay the new EAC hotel Classification grading
• exercise until November and now enters into strategic planning for a more modern and efficient hotel and restaurant authority that provides value added services to the tourism industry.

• The former African Safari Club cruise liner, renamed the Ocean Mist hosted a cocktail reception during its launch of new luxury cruises from Mombasa to Pemba, Zanzibar and beyond. Congratulations and good luck to this exciting new start.

• Malindi has a new Police boss, David Karima, formerly stationed at Gigiri. He replaces Peter Kattam who is posted to Garrisa. Meanwhile the KAA will remove squatters from the sensitive VOR navigation facility site on safety grounds adjacent to Malindi Airport.

• The Mombasa Serena Hotel hosted Africa Model agency drive to find 100 models from the coast province. Professional Modelling offers a serious career and an opportunity for young sex workers to escape the trade.

• The Karamoja cluster of Pokot, Masai and Turkana pastoralists have relatives across the border and melt away during disarmament initiatives in Kenya. Lack of infrastructure and artisan training leaves pastoralists dependant a gun dependant culture based on raids for wealth creation. A policy that provides a lasting solution is urgently needed.

• Legalizing the charcoal industry is supposed to bring Sh.5 billion to the government tax coffers although how the collection will work is anyone’s guess. Kenya’s forest cover, at just 2% is well below the minimum recommended 10% and burning charcoal is one of the biggest threats to our forests unless an aggressive now policy is created. Does anyone have an idea to save the environment from charcoal burning?

• It is time the government resolved ancient land and cattle rights that have no place in modern society and develop a modern national business development plan based on a productive national economy.

MCTA STRATEGIC PLAN

MCTA was started in 1948 to foster and improve the coast regions tourism industry and this large mandate requires significant effort, research and funding. On 15th and 16th April a Strategic Planning workshop was held at Malindi’s Tropical African Dream Hotel to plan future service delivery.  The rational for the workshop are the numerous political, social and economic changes that affect coast tourism during the past decade.

The opening ceremony was conducted by Sampson Mapingo, His Worship, the Mayor of Malindi. The workshop was conducted by Rogers Odima of Continuous Improvement Management Services. Many travelled from Nairobi and Mombasa for the two day event that was attended by 28 persons that included Executive Committee members, the Executive Officer, a Trustee plus individual MCTA members together with representatives from Ken-Invest, KWS, KTB, MOT, SCRA, KAM, NEMA, KTF and BAF.

The core documents that guided the participants was the June 2009 Coast Tourism Task Force Strategic Plan and the MCTA Constitution. The mandate, legal structure and identity (name) were considered, together with an evaluation of how to mobilize resources to deliver services and become a useful resource centre under new tourism legislation.

The participants considered and approved a new logo, mission and vision statement and the MCTA goals. They performed a tourism stakeholder analysis, a MCTA SWOT and Kenya Coast PESTEL analysis that formed the input for agreed key strategic objectives. This enabled the creation of a Business Plan for the period 2011 to 2013.

THE MAIN OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ARE SHOWN BELOW

It is planned that funding for service delivery will derive from leasing the town property and increasing membership. The Business Advocacy Fund (BAF) will provide a grant to create a member recruitment and retention strategy.

MCTA AGM

MCTA thanks the Tamarind Village, for generously making the Weldon Conference Room available for the AGM held on Wednesday 19th May.

All who attended received a hard copy of the MCTA Strategic Plan plus the third draft of the national tourism code of practice. The event was well attended and the Chief Guest was Mr Ernest Munyi, the Coast Provincial Commissioner. The guest speaker was Mr Issa Timamy, Chairman of the National Museums of Kenya. Mr Timamy made an absorbing presentation on the National Museums of Kenya that are about to celebrate 100 years of history. Kenya has taken national heritage and culture seriously and the Nairobi Museum is the most visited institute in Nairobi and has been visited by most royalty and heads of state. As a cradle of mankind, Kenya has contributed enormously to the knowledge of ancient man and many of the exhibits are so valuable they are kept in an underground vault. Kenya has two world heritage sites and many protected monuments. NMK supports HIV research and Swahili language studies and has considerable synergies with the tourism industry.

Mr John Duffy, the consultant studying the feasibility of branding the coast as a separate destination,  made a report of Phase I that has identified the coastal essence or “DNA” as the Swahili people and culture that will form the regional brand identity.  Phase I of the regional sub- branding study has taken many months and involved a large number of structured interviews and various levels of stakeholder input including consideration of exit polls and visitor questionnaires. Phase II now involves bringing the brand to life.

Mohammed Hersi, the MCTA Vice Chairman for Hotels made an energetic presentation on Web Advisor statistics with some encouraging facts.

Lamu ranks ranks No. 1 in best beaches in Africa… as well as No. 1 in the romance category. Malindi ranks No. 7 in Africa’s most popular beach destinations, ahead of
Seychelles. Kenya has 2 two beaches in the top 10.

The Masai Mara ranks No. 2 in Africa for adventure and Nairobi ranks No. 11 in Africa.

In the Africa Category of’’ beach and sun,’ Watamu ranks No. 2 and Mombasa No. 9.

Trip advisor is an aggregate of consumer feed back and the results are most encouraging to us all in Kenya.

Larry Mvoi, Chairman of Marketing spoke about the well accepted website at www.kenyacoast.net and web ad opportunities. If you are a member please call Larry on 0715 515153 or 0733 752337 or Azim  on 0722 351288 or 0736 912959 or Millicent on 0722 475796 or 0733 789335 or email at director@animatrixstudios.com or mcta@africaonline.co.ke to book your space. Favourably priced at only Kes. 10,000/= a year and MCTA Web Ad gives you a full page and includes a booking form.

As part of the communications strategy, every month a newsletter keeps members and selected readers an up date on coast and national tourism. The profile of MCTA has been raised and all the sub committees routinely interact with various ministries.

Two books on coast history and culture have been distributed to many beach hotels to raise awareness of the Swahili history. In addition a total of about 20,000 Yellow Pages and Go Places tourist guides have been given to arriving international visitors at Moi airport throughout the High Season with the active co-operation of the Airport Immigration staff.

He made an appeal to all members to introduce one new member to support the new strategic plan.

John Cleave, the Chairman made a presentation on beach management and the importance of creating a trust to manage the tourism stalls. The need to work closely with KWS and the local authorities was emphasized to create rules that make beach trading illegal and to provide beach patrols. Beach management will determine the coast regions future.

Alawy Abzein, Chairman of the Culture Committee made a presentation on coast culture and history and explained that his committee will oversee an initiative to create a new Old Town Evening Bazaar adjacent to Fort Jesus with food stalls for residents and tourists. The project is funded by the French Embassy.

Simon Hemphill, a member of the Conservation and Regulation Committee, made a presentation on proposed new regulations to govern commercial boat operations. The new laws are being co-ordinated with KMA. In addition a voluntary code for all water sports is under consideration. This was originally planned to be included in the draft national tourism code of practice but has to be a stand alone set of regulations.

KAHC SYMPOSIUM

Following immediately after the MCTA AGM, the 2010 KAHC Symposium was held at Sarova Whitesands Hotel on May 20th and 21st and continued this years MOT workshop theme that has already included, Infrastructure, Transport, Marketing, Security and
Conservation.

The Minister for Tourism, Honourable Najib Balala challenged the industry to be innovative. He mentioned Kenya Airways flight cancellations and delays as well poor meal quality provided by NAS. The Minister reminded both companies they fly the Kenya flag and must project a positive image.

He also stressed the need for the private sector to create a tourism council that would partner with MOT in a realistic way to drive the tourism industry.  The current fractured approach is not strong enough.

A presentation were made by Honourable Amason Kingi, the Minister for EAC, on recent EAC successes and future plans for one currency and a political federation.

Engineer Njoroge MD KPLC explained why power supply is expensive and sometimes erratic and the Honourable Minister for Trade, Amos Kimunya made a presentation on trade matters.

MOT parastatals KTDC, KUC and CTDL each made a presentation on their service
delivery.

CDTL were challenged as their accounts show only 50% of the amount collected is dispersed. With an annual collection of one billion shillings, 350 million shillings were paid to Utalli College and 150 million shillings to KTB leaving a balance of 500 million shillings. As this was not paid to any organization, the collection costs amount to 50%.

The private sector wishes to deepen and widen the levy collection but only under a strictly controlled collection process to improve the dispersal. Ultimately what mattes is how much CTDL pay out and CTDL was reminded that KRA offered to do the same job for 5%

With a 5% collection cost one billion would result in 950 million being dispersed …an extra 450 million. Shillings 100 million could fund the new HRA EAC classification. An extra Shillings 150 million to KUC would allow professional benchmarking and Guide training to take place and still leave Shillings 200 million for KTB.

200 million could bring 20,000 extra visitors and 2,000 new jobs for Kenyans. This is called integration of effort and it’s a powerful tool.

PERAK revealed that nearly 60% of the training levy comes from the entertainment industry…a surprise to may. Also revealed was a low 30% compliance with bar licensing in Nairobi’s CBD.

KTDC also revealed inadequacies as data show that KTDC is unable to service less than 1% of market demand for loans. Privatization seems the only sensible course as it makes no sense for the government to compete in a market that it regulates and facilitates.

The New Tourism Bill will address many issues…as would the creation of a tourism council to privatize the levy collection.

POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS

• KTB statistics show that up country tourism arrivals have recovered to 2007 levels and first quarter 2010 arrivals are improving on this.

• The industry continues to benefit from the constant efforts of a dedicated and knowledgeable Minister. The Honourable Najib Balala continues to win budget support for destination marketing and KTB continue to provide a successful marketing campaign. The CNN television advertisement was the first of its kind for Kenya and helped drive the tourism recovery process.

• The recent JAMBO TV consumer advertising campaign is refreshingly modern and attractive and after showing across Europe for this summer season will bring a large increase in coast bookings for the winter season. Thank you KTB.

• KTB have increased the number of overseas Marketing Development Representatives and now cover a much larger world segment than before.

• The Tourism Policy has been passed and the tourism bill continues to progress through the parliament approval process.

• A series of informative Ministry of Tourism Workshops was held in Mombasa under the themes of Infrastructure, Environment, Marketing and Security.

• KTB’s mandate has increased to include the promotion of domestic tourism which will require new regional offices.  The Minster for Tourism has proposed a lease and/or development of the MCTA town office and this will fit well with our Strategic Plan.

• A new EAC hotel classification system has been created and will be introduced in November after hotels have been given time to comply with the new standards.
• The draft national code of tourism practise has reached the third draft and workshops are planned in the near future.

• A new branch of Utalii College, named Ronald Ngala College, will be built at Vipingo

• KWS continues to fight poaching and Kenya won the battle to keep Elephant in CITES 11 and prevent the sale of ivory.

• KWS have proposed a solution to beach security and control of harassment with free marine park entrance added as a package that requires a beach levy of $0.50 per night.

• KWS have introduced a new Smart Card that should improve park entrance procedures.

• President Kibaki’s focus on infrastructure means more funds for roads, plans for a standard gauge railway, and a future new port at Lamu.

• La Farge have agreed to provide 15 acres of land for the development of an International Conference Centre and possible site for a coast branch of Bomas of Kenya.

• The Ransley Police Report has provided a blueprint to modernise the police force and the TPU continue to perform well in certain areas.

• A 4x4 duty waiver has been agreed and this will help tour operators improve their fleets of tourist vehicles.

• A successful Tsunami warning exercise was carried out as part of a national disaster effort. Mombasa Airport also held a successful mock disaster exercise.

• Efforts to build a hard stand along the entire Lamu Water front are succeeding and plans have been produced to modernise the old town sewer system. In addition developments on Shella’s sand dunes have been stopped.

• Some Fisheries Beach Management Units are slowly bringing improvement to the local fishing communities.

• Some beach hotels re-opened or came out of receivership and new camps have been built in Amboseli and a new up market air safari has been introduced.

• TTF continue to plan and implement a beach management strategy with the building of a pilot tourism market project at Malindi’s Silver Beach.         

MCTA WISHES YOU A HAPPY MADARAKA DAY !!

• The Athi-Galana-Sabaki river system drains a catchment area of 70,000 km2 and the sediment load has increased from 50,000 tonnes per year in the 50’s to urrent rates of between 5 to 13 million tonnes. Poor land use upstream causes this problem which threatens coastal mangrove, sea grass beds, and coral habitats as well as the aesthetic quality of some beaches. An integrated river basin management approach is needed to solve the problem.

• Dugongs (mistaken for mermaids in olden times) feed on sea grass. Large herds were common in the 1960’s and 500 were reported at the south coast in 1967.

• Today the numbers are unknown but only 10 were counted in 1994. There are no funds for research but the Dugong could be a major attraction and is a threatened species.

• KWS and KESCOM have had more successes with turtles and between 1995 and 2006, 70,000 nests were successfully protected or relocated and 800,000 hatchlings successfully released.

• High medical costs hamper the use of modern medical services throughout the coast region and more than 40% of coastal dwellers visit traditional healers as a first option. Kenya does not yet have effluent standards for discharge of sewerage into the sea. Coast water and sewerage systems are characterized by poor planning, mismanagement and lack of technical expertise (World Bank 1996).

• The coast is characterized by poor implementation of policy measures since the 1970’s. The Growth Centre Policy failed to direct human settlement away from Mombasa which has resulted in lack of rural investment and poor rural roads.

• The nine Mijikenda sub tribes and the kaya forests have received little attention despite their fascinating history and the cultural and spiritual significance of their forests is being eroded.

• Dredging the Lamu channel interfered with the hydrology and resulted in defoliation of some mangrove areas. However most have recovered. Mangrove poles were exported from Lamu as early as 200BC. In the 1970’s 34,000 scores of poles were exported but the trade was stopped by the President in 1982. Since then much evidence has been produced on how to manage mangrove production in a sustainable manner. Lifting the ban, coupled to a national mangrove management plan, would realize the commercial potential of the mangrove trade.

• The aviation industry wins concessions on engine lease payments and withholding tax on offshore leases as well as VAT exemption on landing and parking fees for
  aircraft.

• Late PAYE payment penalties are no longer applicable.
  

• VAT refunds will be speeded up.
  

• Double taxation treaties are now in place with all East African States. This will enhance regional investments.

• K.Shillings 182 billion has been allocated to infrastructure development to ease transport costs for business and individuals. This is 20% more than the last year, itself a record year.

• Richard Leakey adds his voice for the call to stop importing Furadan to Kenya . The insecticide has been used to poison Lions and is alleged to be on the list of banned imports but remains on sale throughout Kenya .

• The Kenya Airport Parking Services (KAPS) continue to expand their services by being appointed as the official revenue collecting agency for the Trans Mara National reserve, commonly known as the Mara Triangle. Tickets will be paid electronically and KATO has been appointed as a sub agent.

• Mombasa ’s Town Clerk, Tubman Otieno, has given the go ahead for the Sharif Nassir Foundation to seal an abandoned building at Mwembe Tayari as part of the crack down on drug peddlers.

• NEMA is pushing for sewerage regulation compliance and has taken a case against VN Mulji and Company at Kiembeni Estate in Mombasa who are alleged to have allowed raw sewage to be discharged into the Indian Ocean .

• As the wildlife migration season approaches and elephant start to move, KWS is embarking on a community sensitization campaign with a series of public meetings.

• Kenya Airways returns to profit and has started new services to Juba and will soon add Rome to its growing number of destinations. Kenya Airways has ordered 9 new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

REFERNDUM ON DRAFT CONSTITUTION

MCTA is a non political organization. However the referendum is a major step in Kenya’s development and voting YES or NO is not about party politics.

Together, with many other business organizations, MCTA supports beneficial change and the new constitution is seen as beneficial.

The new constitution will eventually lead to issue based politics.

As a non political organization, MCTA can point to the ‘’issues’’ as the development needs of the country.

People power means nothing without people knowledge. When, as a voter at general elections, you know what your country needs and vote only for those needs, you can easily select the party to vote for and then hold that party accountable. If no political party offers what your country needs, then do not vote. That’s democracy in action. It’s one end product of national education.

This is what Kenya needs.

Plentiful clean water.

Lower priced non carbon based electricity geared to pay individuals that put power back into the national grid.

Water drainage for all roads and urban areas.

New roads and highways constructed all across the country as well as a new and expanded rail network.

An adequately manned and well trained police force to assist the public.

An independent properly manned justice system that is speeded up with
stenographers and computer based records.

More universities, technical training and vocational training organizations.

Your vote during the Referendum on Wednesday can bring these needed
reforms sooner.

The Kenya Tourism Federation will operate a fleet of observation vehicles as well as ground based observers at strategic places from Tuesday to Thursday this week. The referendum voting will be on Wednesday. It is expected to be peaceful but members are asked to exercise caution and be sensible. Please also ensure that all employees are granted time off to vote.

The KTF observation team will report on any disturbances and steer tourist traffic away. At the coast KAHC will provide food for the drivers. MCTA will supply the water. KATO will supply the cars and drivers.

If you are a Kenya citizen please go and vote.

Kenya is at a crossroads. Political reform is necessary and required under Agenda Four of the Kofi Annan brokered coalition agreement.

The government security services have been enhanced to provide protection and ensure a peaceful process. Most polls show that Kenyans will approve the draft constitution. Most business and social leaders prefer the draft constitution to the present as it should encourage regional service delivery, reduce corruption and lead to higher levels of overseas investor confidence.

Please be careful over the next days and avoid unnecessary travel or visiting places where large crowds gather. If necessary be ready to drive on alternative routes.

THE COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

The Kenya Director of the World Bank, Johannes Zutt, recognizes that the coast has remained underdeveloped too long and wishes to see tourism and fisheries improve living standards under Vision 2030. The World Bank has, therefore, loaned Shillings 2.8 Billion for the Kenya Coastal Development Project and, in addition, made a grant of Shillings 405 Million for the sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity.

The Coastal Development Project aims to promote environmentally sustainable management of Kenya's coastal and marine resources by strengthening relevant government agencies and enhancing the capacity of rural micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in selected coastal communities.

There are four components to the project.

The first is sustainable management of fisheries resources. The project will support reform of fisheries management in the Kenyan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The support will include legislation and regulatory review, capacity building and the strengthening of monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities. In addition, this component will also promote research on near-shore fish stocks, and improve the use of near-shore fisheries, including providing assistance to develop more sustainable and profitable fishing practices.

The Beach Management Unit (BMU) Regulations now provide a legal framework for beach fish landing sites and has been used to provide legal cover for unregulated and destructive forms of ring net fishing.

It is interesting to note that the purchase of a dhow to operate marine tours in Malindi has led to conflict at Shimoni as the dhow has relocated there. In addition, the recent creation of private marine conservancies by local communities is highly controversial, and has set up conflict with KWS.

Co ordination with key tourism players will improve this valuable project.

The second component of the project is sound management and regeneration of natural resources and biodiversity in the coastal and marine environments. A related goal is identifying biodiversity products and markets that will help promote eco-tourism and associated spin-off industries.

The third component aims to promote sustainable rural development and livelihoods under a sound governance framework via spatial planning and land capability mapping in geographically focused pilot areas within an Integrated Coastal Management Plan.

The fourth component aims to build project coordination and the implementation teams' capacity, and promote dialogue amongst national partners and regional stakeholders, and develop a communication strategy for development outreach via a Coast Village Fund.

VISION 2030 CREATION OF THREE TOURISM CITIES

On Friday 23rd, the South Coast Residents Association held a Workshop at Leisure Lodge to interact with Mr. DeMaar from Holland, a specialist in Physical Planning for City Resorts.

Bart DeMaar was instrumental in the development of Amersfoort in Holland, an ancient canal city that won the prize for Green City Development in Europe.

A Diani Development Plan was created in 1974 but later shelved. In practice, little development at the south coast can take place until the Dongo Kundu by-pass road is constructed. Under Vision 2030 the Tourism Development Plan requires the construction of three new tourism ‘’city resorts’’. One will be built at Isiolo. In line with prioritizing coast regional development as the area best able to absorb the large influx of additional tourists, the coast region will have two such ‘’cities’’. One will be built in Kilifi District and one at the Diani / Waa area.

Little is known about tourism cities and the workshop was organized to raise awareness and capture the concerns and wishes of the Diani residents.

What emerged from the group discussion is that the word ‘’city’’ is a misnomer.

Genuine tourist cities are those that have been in existence for a long time but that have come to depend on tourism as a principal source of revenue. One such example is Venice in Italy. Many such cities are on the coast but none were created for the purpose of tourism.

Dubai, is a ‘’false’’ city in the sense that it has been artificially created from nothing. However it is an airline hub and commercial centre and tourism is a by product. Mr. DeMaar has the responsibility of planning the Diani future tourism development and has much experience. He was quick to assure everyone that there is no plan to build a ‘’Sun City’’ at Diani. He reassured all that there will be no imposition of an unwanted development and that the Diani residents and business and local community will plan the developmental guidelines from the very beginning.

Some seven national parks and reserves in Kenya currently receive about 80% of visitors and there is a need to diversify other products such as ‘’resort cities’’. This will require good local governance to ensure livability, stability, security, liberal investment climate, integrity, accountability, transparency and public confidence.

The overall project is the creation of an Area Management Plan that addresses infrastructure, transport, environmental protection and investment. The theme of the resort area will be agreed with residents and investors and provide for land use for 20 to 30 years that encompasses water supply, sewage, drainage, solid waste management, roads and street lighting, energy, rainwater harvesting and a zonal plan for housing, recreation, hospitals, business, and tourism amenities.

The government’s role is to assist the planning and source private investors. Base mapping and data collection, feasibility studies and analysis are already underway and a draft structure plan should be ready by the end of the year.

Mr. DeMaar promised to summarize the captured written vision and implementation priorities captured from during the workshop participants so that they may be shared.

Congratulations to the SCRA team for arranging this important workshop and to Onesmus Macharia, ex KWS Warden and SCRA committee Member for leading much of the private sector discussion.

A follow up meeting on the future of Diani will be held on Friday 5th August.

KENYA TOURISM FEDERATION COMMUNICATIONS AND SAFETY

Last month the Travellers Beach Hotel hosted a visiting KTF Team from their Safety and Communications Centre based at KWS Langata, Nairobi.

Mike Muriithi, the KATO Coast Executive Officer and former Police Assistant Commissioner, acts as the KTF coast coordination officer. A large number of hotel security managers and tour operators attended to discuss crime against tourists at the coast. Representatives from KAHC, PERAK, KATO, MCTA, KALTO, KWS and Beach Operators gave their views. It was noted that tourists are mainly short term visitors who are not able to be represented after they leave Kenya. Fast police response and investigation are needed. KTF is considering a new legal instrument designed to provide tourists with representation after they leave the country. Planned police reforms will lead to future improvements and are more likely under the proposed new constitution.

The participants called for more TPU patrols to cover self catering cottages, guest houses and clubs and restaurants, special procedures to quickly release recovered property, more police courtesy and professionalism and for a TPU Liaison Officer. The KTF SCC team were challenged to be more pro-active and to coordinate reactions and follow up on coast incidents. A proposed future Coast Centre was seen as a positive development and encouraged.

Contact Numbers are 0722-600200 and 0721-240840. A follow-up number is 0722-745644.

GLAD HOUSE UK AND COAST CHARITY

Forty young people many of whom were previously living on the streets of Mombasa have been given new lives working as caddies at the new Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort.

The caddies have been trained by the charity, Glad’s House, in association with the European Tour Caddies Association and funded by the Tour Players Foundation - The charitable arm of the European Tour and its Members. They have learned the rules of golf and the principles of caddying and are flourishing in their new careers.

Dr Cliff Ferguson, the founder of Glad’s House and Robert Ward, will present the CEO of Vipingo Ridge the caddies with their certificates and new uniforms. The charity works with street children in Mombasa, providing them with education, training and employment opportunities. Also attending will be Brian McConnell, Paul Cast and Ken Herring caddies from the European Tour who have been giving the young people an insight into the life of a professional tour caddy and finalizing their training.

Their training and the graduation ceremony is being film by Sky Television and will be shown on prime time TV, late August and early September.

KENYA AIRWAYS CODE SHARE

In addition to adding flights to Angola in West Africa, Kenya Airways continues expanding its services through their Nairobi hub with a code share agreement with Jet Airways of India to expand the capacity on the Nairobi / Mumbai (Bombay) route. The code share agreement will open up routes in India to passengers booking with Kenya Airways and also open up routes throughout Africa for Indian passengers flying with Jet Airways.

MOMBASA TRAFFIC CONGESTION

The Provincial Commissioner’s Traffic Congestion Committee has been split into three sub committees. One deals with safety and the Highway Code, public awareness of road use, pedestrian and school crossings, matatu bus stops and route control.

The second deals with traffic flow, pot holes and planning one way streets and other infrastructural improvements.

The third deals with congestion at Port Reitz and Changamwe and access to the airport.

Each Committee is tasked to provide short, medium and long term solutions. The work is frustrated by apparent lack of funds and confusion over the areas under Urban Highways and National highways. The Mombasa Council is no longer responsible for road maintenance. A new form of pre-mix material to repair potholes has not materialized and Mombasa’s potholes continue to get worse despite the fact that the rains have ended.

It has been revealed that a KPA past decision to deal only with Container Freight Stations located within 5 kilometers of the Port has lead to the current congestion of trucks, trailers and tractors around the Moi International Airport. In addition, the lucrative Container Freight Station business has attracted investors that have no consideration for road users and build their new Stations without drainage, access roads or adequate parking for trucks.

A promise to repair the large potholes around the MCT CFS on the Airport Road has not been fulfilled. Access to Mombasa’s International Airport has deteriorated to unacceptable levels and planned expansion of Mombasa’s port will make the situation worse.

Spatial planning of container movement and storage is now an urgent necessity with new rules required. Mombasa Island now has traffic bottlenecks at Likoni, Nyali and Changamwe and serious engineering planning input is needed rather than hot air expended at countless committee meetings.

Simple plans are being considered to improve traffic flow around Kengeleni, Kongowea Market and Nakumat Cinemax but are held up because the Mombasa Municipality is unable to provide accurate plans of those areas.

NEWS BRIEFS

• KWS has issued a new prospectus for investors in Tsavo.

• KWS have published the new Park fees.

• The new Likoni Ferries are in service but undergoing teething problems. KFS has repossessed land to build expanded ramps.

• There is speculation that mining interests are behind the drive to build a tarmac road through the Serengeti.

• Kenya Visa fees set to increase to $50 by January.

• GO-PLACES Coast Guide distribution at MIA continues as a coast tourist arrivals increase.

• Coast hotels start discussions on beach patrol co-operation with KWS as a pilot project involving three north coast and three south coast beach hotels.

MCTA WISHES YOU A HAPPY MADARAKA DAY !!

EID MUBARAK !

Good wishes to our Muslism brothers and sisters on the joyous occasion of Eid Ul Fitr

Muslims all over the coast
look forward to Eid Mubarak followed by the weekend to celebrate the completion of the holy month of Ramadan and the joyous occasion of Eid-ul Fitr.

SOUTH COAST ROAD DEVELOPMENTS
At a recent meeting with the Coast Regional Manager of Kenya Rural Roads Authority, Engineer
W. D. Ochieng, he was pleased to announce that his division of the Roads Authority has a significant road development plan for the south coast with the construction of a new tarmac road from Shelly Beach to Tiwi.
The road plan includes a bridge over the Tiwi River to connect with the Diani Beach Road. Work is scheduled to start this year. This re-opens a similar plan developed about 20 years ago for the south coast development and marks a major milestone in coast tourism development. The Roads Authority is now split into three sections under the direction of the Kenya Roads Board. The private sector is well represented on the Kenya Roads Board by Betty Maina of KAM and Robert Cullen of KATO.
MCTA applauds this positive development. The split up of the Roads Authority into three units should create focused attention to roads. In addition to receiving a large European Union grant for roads, the Kenya Government has also floated an infrastructure bond to raise finance for structural improvements.
The National Highway Authority is responsible for the all the major A, B and C classified roads in Kenya.
The Kenya Urban Highway Authority has taken over the responsibilities of Mom­basa City road repairs, rehabilitation and construction, held formerly by the City
The Kenya Urban Highway Authority has taken over the responsibilities of Mom­basa City road repairs, rehabilitation and construction, held formerly by the City Council.
Under the 2007 Roads Act, Urban Roads Authority excludes major towns and cities but a recent change seems to have occurred with KURA taking over from the Mombasa Municipal Council. MCM, however, retain the planning function. This is a confusing state of affairs.

ROAD REPAIRS AND MOMBASA IMPROVEMENTS
Following a series of private sector stakeholder meetings with the PC, repairs are now underway to some of the worst potholes in Mombasa. This is a welcome move but a lot remains to be done.
Meanwhile the police retain a strong traffic presence to keep traffic flowing at bottlenecks. Action is still needed to ease traffic congestion
around Changamwe and the Airport Road despite recent efforts by the Ports Authority and various Container Freight Stations.
Traffic congestion around the airport is set to remain a significant problem unless further action is taken. As part of the general clean up in Mombasa, some of the larger rubbish dumps have been removed within the Central Business District and efforts are being made to replace light bulbs around the city. Thank you to Mombasa Municipal Council.

STREET CHILDREN ON THE RISE
The deployment of additional police to traffic duties has quickly been noticed by Mombasa’s street people and louts with a result that an infux of urchins and muggers has led to an escalation of bag snatching. The Tourist Police Unit have been asked to deploy more officers to the Mombasa Central Business district to combat this menace. Many such TPU officers are in plain clothes.
One lady tourist who was robbed of a chain set up a chase on foot and caught the thief. However he quickly swallowed the chain before the police arrested him. Fortunately the lady stayed long enough on holiday for nature to work and her chain was recovered !

COAST DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO CONSIDER BEACH CLEANLINESS
The new Managing Director of the Coast Development Authority is keen to actualize some of the projects and concepts developed by the Board over the past years. CDA has been populated by many bright talents but their work has often been shelved in the past.
The time is now right for CDA to help direct regional development planning in a serious manner. Mr. James Mangi, the MD, has years of executive experience to guide him and is keen to develop a plan to keep all the coast tourist beaches clean
The time is now right for CDA to help direct regional development planning in a serious manner. Mr. James Mangi, the MD, has years of executive experience to guide him and is keen to develop a plan to keep all the coast tourist beaches clean with specialized equipment and manpower in a practical and environmentally responsible manner. MCTA seeks representation on CDA Committees so that the private sector has a voice in coast development planning. CAP 449 sets out the powers and functions of the Authority under the Ministry of Regional Development.
The new dispensation will have considerable impact on the functioning of this Ministry and it is not clear if it will survive the reduction to 22 Ministries. The powerful CDA Board is comprised of the Coast PC (this will need to be amended in law) plus the Permanent Secretaries of Regional Development, Finance, Agriculture, Health, Water Development, and Tourism. In addition the Board has eight (8) other members who must be from the coast region.
The functions of the CDA are overall planning and integration of effort for the social and economic benefit of the coast and to start improvement projects under agriculture, forestry, wildlife and tourism, power generation, mining and fishing and create a regional development plan. Emphasis is placed in CAP 449 on water abstraction, water resources, river and soil protection and development of the fishing industry in the exclusive economic zone and liaison with the private sector.

MOMBASA POLICE CHIEFS CRACK DOWN ON CRIMINALS
In a welcome move, the Coast Provincial Police Chief, Leo Nyangesa, together with the Provincial Criminal Investigations Officer Reche Nyaga, conducted raids on known gang areas in Kongowea, Mishomoroni, Bombolulu and Kadongo that resulted in the break up of a cartel of thieves in the Kisauni area.
Police reform continues in Kenya as the Administration Police
are absorbed into the main police force. Traffic Police have been also exerting a crack down on Matatu bus operators in Mombasa and insisting that they display correct insurance details on their windscreens. The police are concerned with an increase in Matatu accidents and a P.C. Task force will conduct driver training seminars as well as distribute road safety leaflets and the Highway Code.
Police in Nyali foiled a robbery attempt on a local businessman and three attackers were shot dead. The new Coast Police Boss praised the Nyali Police for their success at combating crime.

COAST FISHERIES
The recently appointed Minister of Fisheries, Amason Jefwa Kingi is from the coast and he has promised coast fishermen that he is aware of their concerns over trawlers and boundaries.
The Fisheries Research Institute is the beneficiary of 2.3 Billion shillings. MCTA hopes that this money will be used to establish a viable off-shore fishery to exploit the potential 150,000 tones annual catch for the benefit of coastal development.
Nicholas Nthekethe, the newly appointed Coast Head of Fisheries recently held a stakeholders meeting at the request of MCTA where he was able to confirm that the controversial ring net fishering at the coast has been suspended pending the creation of a management Plan.

NEW KENYA PORTS AUTHORITY BOSS
Mr. Gichuru Ndua, the recently appointed Managing Direc­tor of the Kenya Ports Authority, has been quick to confirm that the port expansion plans are underway. Invitations have been sent out for commercial bids to convert Berths 11 to 14 into a fully fledged Container Terminal and will be accompa­nied by the privatization of the berths.
The expansion of berth facilities will allow up to three large ships to be handled at the same time. Port container volumes continue to increase from 585,000 in 2007 to 620,000 last year.
Mombasa Port expansion and the construction of a new port at Lamu are major components of coast development and MCTA support all such developments.
However in the process it is essential that a solution be found for traffic congestion caused by heavy commercial vehicles operating close to the airport.

TESPOK LAUNCHES INTERNET EXCHANGE POINT IN MOMBASA
Mombasa is the landing point for all undersea fiber cables in Kenya and, therefore also to all other inland neighboring countries. This means that Mombasa is a sensible location for international carriers to interconnect with the region.
hl ii iid iif( )h therefore also to all other inland neighboring countries. This means that Mombasa is a sensible location for international carriers to interconnect with the region.
The Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya (TESPOK) has launched an internet exchange point in Mombasa to improve efficiencies and cut costs. The new IXP will be hosted by SEACOM for 3 years and will target 12 ISP firms. Google have shown interest.

KENYA AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICES TO ROME
Starting from mid December, Kenya Airways will commence scheduled Boeing 767 services from Nairobi every Monday, Thursday and Saturday to Rome. The arrival time of 1905 at Nairobi should allow immediate connections to Mombasa. When the runway is lengthened at Malindi, this will allow immediate connections there also. Following the KLM
shareholders deal many years ago, this marks a welcome return to services to
other countries in Europe other than Holland.
To remove your name from our mailing list, please click here.
Questions or comments? E-mail us at airserve@mombasaairsafari.com or call 0733-410060

The Kenya Airports Authority at Mombasa have a new department to supply airport arrival data and they have agreed to publish the information monthly via their website and, in addition, direct to the tourism umbrella bodies for onward dissemination to the tourist industry. KAA are convinced that data needs to be fresh to have the most importance, and KAA plan to speed up the process routed currently via KTB. KAA recently revealed that MIA arrival figures for August 2010 have now reached the levels of August 2007. This is final confirmation that the coast tourism recovery is back on track. Recovery in the coast charter market always takes two years longer than Nairobi’s scheduled airline recovery due to the commercial restraints of conservative charter firms that serve the coast.

TALES OF A FLYING DUTCHMAN

A successful solo flying adventure recently came to an end in Mombasa as Joost Conyn, a 39 year old Dutchman helped to crate up his little flying machine to send back to his home country of Holland. With it go a heap of memories of fun and hardship.

Two years ago, Joost, previously a house painter, decided to have an adventure.

So, being a good handyman, he built himself a two seat micro-light airplane and set off to fly around Africa. For the first two months he hopped short distances across Belgium, France and Spain learning how to follow roads and safely cross the Pyrenees. In these months they had a number of engine failures and emergency landings until the design of the air intake was modified.

Africa was penetrated across the Straight of Gibraltar and from then on, Joost was flying solo with a temporary extra fuel tank in the passenger seat. He flew via the hot deserts of Mauritania and down the West Africa coast to Mali and Burkina Faso. Following a bout of malaria in Ouagadougou, the route took Joost to Niger and Chad. After one week in jail in the Central African Republic, he bribed his way to freedom and regained his confiscated passport. He then stopped in South Sudan and landed in a military rebellious area. Fortunately he was treated kindly and sent on his way with a gift of free petrol and some food. He was not so lucky in North Uganda and he found himself again in jail. With some inside help he managed to get free and flew on to Mombasa via Nairobi where he recovered his health and cash position. After 4 eventful months in Africa, Joost was happy to be in friendly Mombasa where the journey came to an end. Tired but happy, he dismantled his little toy plane at Benair’s Maintenance Hangar at Moi International Airport, prior to shipment back home in a container. He hopes to write a book about his travels and no doubt it will be a best seller. Good luck Joost…it was a pleasure to play a small part in your adventure

KENYA AIRWAYS ROUTE EXPANSION

A new code share agreement with Qantas allows passengers to now fly daily between Bangkok and Sydney and Nairobi and Bangkok. This will open up the lucrative Australian travel market to Kenya and the rest of Africa. Well done KQ. That’s not all as KQ will also open three times a week services between Nairobi and Rome thus opening more travel opportunities for the independent traveler. MCTA wishes Kenya Airways every success with the hope that soon flights will start to Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna, Copenhagen and Milan. Let’s open up Kenya to our tourist and business source markets and expand the national economy.

WATAMU WOMEN WALK FOR CHARITY

The Voice of Watamu Womens Group (VWWG) recently raised their voices and danced (not walked) the 25 kilometers from Malindi to Watamu for a highly entertaining and successful charity event under the hot sun. The Walk was in aid of local girl’s education, protection from the child sex trade, and for marine conservation.

Organized by Roseline Nabala the walk was supported and promoted by MCTA members, Watamu Marine Association, Hemingway’s and Turtle Bay Beach Club also sponsored the event with more than 500 women taking part.

PROPOSED HOTEL AND RESTAURANT AUTHORITY LOGO

The Hotel and Restaurant Authority (HRA) under the able leadership of Jane Mannaseh, held the 194th Board Meeting recently at Sai Rock Beach Hotel in Mombasa to agree a strategic plan and a new logo. The HRA is responsible for implementing the hospitality industries new EAC hotel Grading Plan which is to be rolled out in the future. The new logo has not been decided and readers may wish to give their views ? Can you propose an alternative logo ?

MOMBASA OLD TOWN EVENING BAZAAR

With generous financial help from the French Embassy, the Culture Committee of MCTA, under the Chairmanship of Abzein Alawy, recently launched the Old Town Evening Bazaar.With newly paved sidewalk’s and up to thirty food stalls, the Swahili Food Festival has been launched to a good start with 100 visitors on the first night plus special guests. Much needs to be done to broaden the types of food available and to start seeing tourists visit by the coach load. This project has potential to revive cultural tourism and bring Swahili culture back to the fore and help the economy of Mombasa’s historic Old Town.

MARA MANAGEMENT PLAN IN DISPUTE

In a shock move, the established lodges in the Mara triangle moved confidently and quickly to undermine the eco zone scheme planned for the Masai Mara Triangle governed by two county councils. Economic argument won out over the conservationist’s plans and the Mara Management Plan is in danger of being cast aside. One conclusion to be drawn from this is that the planners did not start with the views and aspirations of the main stakeholders. Whereas numerous workshops took place it seems they were shunned by the big investors.

No plan can work without input from existing vested interests and the entire scheme seems to be at odds with the interests of Heritage, Serena Hotels, Sarova and Wildlife Camps and Lodges that represent some of the original large scale Mara investors. Unless these differences can be resolved the Mara Management Plan will collapse. Years of hard work will go to waste. The entire chapter is one of misinformation and misunderstanding. Ecologists led by overseas money and interests set up an arms length discord for failure with local stakeholders.

Meanwhile squabbles are ensuing over the use of 4X4 vehicles and discriminatory park fees for camps outside the Mara Triangle. This is a definite case of lets start all over again and get it right with everyone providing input. Given the volumes of data available it should be possible to complete the exercise quickly with good will from all sides. One factor that must be considered is a formula for a maximum number of beds per conservation area. Without this, the Mara will remain a commercially over exploited zone. Meanwhile the Mara has already been blighted by over-development. This is far from a win-win situation but genuine effort is needed to stop the rot.

BEACH PROPERTIES TO BE DEMOLISHED

The Minister for Environment, John Michuki, has put all coast developers on short notice to pull down all structures built within 60 meters of the high water mark. Speaking to local fishermen and residents in Malindi, the Minister said it was the right of all Kenyans to have access to the beach and the sea. Some beach access roads have in the past been grabbed by tycoons who have built tourist facilities across government land.

A team has been dispatched to map out the high water mark and the Minister has instructed the NEMA boss, Dr. Ayub Macharia to follow up on his directive. All beach areas from Lamu to Shimoni will be affected and it is expected that demolition will be carried out by the local councils.

Demolition is to proceed under the supervision of the Provincial Environmental Officer Ali Mwanzei. This sets the stage for a major showdown with the tourism industry, as many hotels built their structures many years ago.

TOURISTS PROTEST BAD ROADS LEADING TO THE MARA

In a new twist to the old story of poor infrastructure and bad roads, a group of tourists led a demonstration against the condition of the Narok Mara road which becomes impassable during the rains. 300 protesters were joined by a group of tourists and led by Andrew Mungatana, Chairman of the Kenya Tourist Driver and Guides Association.

Pamela Jewett, from Holland was quoted as saying “Kenya is a beautiful country but the roads are in terrible condition. If the roads do not get repaired, we will advise our countrymen to shun Kenya and go elsewhere for their holidays”.

It is not clear if the section of the roads under protest is under the authority of the National Highway Board or the regional Highway Authority. Either way it’s clear that urgent action needs to be taken.

FOURTH PRESIDENTIAL FORUM

The 4th Presidential Private Sector Working Forum was held at Harambee House on October 13th. These Meetings are a political counterpoint to the already successful Prime Minister’s Round Table Conferences that occasionally show signs of spluttering out of focus in a politically hot country dominated by greed and corruption. The PM Meetings promises immediate action whilst the Presidential Meetings aim for policy changes and/or implementation. The Forum noted that the national land policy needs to be expedited and attempted to agree the priorities for Bills in Parliament. The President stressed the need for job creation against a background of youth population explosion and unemployment. Youth employment is a national priority and the President touched on the IT Sector as one able to provide job opportunities.

NEWS BRIEFS

• The Month of the Woman Entrepreneur was celebrated at the East Africa Regional Business hub of Nairobi at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre on September 28th to the 30th with delegates from across the region. Participants included FKE, FEWA, ILO, SACCO and Equity Bank. Micro finance has proven the stability of ladies as business partners and this is a broad base to create a movement up the business ladder to become capitalists in the true sense and create wealth and job opportunities.

• Kenya has dropped further down the annual corruption ranking to 154th out of 178 countries. No one in Kenya will be surprised. Daily headlines read like an insider’s journal of the Mafia. Astonishing events involving the grand larceny of billions of shillings by top businessmen and government officials are now commonplace and occasion no more than a shrug.

The obvious conclusion that the country must change it’s leadership is seldom mentioned because this is drowned out in feverish political commentary.

• Joseph Mkoma, KPLC Coast Manager, is set to spend Shs. 3 billion at the coast on 11 ongoing power projects across the coast region to install more electric sub stations to supplement the national grid.

• At a Meeting of Primary School Head Teachers held recently in Mombasa, The PS Education, Mr. James Kiyapi, spoke of ‘’retrogressive socio-cultural factors’’ at the coast. He referred to the regional custom of girls getting married at a very early age.

• Confusion surrounds the exact responsibilities each ministry carries in implementation of various sections of the new constitution. The Ministry of Local Government stepped forward and claimed leadership in creating new laws for county government. No one has yet mentioned the Ministry of Regional Development. What will happen to it’s mandates ?

• In a new tough move by the National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) sent out a warning that they will now sue local councils in Kenya that do not take proper action on waste disposal. MCTA applauds this new initiative wherein one government body holds another accountable.

• USAid will provide Kenya Shillings 532 million to boost conservation efforts to protect the Mau water table in a project known as PROMARA.

• More than half a million people have signed a global petition to urge governments around the world to protect seamen from piracy. Recent tough action against pirates in the Indian Ocean is welcomed by the major shipping firms.

• Musa Hassan, the MD of KFS, advised that the government has provided Kenya Shillings 900 million to improve the Likoni ferry services by building larger landing ramps to accommodate three ferries at the same time and new passenger lounges. In addition new engines will be supplied to the old ferries in an upgrade programme.

• The Chairman of the LCF, Ghalib Alwi, has announced that the 2010 Lamu Cultural festival will be held from 25th to 28th November this year.

Mombasa & Coast Tourist Association would like to wish you all a very happy New Year and a joyous start to 2011! We look forward to working with you throughout the year as we continue on our mission to strengthen and promote sustainable tourism along the Kenya coast.

We would also like to congratulate the Ministry of Tourism and Minster Najib Balala on the appointment of a new task force to look into ways to increase Kenya’s tourism by attracting more cruise liners. The mandate of the taskforce will be to identify incentives to make the port of Mombasa and the coastal town of Lamu more attractive to international cruise ships. This move has come about as a result of sharp declines in the number of cruise passengers to Mombasa from 12,000 in 2008 to only 1,500 in 2010. The task force is expected to be constituted by the end of January.

National Updates – what’s happening in Kenya

Holiday makers flock to the coast for Christmas and New Year
Jomo Kenyatta public beach has once again survived its busiest time of the year with vast numbers of holiday makers flocking down to its shores from all over the country. However, concerns were once again raised about the safety of the beach for such large volumes of people. Many children are reported to have gotten lost and ended up in police stations, and there is a clear lack of lifeguarded services in operation along the beaches. Given that our beaches are faced with the same overcrowding year after year it is not time to take action to create a safer and cleaner environment for all? See below for an update on how MCTA is working with the government on beach management and how you can get involved! 

Visitors to Malindi spend KSh 100m
Over the Christmas period visitors to Malindi are estimated to have spent more than KSh 100 million. Visitors included Italian billionaire Flavio Briatore who entertained guests in his luxury Lion in the Sun Resort in Casuarina – the resort won the coveted annual Tatler Award 2010 for the ‘best Spa in the world – Life Changing’ award. Mr. Briatore also announced that construction for the planned KSh 500 million ‘Billionaire Resort’ was expected to start in March 2011. Other guests to Malindi included Italian Princess Emmanuele Filiberto and Italian MPs Ferdinando Adornato and Lorenzo Cesa. Mr. Cesa is said to have since bought a house in Mayungu, Malindi.

Kenya’s heritage sites ‘poorly marketed’
Despite the rich cultural heritage that exist across Kenya, particularly at the coast, only a small amount of visitors to the country are lucky enough to sample it. Dr. Jeffrey Sherwin, a UK resident and frequent visitor to Kenya, believes Kenya could have a lot to gain if tour operators included the country’s rich heritage alongside the sun, sea and safari. After visiting Gede Ruins in Malindi, a heritage site he believed to be world class, he was quoted as follows: “one gets the feeling that this important aspect of Kenya’s history is ignored yet it has the potential to enhance the country’s tourism status”. See below for more information on how MCTA is working to ensure the Swahili heritage is at the forefront of coastal marketing.

Mara prices on the rise
From March 1st 2011 visitors to the Maasai Mara National Reserve will pay higher park entry fees, a move that has been sanctioned by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government Musalia Mudavadi via gazette notice 16729 of 24th December 2010. The new charges will also impact on all vehicles, aircraft single loading fees, balloon service, and accommodation as well as special activities such as guided tours. The charge for non-East African residents will go up to $70 (KSh 5,600) inside the park and $80 (KSh 6,400) outside of the park. The charges have also been renamed as ‘conservation fees’ to reflect the contribution visitors are making to conserving Kenya’s parks and wildlife.

Likoni ferry prices increase

Our Vision is to be a ferry service of choice.

KENYA FERRY SERVICES LIMITED INTRODUCES PRO-RATED SHORT TERM FERRY PASSES FOR MOTORISTS AS TABULATED BELOW:

Pursuant to Kenya Gazette Legal notice no.137 dated 26th August, 2009. All vehicular toll rates remain unchanged.

PRIORITY PASS:

 CONDITIONS,

• Ferry pass consist of a disc and must be prominently displayed on the screen.
• Priority crossing is allowed in respect of a particular car privately owned by the applicant.

• This pass shall offer the motorist privilege of queue jumping from a designated point to board the ferry by following ramp controller’s instructions.

CONCESSION PASS:

 CONDITIONS,

• The holder of this pass shall be required to make full payment in advance.

• The possession of a concession pass neither gives nor implies priority or other privileges to either the car or its driver.

• The holder of this pass shall have no privilege to queue jump unlike the priority pass holders.

CRUISE EXCURSIONS /SERVICES

WE OFFER CRUISE/ LEISURE FERRY FOR HIRE FOR SCHOOL PARTIES, CONFERENCES/MEETING AND WEDDINGS.

Our mission is to efficiently operate a safe, reliable and sustainable ferry service that is customer driven and meets the expectations of stakeholders.

NB: ferry users kindly observe and follow safety instructions as per Kenya Ferry Services Safety Regulations.

PAYMENT ENQUIRIES CONTACT:
FINANCE DEPARTMENT

Kenya Ferry Services Ltd,    Tel; 0723664000/0736999906
P.o. Box 96242                Email: info@kenyaferry.co.ke
Likoni Mombasa.               Website: www.kenyaferry.co.ke

Fisherman in Watamu defy ban on ring netting
Although ring netting, banned by the Kenya Fisheries Department in April 2010, has long been recognised as an unsustainable fishing practice, controversy around this method of fishing continues. In December fishermen in Malindi petitioned Minister Amason Kingi to allow them to resume ring netting. Although the Minister has not approved their proposal fishermen on the South coast and in Kilifi, Takaungu and Watamu have been openly using ring nets in recent weeks. The East Africa Wildlife Society has demanded the Minister intervene to stop this blatant disregard of the law but to date ring nets are still in operation. In Watamu there is particular cause for concern as ring nets are being used inside the Marine Reserve which is a sanctuary for coral reefs, hundreds of coral reef species and endangered sea turtles. See below for more information on MCTA’s work to combat illegal ring netting and how you could help.

An independent Southern Sudan
Kenya has the potential for huge economic gain if the current referendum in Sudan votes ‘yes’ to an independent Southern Sudan. One of the greatest gains would be the market for the proposed Lamu port given that the Mombasa port currently has inadequate capacity to absorb the handling of Sothern Sudan cargo on top of its existing caseload of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya. Although the port of Dar es Salaam has also been considered this would involve transiting the goods across Tanzania and Uganda. A new port in Lamu is expected to be the best option given that the distance between Juba and Lamu is only 1,500 kilometres, as opposed to the 4,000 kilometres goods would have to travel between Port Sudan and Juba. A second transport corridor, including a superhighway that will connect Lamu to Addis Ababa and Juba, is expected to be ready by March this year and the three regions will also be connected by a standard gauge railway line to allow faster train services.
Southern Sudan is expected to become a major exporter of oil and it is envisaged that a merchant oil refinery will be constructed in Lamu and will be connected by an oil pipeline to Juba to refine crude oil from Southern Sudan before shipment. An optic fibre infrastructure to link the corridor will also be laid down. International airports to support an independent Southern Sudan will be constructed in Lamu, Isiolo and Lokichoggio, three important points along the corridor.
MCTA updates – what we’ve been up to over Christmas and the New Year

Rebranding the Swahili Coast
In 2009 the Business Advocacy Fund (BAF) provided MCTA with a grant to study and identify the Kenya Coast’s Unique Selling Point (USP) as part of a longer-term goal to rebrand the coast as a unique tourism destination. MCTA contracted John Duffy, a Nairobi based consultant, to undertake this study and he promptly embarked upon a number of meetings with a range of tourism stakeholders all along the coast. As a result of these meetings and subsequent analysis John has identified the Kenya Coast’s USP as its people and the Swahili culture and heritage that they represent. John has since presented his findings to the KTB and the Ministry of Tourism, including the Minister himself, Honourable Najib Balala and has shared a concept note for rebranding with the Ministry. MCTA will be working with the Ministry and a wide range of tourism stakeholders to move this process forward in 2011.

MCTA sustainability drive
In recognition of the ongoing work MCTA is doing to promote sustainable tourism and livelihoods along the Kenya coast the Business Advocacy Fund (BAF) has awarded us with a six month ‘sustainability grant’.  The grant will run until May 2011 and has enabled MCTA to recruit two fulltime staff members to work with our Executive Officer Millicent Odhiambo. Golda Orwa, Marketing Assistant, and Ruth Kamau, Accounts Assistant, will be responsible for supporting the Executive Officer and strengthening the associations capacity to undertake research, advocacy work, and to act as a central information point to all of our members. MCTA has also contracted Gemma Norrington-Davies on a short-term basis to interface with potential new members and provide capacity building support on proposal writing and project management. 

Localised beach management and security planning
In early December MCTA met with the UNWTO in Watamu for a brainstorming session on how to move forward with beach management and security in line with the Government’s national plan. The meeting followed an offer of $33,000 from the TTF and UNWTO for security management along the Kenya coast. A long discussion ensued in which the national beach management plan was discussed alongside local contexts and challenges. It was proposed that two workshops be held in early 2011, one in Bamburi and one in Diani, to bring local stakeholders together to develop and agree a localised beach management plan, complementary to the national plan, for each area.

MCTA, in collaboration with PACT Kenya and the UNWTO, has developed a concept note for the two workshops which will soon be shared with the TTF and Ministry of Tourism for their input and final approval. No activities will be undertaken without Government approval, buy-in and participation.

Mombasa’s Old Town Bazaar gets under way

The Old Town Bazaar project is a project that will harness the value of culture to encourage tourism as well as earn a living for the residents.

The Old Town Cultural Bazaar is a cultural festival which seeks to promote tourism through Swahili culture.

The launch of the bazaar was done on 7th January 2010 whose target is the general public as a means of encouraging appreciation of diversity of cultures as well as encouraging local tourism.

The projects main objectives are:-

• To focus on Swahili culture as a bravura Tourist
• To portray a favorable image  of the Sponsor
• To develop content material to be used in marketing Mombasa
• To entertain Swahili and Beauty enthusiasts
• To entertain Tourists visiting Mombasa
• To celebrate and encourage the Swahili culture
• To foster bonds between cultures through appreciation of Swahili culture
• To develop mutually benefiting relationship between the sponsors and organizers

MCTA’s Open Day looks at devolution
MCTA is to hold its first an open day that will provide a good opportunity for the MCTA members to interact with the devolution taskforce and create an understanding on and what this means for the tourism sector.

The fight against ring netting gets tougher
Ring netting contributes to social conflicts over both fishing and loss of livelihoods among local fishermen and environmental degradation as highlighted in the previous section. MCTA has been in the fore front on marine conservation advocacy being a major tourism attraction in the Coast. MCTA has joined hands with other stakeholders in advocating for the ban of Ring netting within the Marine Reserves. MCTA is part of a Task force formed to draw up a management plan on Ring net fishing.

Welcome to our new members!

MCTA would like to welcome the following new members and thank them for their support:

EQUATORIAL COMMERCIAL BANK LTD
KENYA WILDLIFE TRAILS LTS
SHELA HOUSE MANAGEMENT
KIJANI HOTEL (KIJANI LTD)
GOLDEN KEY CASINO
KIZINGONI BEACH LIMITED
KENYA ASSOCIATION OF SEA ANGLERS
NORTH COAST BEACH MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
ARLOM SAFARIS
NIMBUS TOURS AND TRAVEL
AMANI SAFARIS LIMITED
VIJAY OPTICA
SIX CONTINENT TOURS & SAFARIS
I&M Bank
MANDA CONSERVATION SAFARIS LTD
LAMU HOUSE (LAMU ADVENTURE LTD)
MAPLE TRAVEL LIMITED

Kenya Association of Sea Anglers (KASA) as the only new Association member –

The Kenya Association of Sea Anglers (K.A.S.A)is the governing body for saltwater sports fishing in Kenya and a member of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the world's governing body for sport fishing. KASA is the angler's voice with the Kenya Government on all issues affecting the sport including legislation, fisheries and environmental issues. KASA’s membership includes professional charter boat operators, club and corporate members as well as private boat and individual members.

KASA has defined standards to which all charter boats registered with the association are expected to adhere in the form of a "code-of-conduct” for the well being of tourists and crews and ensuring that salt water fishing is fair, safe and sustainable.

Kenya has a well-established sport fishing tournament calendar linked to an active tag and release program for better understanding and recording of  billfish found off the Kenya Coast. The conservation of billfishes is a very important aspect of Kenya's sport fishery and this has been extended to sharks and Giant Trevally.  Kenya's "tag and release" program for billfish began around 1987 and more than 38,000 billfishes have since been tagged. Tags used are mostly from Kenya's own African Billfish Foundation.

For more information about KASA visit our website : www.sportfishingkenya.org or email the Secretary, KASA at kasafish@gmail.com

KTB Records 13 Percent Growth in Tourist Arrivals
The tourism sector has recorded a more than 13 percent growth in arrivals for first half of this year. Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) says the 13.6 percent growth is an indicator that the sectors will this year post one of its best performances in recent years.

KTB Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa said tourist arrivals for the half year period up to June were 549,083 which is an increase from 483,468 during the same period last year. If things go the way it's now, then we expect to surpass our performance last year. Last year KTB recorded 1,095,842 tourist arrivals by air and sea. The sector grew by 10 percent last year. The growth is attributed to KTB's aggressive marketing and support from other stakeholders in the sector which helped to improve confidence in the country as one of the best tourist destinations.

Maathai: World mourns passing of 'true African heroine' 
World leaders have paid tribute to Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai who passed away while having treatment for ovarian cancer.
Maathai was a true "visionary African woman" and a "leading voice on the continent."
Professor Maathai introduced the idea of women planting trees in Kenya to reduce poverty and conserve the environment.

At last count, the Green Belt Movement she helped to found had assisted women to plant more than 40 million trees. She understood and acted on the inextricable links between poverty, rights and environmental sustainability. One can but marvel at her foresight and the scope of her success. She was a true African heroine.

Minister Najib Balala leads team in a promotional tour of Canada, Brazil and U.S.
Kenya has embarked on vigorous marketing activities targeting old and emerging markets of Canada, United States and Brazil. The campaign is aimed at diversifying Kenya’s tourist source markets.
Kenya has in the recent past over relied on European markets, and it was now time to discover other emerging markets.

Balala cited Canada and Brazil as some of the countries poised to change the global markets adding that Kenya’s half year results indicated a rise in tourist arrivals from this countries.

Hon Balala held extensive deliberations with key airlines like Kenya airways, Air Canada, Brussels airlines on possibilities of direct connections from Nairobi. Minister Balala said the government was engaged in the efforts to ensure Delta airlines that were to start direct flights from the US comes to fruition in the near future as this would be a big win towards connecting East Africa to other global markets. The Minister highlighted the impressive performance for the Canadian market that grew by 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2011 as an indication of future growth prospects.

EAC ministers want single tourist visa
East African Tourism ministers want the introduction of the East African Community (EAC) single tourist visa accelerated.
They expressed concern the Task Force established to conduct the study on the Community’s single tourist visa was taking too long to complete the report.

The ministers who were attending the just concluded 4th Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council on Tourism and Wildlife Management in Mombasa, Kenya directed the Heads of Tourist Boards and Chiefs of Immigration to complete the report by November. It also directed the EAC Secretariat to submit the report to Partner States before the 5th Sectoral Council meeting in Bujumbura, Burundi in April next year for consideration and adoption.

Kenyan tourism officials reassure travellers
Travel Association, ABTA, has called on the trade to help educate visitors, in a bid to protect tourism in Kenya.
Kenyan tourism officials have also released maps outlining the safer areas of the Kenyan coast, following the recent attack on a couple from the UK.
British traveller David Tebutt was murdered and his wife Judith was kidnapped this past weekend. There are fears that Mrs. Tebutt may be in the hands of Somali pirates, however experts have said it is unusual for them to attack on land.

An ABTA spokesperson has said, "We regret what has happened to this poor couple but the message that ABTA and members will be stressing is that Kenya is, generally speaking, a very safe destination and that the vast majority of Indian Ocean resorts away from the border of Somalia are perfectly safe to travel to.
The couples were staying at the isolated resort of Kiwayu Safari Village, not far from the Somali border, which is featured by a number UK tour operator.
Hon Najib Balala, the Kenyan Ministry of Tourism said, “The Ministry of Tourism is working together with the relevant security organizations to ensure that the perpetrators of this crime are brought to justice. A team of security personnel are already on the ground and a massive manhunt of the perpetrators of this heinous act has been launched.

21 elephants translocated to the Maasai mara
The Kenya Wildlife Service has moved 21 out of the targeted 50 elephants from Narok North to the world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve in Narok South to eliminate human elephant conflict in the area. The 10-day exercise was officially launched by KWS Director Julius Kipng’etich and will be the first phase of an exercise whose total cost is Sh31 million. The first phase will cost Sh7 million. Mr Kipng’etich noted that the current rate of charcoal burning in Narok North was unsustainable and called on local communities to adopt agro-forestry by planting trees, particularly during the coming short rains.

 Rapid change in lifestyle of local communities from pastoralism to crop farming and other incompatible land-use practices has tremendously led to increased human wildlife conflict in the Narok County.  Such conflict in many areas is mainly attributed to increased human population and loss of elephant habitat due to uncontrolled human activities, especially crop farming, charcoal burning and human settlements. Narok North is currently designated as one of the human-wildlife conflict (HWC) hotspots in the country with elephants identified as the most problematic wildlife species.

Skal International honours Porini / game watchers with eco-award
Following recognition for their superb conservation efforts in Kenya, East Africa and the Africa continent at large has Porini Camps / Game watcher Safaris now been globally rewarded for their boundless commitment to keep their camps pollution footprint small and to mitigate their environmental impact actively through a range of measures.


Matuga Locals reject Dongo kundu bypass
A row over the construction of a by-pass to decongest the Likoni ferry channel is simmering as residents raise concern over compensation among other issues. Residents of Pungu village in Matuga now want the government to change the course of the Dongo Kundu by-pass saying it might affect their traditional shrines. Residents  said the course of the road needs to change as it will interfere with the kayas.
The villagers said traditional kayas were on the road-map of the project whose survey is currently being carried out by a Japanese agency in conjunction with Kenya National Highways Authority. The residents who attended a meeting in Mombasa last week disagreed on the issue of compensation saying they were not certain of how much they would get for their houses and parcels of land. The project is being funded by the Japanese Government through their agency JAICA and to be constructed by the Kenya National Highways Authority-KeNHA.Through Public Notice in the media two stakeholders meetings were advertised,and conducted this week one yesterday at Likoni and another today 16.9.2011 at Changamwe which we managed to attend.Both KeNHA and JAICA the conveners were represented and made the presentations. 

The main purpose of the meetings was to present to the public the results of the preparatory survey on the Mombasa City Road Development project which included:- 
1. Outline of Preparatory Survey;plans produced to view.
2. Social Consideration; Composition of those displaced discussed.
3. Environmental Consideration; discussed into detail.
4. Discussion; comments and suggestions by stakeholders. 

There has been alterations from the initial Dongo Kundu By-pass design due to issues raised and consideration of the community affected and the environment. 
The current by-pass will go through:-

Miritini Link;
Kipevu Link;
Mwache Creek;
Tsunza peninsula;
Mteza crossing;
Dongo Kundu; and
Kibundani area

Preparatory progression will be conducted soonest with:-
- Procurement of Consultant- mid:         2012,
- Detailed Design                     -             2012,
- Tendering & Contract  -                       2013,
- Contraction and End of Project-          2014. 
If what has now been planned and released during those meetings for this project flows systematically now that the funds are available,then the By-pass will become a reality to the relief of tourism and other businesses alike in south coast.  

Mombasa Garbage menace
The problems now besetting Mombasa town is reminiscent of many urban authorities across the country. That the Town Clerk has to be hauled before court to explain why the gateway of Kenya’s tourism industry is groaning under mountains of garbage is sad. Mombasa residents have been suffering quietly for some time even as they continue to pay rates to the council. Equally guilty is the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) that has been aware of the growing garbage problem in the town.



Garbage Collection Fees to Go Up in Mombasa Town
Mombasa residents will now have to pay more to rid the city of the choking garbage. The Municipal Council of Mombasa announced that it will revise garbage rates paid by residents, even as it admitted its inability to clean the town. Filth and stench have characterized Mombasa town which was once praised for its high standards of sanitation, and attracted tourists who would be taken on town tours Mombasa Town Clerk Tubman Otieno said the review of the garbage fees will be confirmed once a proposal is forwarded and agreed upon by the Local Government ministry. Currently, residents pay Sh20 for garbage collection, which is included in the Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company bills for water consumption. The announcement comes barely a day after women leaders in Mombasa gave the council and Nema seven days to clean up the town or face court.

Planned Roads Projects
KURA has tendered for and programmed for Consultancy Services for feasibility studies, preliminary and detailed engineering design of  Abdel Nasser Road-Link Roads bridge in Mombasa Municipality and Dualling of Nyali-Mtwapa Road
Kenya urban Roads Authority (KURA) is determined to improve Urban Roads in the Coast and decongest the City of Mombasa. Plans are underway to rehabilitate several roads in the Island of Mombasa and the North and South Coast with most of the contracts are set to be advertised.
KURA Director General Eng. Joseph Nkadayo, said the Coast Region with three Counties was allocated in 2010/2011 financial year Kshs. 240million for projects in Mombasa, Kilifi and Voi with most of the projects and about to be completed. He Said in the 2011/2012 financial year, the region has been allocated Kshs. 282million for rehabilitation of some identified roads and are due to be advertised. He said KURA in the last financial year has rehabilitated over 406.3kilometers of road in the Coastal region.
He said Cities and Municipalities are expected to chip in with some of their resources to a tune of between 25-30% of KURA’s input to complement. KURA Board of Directors was on a tour of the rehabilitated Moyne Drive road in Nyali where they met the local leaders led by His Worship Ahmed Mohdhar, the Mayor of Mombasa and Kisauni Member of Parliament Hon. Hassan Ali Joho and other local leaders.
The mayor asked for increased budget for roads in the Coast and specifically Mombasa since it is currently experiencing gridlock in all peak hours. He asked for the revival of the Old Bridge linking Mombasa Island to the North Coast saying Mombasa should not depend on one bridge while its economy is growing steadily.
Meanwhile KURA allocated in the last financial year Kshs. 11 million for Youth Empowerment projects in Mombasa County and undertook seven projects within Changamwe and Mvita Constituency. According to Eng. Ibrahim Munene KURA Coast Regional Manager, the project employed 347 youths for the county and the projects are approaching completion.

UK, France Advice against Travel to Kenya's Lamu Area Following Second Abduction by Somali Pirates
The UK and France have issued travel warnings for Kenya's coast, the Lamu area and the Kenya-Somali border region, advising citizens to avoid all travel to these areas. Both the US and Canada continue to advise their citizens to avoid all travel to Somalia, and the US Department of State has warned citizens to avoid Kenya's Lamu area following the abduction of French woman barely few days after 11 fatal shooting of David Tebbutt, a British citizen, and the forcible abduction of his wife, Judith, from a Kenyan beach resort near the town of Lamu.



Dedieu’s Death Focuses World Attention on Kidnapping and Piracy in the Horn
A heavily armed band of Somalis kidnapped Marie Dedieu, once a prominent French feminist, from the tourist island of Manda off the coast of Kenya on October 1. She had lived there for some years following health problems that left her wheelchair-bound. According to the press, her kidnappers took her without her wheelchair or medications. The French government tried to send her medications, but her captors refused to give them to her, according to French news reports She died on October 19.
The French auth orities are still trying to recover her body.
The French, Kenyan, and Somali governments are expressing outrage. According to the New York Times  French Foreign Minister Juppé called the kidnappers “savages

Tourist Bookings in Coast Rise Despite Lamu Safety Fears
Hotels in Mombasa and the south Coast have recorded impressive tourist bookings following security concerns in Lamu.
Hotel managers said the sector was not hit by cancellation of bookings by international tourists after Somali gangs kidnapped a British couple and a French woman in Lamu over the past month.
On Wednesday, diplomats said the French Woman had died in the hands of the kidnappers, believed to be al Shabaab militia.
"Some hotels in Mombasa and the south Coast have recorded impressive bookings despite the Lamu security worries," said Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association chairman Mohamed Hersi.
Mr Hersi said most hotels had bed occupancy of between 70 and 90 per cent.


Lamu cultural festival is on
The Lamu Cultural Festival, will go on as usual this year despite recent abductions that have led to cancellation of visits to the resort town, Minister Najib Balala has announced. Balala  assured visitors to the area that Lamu is safe for tourism activities adding that the government has taken action to beef up security in the area. “On 25th November there will be the Lamu cultural festival and we will go there in a big way to make sure that we market Lamu,” revealed Balala.
As a way of demonstrating that the area is safe, this year's cultural festival will be graced by stakeholders from various countries and sections within the tourism industry including high profile government officials. Lamu's economy heavily depends on tourism activities which account for an estimated 90 per cent of all employment in the area directly and indirectly.


Balala gets elected to UNWTO Executive Committee Chairmanship
Tourism Minister Najib Balala was elected chairman of the important executive committee of the UNs World Tourism Organization during the just concluded assembly of the UNWTO in South Korea. Balala has been vice chairman of the Executive Committee previously but his elevation to the chairmanship is as much a recognition of Kenya as a force in world tourism as of his own personal work and achievements on the committee.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has launched the ranger-based Management Information System programme for routine collection of wildlife conservation status data.
The programme was launched the Rhino Base, Tsavo East National Park and will provide key indicators to enhance wildlife conservation through effective decision making processes.

KWS authorities said that the introduction of MIST among the rangers will help in collecting accurate information on wildlife status which will in turn be used by KWS to make effective decisions. In the programme, rangers will be required to use Global Positioning System and standardised field data during regular patrols. They will also be required to mark positions using GPS and record their observations on data sheets which will later be download into the MIST system.

KWS assistant director in charge of ecological monitoring Samuel Andanje said, "the system is embedded in the Geographical Information System software which makes it quick and easy to see the distribution and trends of the subjects that are being monitored". Andanje added that KWS had already carried out pilot tests of the programme in other regions of the country and confirmed its viability. KWS director Julius Kipng'etich said the new programme will assist in getting the exact status of wildlife in all conservation areas.

KWS Revises Park Fees to Raise Funds for Conservation

Foreign visitors to Kenya’s game parks will from Sunday pay more after the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) raised its charges.
KWS, the Game Parks’ custodian, published a notice on the revision of conservation fees with effect from January 1. The fees will increase to $80 (Sh6,640) from a minimum of $60 (Sh4,980) in its premium parks, money that will be used for wildlife and environmental conservation.

Earlier in the year, Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa scrapped the low and high season fees and introduced a flat rate to apply all year round.
Earlier in the year the director of KWS, Julius Kipng’etich, wrote a letter to industry players notifying them of the revision of conservation fees in the New Year. KWS has also been pushing for the introduction of a re-entry fee to some of the parks. However, in the letter to the industry players, Mr Kipng’etich said the matter had been deferred until July 2012.

The increment will, however, only affect six top KWS parks, out of the 33 national parks and reserves it manages. Visitors to the premium parks - Amboseli and Lake Nakuru - will pay $80 (Sh6,640) while those to the Wilderness Parks - Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Meru and Kora - will pay $65 (Sh5,395).
East African citizens and residents will continue to pay Sh500 and Sh1,000 respectively to enter premium parks. However, the fees for East African Residents for a one day trip will increase in the New Year by Sh250 to Sh750.

Tourism Gets Boost As SA Firm Unveils Coast Flights



South African low-cost airline 1Time will begin flights between Johannesburg and Mombasa in March. The introduction of the new flight is expected to stimulate the tourism market and grow the number of South Africans visiting Kenya and vice versa. "Our initial target market is the outbound South African leisure traveller," said the airline's commercial director Mike Bond on email. "There is no direct service currently and we anticipate the attraAs part of marketing the new service, the airline has chartered a flight that will be received by Tourism minister Najib Balala in Mombasa tomorrow.

Players in the sector are positive that the move by the airline would boost the number of visitors to the Coast. "We welcome any direct flights to Mombasa," said MCTA chairman Mohammed Hersi. "South Africa is a potential market for us but the biggest issue is accessibility." Mr Bond said the airline officials, South African tourism players including tour operators and travel agents as well as media would be on board the chartered plane. The South Africans would be in the country on a fact finding mission and to sell the flights. There are no direct services connecting South Africa and Mombasa.

The Kenya Airways previously had a flight on the route but withdrew it. The service by 1Time would offer alternative and affordable flights for travellers connecting between the coastal town of Mombasa and Johannesburg. Flights are expected to cost between Sh51,600 and Sh68,800 ($600 and $800), said Mr Bond. A similar flight on Kenya Airways, connecting through Nairobi, costs Sh74,562 ($867). South Africa is one of Kenya's leading sources of visitors from the region, either on business or leisure travel.

As of October the number of visitors from South Africa stood at 31,354, of these majority came in through Jomo Kenyatta International, according to Kenya Tourist Board data. Mr Bond said that Mombasa has a lot to offer South African leisure tourists especially water activities, diving, fishing and other sea-related sports.

New Boutique Hotels Stirs Coast Tourism


Prestigious Apartments Pangoni resort lies at the next coast. The Elegant and Spacious serviced and Managed Apartments will spoil you for choice, whether looking for a sole retreat or a family vacation, ascend to paradise. In the south coast Swahili beach a unique hotel that offers a harmonious blend of the architectural influences from the East African coast, Arabia, India, and Zanzibar opened its doors to the public. New hotels with a state of art architecture are a boost to tourism development in the region

JKIA Targets U.S. Airlines with Upgrade of Terminals



The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi will be upgraded to handle direct flights to the US by August. Transport minister Amos Kimunya on Thursday said he had held talks with a delegation from the US Department of Transport to resolve outstanding issues and ensure JKIA is accorded Category 1 status. "We hope to get the status by August.

There is a schedule of things that have to be done that were agreed on," said Mr Kimunya at the opening of a new British Airways lounge at JKIA. The quest for the elevated status was behind the controversial demolition of buildings obstructing aircraft flight paths that has been going on since late last year. Home owners in the Syokimau area were the most affected by the demolitions. "Part of ensuring security is clearing the area around the airport... We have to ensure the airport is secure," he said. Category 1 status is a prerequisite for any airport to handle direct flights to and from the US. Security was one of the hurdles cited for Kenya not attaining the status that would see it attract airlines from the US.

Last November, the Internal Security Ministry demolished homes and other properties in Syokimau, Kyang'ombe and Mitumba to clear the flight path for planes. The re-categorisation and restructuring of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to attract and retain qualified staff, especially inspectors, has also been speeded up to boost the airport's status. KCAA has been losing workers due to lack of competitive compensation in an industry that is facing a major shortage of qualified personnel. The launch of direct flights by US-based Delta Airways aborted in 2009 after the US raised concerns over the safety of Kenya's aviation installations and vulnerability to terrorist attacks.

The lack of the Category 1 status has seen Kenya fail to take advantage of the June 2008 Open Skies agreement that was signed in Washington by officials from both governments.

Sarova Shaba Silver Eco-rating

Sarova Shaba Lodge has qualified for Silver certification under Ecotourism Kenya's Eco-rating Scheme.
This is a great achievement. MCTA applauds Sarova Shaba Lodge for attaining this level of certification and commends their commitment to promote responsible and sustainable tourism through ecotourism best

Social Media Exposes Racist Attitudes in Kenyan Tourism Industry


The tourism industry in Kenya, both private and public sector, are investigating claims made over the Christmas and New Year period, when African Kenyans went public on Twitter and Facebook, narrating experiences of being denied access to hotels and resorts and in one case being asked to leave from Billionaire Resort in Malindi.

While most resorts, hotels, safari lodges, and camps in Kenya and East Africa as a whole, treat any guest as a valued guest, there seems to be exceptions to this rule, and the now-closed African Safari Club was most notorious for discriminating against local Kenyan visitors attempting to come into their maximum security facilities - as one stakeholder from Mombasa put it at the time – trying to spend their money on drinks and food. It is Kenya's declared policy to achieve a 50:50 ratio in a few years between domestic and foreign tourists, something which will hopefully compel a few errant hotels and resorts to open their doors to any and all visitors coming in, as incidentally mandated by their terms and conditions of business, licensed by government, unless they are operating as a private members club, which was not the case in any of the incidents reported.

Most disturbing at the time when the tweets and Facebook posts were flying around en masse, were reports that African kids had been ushered to other pools, leaving the main pools for the "wagenis" (foreign tourists), which if found correct – investigations are still ongoing – would amount to a clear case of racism, based on the color of one's skin and not the color of the money in their wallets. Such management has no place in today's East Africa and should be told to pack and go, while the owners ought to be taken to court to face charges for violating license conditions and for racism.

Tourists Resume Visits to Beaches as New Strategy Beefs up Security

A new strategy to manage traders and improve security along the coastline has started to yield results with more tourists willing to visit the beaches instead of staying in hotels. A plan to streamline beach operations—which were a perennial source of conflict between beach operators and the government— has also started taking shape, courtesy of the Sh150 million Beach Management pilot programme.

Stakeholders in the tourism sector—including boat operators, curio sellers and other traders along the beaches— have started to relocate their activities along the 12-kilometre stretch from Tudor and Mtwapa creeks. The more than 2,000 operators will be stationed at designated places to enhance security at the shoreline to avert incidents of tourist harassment. The six-month project was initiated by the Kenya Wildlife Service and funded by the government. Programme coordinator Arthur Tuda said hotels have embraced the project to their advantage by taking out sunbathing beds to the beaches because of the improved security.

The hotels include Voyager Beach, Sarova Whitesands, Travellers and Neptune Beach Hotel. "In revamping the beaches, steps have to be taken to restore the lost glory that has been associated with our pristine white sand beaches and the measures will deal with emerging threats that have contributed to the decline," he said. "These threats include beach insecurity, beach degradation and youth unemployment." He said the initiative was meant to boost the fortunes of coastal tourism which have been declining over the years despite steady recovery of the sector. "We want to secure our beaches to a level that is no longer uncompetitive destination and overcome economic losses," he said. He added that beach zoning also would reduce conflict among operators and improve partnership between hotels and communities.

The pilot programme along the Mombasa Marine Park and Reserve is expected to restore the confidence of beach-goers. Mr Tuda, who is also a KWS senior warden, said through the project the marine and beach tourism products would be sustained by attracting more visitors that were opting to stay in the hotels for fear of harassment.

Council New Garbage Fee Takes Effect



Mombasa residents are for the first time required to pay garbage collection fee to the municipal council as from the beginning of February 2012. The new levies were published in the Kenya Gazette of January13th after the approval by the Ministry of Local government.

Every household on the Island is supposed to pay Kshs 200 and 150 respectively. A hotel with 200 rooms and more is to pay Kshs 12,000 per month and one with 100-199 rooms' Kshs 10,000. Hotels with 50-99 rooms will part with Kshs 6,000 each per month while the ones with fewer than 50 rooms will pay Kshs 5000 each.

Factories will be paying 20,000 each, hospitals, godowns Kshs 30,000, supermarkets Kshs 50,000, bars, and restaurant clinics 4,000 each while grocery will pay 1,000. Town clerk Tabmun Otieno appealed to residents to pay the amount to help the council rais funds to buy modern cleansing, equipment, more garbage collection trucks and bins. Collection of garbage in town is a major challenge to the council as the population continues to soar.

The introduction of newer levies drew mixed reactions with questions being raised on the capacity of the Municipal council to effectively manage the garbage menace despite raising the levies.

Kayaking Through Mangrove Forests, The Latest Activity at Kenya's Coast



extensive mangrove forests, still in existence along sections of the Kenyan coast, are now being opened up for tourists by with a kayak safari, allowing those brave enough to silently glide across the water, watch birds and fish and other ocean dwellers. For guests staying at any of the South Coast hotels, along Diani, Ukunda and beyond, it is a relatively short access to Avicennia Island on Funzi Bay.

Departure is early in the morning, but on arrival at the jump off point a Swahili breakfast is being served to steady butterfly stomachs and allow for time to get a briefing on the dos and donts as well as details on the location and what one can expect to explore. The two seater kayaks are steered by a well versed guide and a larger boat is ever within sight to be available should one or the other wish to take a more conventional trip into the mangrove forest.

At low tide a major sand bar emerges from the ocean and guests can experience the solitude of Robinson as a simple shade is being put up to allow for some shade in the often glistening sun, reflected by the whitest of sands which glimmers spectacularly bright in the sunlight of the high noon. Here cooled coconut milk and other tasty concoctions are being served and those lucky enough to be alone can wander to the edges of the sandbank and do some skinny dipping in the ocean, away from prying eyes.

Upcoming Event:
Regional Tourism Fair 6th to 9th April 2012.

The figures released by the Ministry of Tourism, indicate a 32 per cent growth in tourism revenues. This is a remarkable achievement in light of the fact that there are at least two major developments which would normally militate against any growth at all: First, the country is effectively at war with an extremist terrorist group, the
Al-Shabaab militia based in Somalia: this is an organization that specializes in dramatic acts of terror, and some of their affiliates have in the past targeted Kenyan tourism. Indeed a number of Western European and North American nations have specifically issued travel advisories warning against "non-vital" travel to Kenya. And these are, of course, our core source markets for tourism.

The second factor is that there is a continuing economic recession in these very countries which form our tourism source markets. As a result, individual spending has greatly decreased, and of course vacations would be among the first things that people cut down on. So, if despite this, Kenya has been able to substantially increase its tourism revenues, this is not just a matter of luck. It is clear evidence that the Ministry of Tourism is delivering on its mandate, and has in place effective strategies to grow this crucial sector. Tourism is not only a key source of foreign exchange, but it is also a major employer. For every hotel manager, there are dozens of cooks, waiters, room stewards and gardeners. Further, the amount of fresh produce consumed in each hotel on every single day gives tourism a crucial linkage to small scale farmers all over the country.

The Tourism Minister, Hon Najib Balala is to be congratulated for the results that his teams have been able to produce under such difficult circumstances.

Kenya's Tourism Industry Stakeholders Demands Clarity on Election Dates

Leading stakeholders in Kenya's tourism industry are getting more vocal now about the governments dragging out the announcement of an election date, due to be held later this year. Following the collapse of tourism in the wake of the post election violence in early 2008 have in particular tour operators from overseas looked at contingency measures to avoid having tourists caught up in a similar scenario once again, especially as the last elections at the end of December 2007 coincided with the peak of the peak tourism season between Christmas and New Year. .

Nairobi to host key Aviation Conference



Nairobi for the first time hosts the annual African Aviation's annual aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul conference that which seeks among other things to foster technical cooperation among the region's aviation firms. The conference which is in its 21st year has been themed enhancing air safety in Africa through cost effective air craft maintenance and will be attended by the continent's industry chiefs among others.

"Fostering closer technical co-operation between African airlines, promoting mutually beneficial relationships with aircraft and engine manufacturers, aircraft lessons and with MRO service providers and suppliers will also be high on the agenda of this long-established international aviation conference," said Chairman of the conference Nick Fadugba. Fadugba added that new technology aircrafts have presented new maintenance, repair and overhaul challenges for regional carriers adding that the conference will seek to expand relationships between airlines and aircraft operators.

He said major aircraft manufacturers, such as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer, as well as engine manufacturers, such as CFM, GE, Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney, have been working closely with African carriers and financial institutions to overcome the many challenges that previously inhibited fleet modernization.

President Kibaki opens expanded Kisumu International Airport



President Kibaki officially opened the much-awaited Kisumu International Airport and announced a raft of development plans lined up for Nyanza. The airport renovations and expansion cost Sh3 billion, and started three years ago. It is among the top eight busiest regional airports in East Africa. President Kibaki said he hoped the project would trigger massive investment in the region and stimulate the hitherto sleepy village economies round Kisumu County and its environs.

The new airport will handle up to 700 persons per hour, translating to two million traffic per annum up from the current traffic of 300,000. With international flights expected to fly in and out of the airport, lifting cargo and shipping import goods, the airport is bound to be busier than before. Before its commissioning, the airport was receiving at least 500 tourists per day. This is now expected to triple ten-fold, according to Kenya Airports Authority Managing Director Stephen Gichuki.

Over the recent years, Nyanza has been receiving a steady stream of tourists. The election of Barack Obama, whose father hailed from Kogello in Nyanza, as first black President of US in 2008 put the region on the world map.

Lamu Residents Raise Divergent Views on Port Project



Stakeholders in Lamu have raised different views over the commissioning of the port project by President Mwai Kibaki . While tourism stakeholders including the Lamu Tourist Association, Kenya Tourist Board and Lamu Cultural Group welcomed the project, saying it has multiple benefits and will open up Lamu, human rights bodies, including Muslim for Human Rights and Save Lamu lobby groups have lined up a series of demonstrations before and on the day President Kibaki will lead the government delegation for the ground breaking ceremony.

Muhuri plans for demonstration against the government's decision to ignore the rights of the locals and the entire Coastal people, according aimed at paralysing the groundbreaking ceremony. However, KTB, LTA and other associations are of the view that the port project will bring maximum benefits to the region. Speaking in Lamu, the KTB managing director Mureithi Ndegwa, who was flanked by a hotelier and the chairman of the cultural group, Ghalib Alwy, said the project will ensure that the tourism industry grows.

"The Lamu port project would not destroy the tourism industry. It is to be situated 15-20 kilometres from Lamu and as long as it ensures the environment is conserved, there should be no other challenge," Alwy said. He proposed that an Environmental Impact Assessment on the ecosystem including the mangroves, fish, crabs, shrimps and all other habitation, be conducted, to ensure that everything is left intact.

Mombasa's New Ksh150 Million Garbage Clearance Kitty



Mombasa town clerk Tubmun Otieno has announced aSh150 million long-term move that is expected to solve the garbage problem once and for all. Otieno said the council will acquire seven 30-metretrailers, 90 bulk garbage containers, two skip loaders, two compactors, one shovel and one bulldozer to ensure garbage is collected effectively and efficiently in Mombasa. "It is true there had been a problem with garbage and I apologized to residents. But you can see now that we have done a good job and there is less garbage.

The lorries we acquired last year were short-term efforts," Otieno said in his office. He said the new equipment to be acquired by the end of April are part of the long-term solutions to the garbage problem. The trailers and the bulk garbage containers willbe strategically placed in areas where there is a high level of garbage generated including the Kongowea, Majengo, Markiti and Mwembe Tayari markets. "There will be specific times for collection anddisposal. Garbage generators are to place their garbage in plastic bags outside their houses or markets two hours before council vehicles pass to collect the garbage and not earlier," Otieno said. "Tenders have already been awarded and evaluation done. We are doing this through asset financing.

I can promise you that Mombasa is going to be garbage less city. My main worry is littering by irresponsible residents," he said. The council signed an agreement with Durban city in which Mombasa and Durban will be sister towns, where the two will be sharing ideas and experiences in a bid to overcome each other's challenges. Mombasa will especially benefit from the waste management system employed in Durban where solid waste is placed in plastic bags before they are deposited in molded bins in the streets. A team of council officers will be sent to Durban for training before other development measures are agreed on by the two sister towns. Residents buy the special plastic bags from markets themselves and the rates subsidized by the council. This is the model the Mombasa council will adopt.

Water Rationing in Mombasa to End Soon



Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company managing director Moses Kinya is optimistic that the ongoing repairs at Baricho Waterworks in Kilifi will end water rationing in town. Kinya said the current supply of 49 cubic metres a day is likely to increase to at least80-100 cubic metres after the repairs. "Our target is about180 cubic meters a day. After these repairs we hope the rationing in Mombasa and its environs will ease," Kinya said during a tour of Baricho water works.

He also called on the government and relevant agencies to step up surveillance on the water pipelines to reduce vandalism that leads to constant water shortage in most parts of the Coast. James Thubu, the new Coast Water Services Board boss, said the Baricho repairs set to cost Sh750million are aimed at improving water supply in the region.

"We intend to improve water supply and reliability at the Coast. My first priority in the office will be to see the proper implementation of this multi-million project funded by World Bank," said Thubu.


Upcoming Event:
Regional Tourism Fair 6th to 9th April 2012.

The newly appointed minister targets 3million tourist's arrival from 2million with tourism earnings at 135 billion shillings for this year up from 98 billion shillings last year. However, just like his predecessors, the new minister said low funding for marketing is a key challenge to realizing these new targets. "We need to double our marketing efforts which call for a multipronged approach to our tourist's volumes." He said adding that modern marketing strategies that include on-line marketing and also social media networks to help keep pace with the changing trends of our targeted clientele.

Two million tourists arrived last year in Kenya bringing in 98 billion shillings to make tourism the second largest foreign exchange earner after tea. All this was achieved under the stewardship of Mvita MP Najib Balala who was until Monday the Minister for Tourism. The issue of travel advisories also took center stage with latest reports indicating that bookings from the United Kingdom are down 60 percent following advisories from British government. Mwazo said that other challenges addressed were marketing, infrastructure and the ministry will focus on improving particularly in Mara national park and other tourist sites by developing newly open circuits in the Rift valley also employ more strategies to capture tourists from new sources such as Eastern Europe, Middle and Austria. "There is need to aggressively market to promote these new tourism sites and circuits spread across the country to ensure that every part of the country enjoys benefits that come with tourism," said Mwazo.

The new minister also plans to implement the Tourism Act, which strengthens the Tourist Police Unit to effectively address and respond to security concerns of tourists.

Tourism Needs Sh5b for Marketing

Increasing domestic tourism and boosting marketing campaigns will be high on the list of things the new Tourism minister will focus on, to keep momentum of the sector's contribution to the economy. Mr Danson Mwazo, who took over the Tourism docket from Najib Balala on Tuesday following cabinet reshuffle, also said he will focus on improving infrastructure developments across the industry. "I am from a marketing background and this should help me develop marketing campaigns that will grow key markets such as Europe, and also sell Kenya to the rest of Africa," Mr Mwanzo said.

The minister, who takes over the ministry that is Kenya's key foreign exchange earner, said he will lobby Treasury to advance his ministry at least five per cent of the total money it makes (which hit Sh98 billion last year), which will translate to about Sh5 billion, to boost marketing campaigns. The industry is also dealing with travel advisories, an inadequate marketing budget and a global economic crisis that has slowed down travel.

Outgoing Tourism minister Mr Najib Balala has already predicted flat growth this year, citing rising political temperatures in the country and a limited budget to market the country. He added that the euro zone crisis has seen key markets slash their travel budgets, which will make it difficult for Kenya to reach last year's figures this year. The new minister is also counting on technology to ease visa application processes and boost travel.

Kenya Faults Tanzania Over Tour Van Charges



Tanzania and Kenya are embroiled in another clash that will further hamper integration efforts over disagreement on charges on tour vans operating between the two countries. Tanzania is accusedof unfairly charging Kenyan tour vans for entering the country vans from Tanzania were not being levied any fees to enter Kenya. "This issue of tour operator vehicles should be resolved and I appeal to the president (Mwai Kibaki) to resolve this issue not only for the sake of Kenya but for Tanzania as well," said immediate former Balala at a media briefing held in his office.

He said allowing tourists to "freely flow" through the region by travels organised by regional tour operators will grow tourism in East Africa. Under the common market protocol businesses were supposed to operate in a borderless manner in which taxes subjected to foreign enterprises were to be abolished. This latest row among the two countries, Balala said, will be discussed in an upcoming East Africa Community Summit in a bid to reach a resolution.

This is not the first time Tanzania has clashed with Kenya as local truck drivers also complained of unfair levies at Tanzanian border points whereas their counterparts from that country were allowed free entry into Kenya. The latest move that could affect regional growth in tourism could also scuttle ongoing plans for a single tourist visa for the EAC region to make the destination more marketable. On the visa, Balala said that an announcement would be made soon on the status of the project.

Mt. Kenya Fire Out, But Consumed 10% of Forest



Fires that have been raging across Mount Kenya over the last week consumed 10 percent of the mountain's forest before the flames were extinguished. The Kenya Wildlife Service said that logs are still smoldering on the mountain, but that no fires are active.

Wildlife officials said the fires on Mount Kenya were caused by "arsonists with ill intentions." Officials said previously that fires could have been set intentionally to help poachers escape after an attack.

Big mammals that live on the mountain _ like elephants and buffalos _ moved away from the flames and were not harmed. But the wildlife service said many smaller animals likely died.

Three Poachers Killed in Tsavo by KWS Rangers



Kenya Wildlife Service rangers in Tsavo East National park have killed three suspected poachers. The three suspects were gunned down after a shootout at Batalita in the northern part of Tsavo East National Park on Monday evening. One of the suspects fled with gunshot wounds. Sources at the KWS revealed that three AK-47 riffles and 100 bullets were recovered during the attack.

Assistant Director in charge of Tsavo conservation Wilson Korir said the rangers were on a routine patrol in the park on Monday morning when they noticed footprints which raised suspicions poachers could be in the park. He said the rangers traced the footprints from morning till evening when they encountered the suspects and a shootout ensued. "Our officers tracked down the suspects for the whole day before they stumbled on them and gunned down three of them. We are still in hot pursuit of the one who fled," the director said. Korir called on the public to report to police any suspected person seeking medical attention as they continue with investigations. "The manhunt is still on and we shall not sleep until the suspect is brought to book," Koriri said.

The incident comes barely a month after two KWS officers were killed at Sagalla ranch where the assailants made away with two guns and several bullets of the rangers. Recently, two elephants were killed by suspected poachers at Lwalenyi ranch in Mwatate district. The killings raised concerns among conservationists over the safety of wildlife in the area. Unconfirmed reports indicated that in the last sevens months, more than 30 elephants have been killed in private ranches in Tsavo.

Kenya Tourism Federation Affiliates to World Tourism Organization



The Kenya Tourism Federation has been admitted as an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) The first Kenyan private sector tourism agency to join the organization, KTF, which is the umbrella body of tourism organizations, will now access information from the UNWTO on best practices to help promote accessible and competitive tourism.

The membership which was approved during the just concluded 88th session of the UNWTO Executive Council in Puerto Iguazu in Argentina also provides a platform to explore partnerships for specific projects and new business opportunities. Kenya's private sector, a majority of whom are members of the KTF, will henceforth participate in the technical working groups of the UNWTO and its general assembly meetings where major policies that shape global tourism are made.

The UNWTO is the specialized agency of the UN dealing with tourism policy issues and development of the sector at the global level.

Site For Proposed Isiolo Resort Ccity Identified



The stage is set for Kenya's first-ever multi-billion shilling resort city. A Japan firm, Japanese Port Consultant, has identified an ideal site for the proposed resort and developed conceptual designs after a nine-month feasibility study. The Government through the ministries of Tourism and Lands, and the Vision 2030 Secretariat now says the ball is in the court of the County Council of Isiolo, which must set aside 6,500 acres of land at Kipsing Gap, about 20km west of Isiolo town. "It is in this land that the Government — with your concurrence as the major stakeholders as well as the eventual beneficiaries of the project — proposes to set up the facility," said Muthomi Ngaruthi, Assistant Commissioner of Lands.

Chief Economist in the Ministry of Tourism, Mr Simon Korir, said the project, to be funded through a Public, Private Partnership (PPP), will cost US$184 million (Sh18.9 billion). Kipsing Gap was picked by the firm ahead of Kulamawe and Archers Post after factors like security, accessibility, cultural diversity, natural and wildlife attractions, and availability of water, electricity and sewerage system, among others were considered.

The land, which is sandwiched between two gazetted hills —Katim and Oldonyo Degishu — is bordered to the south by the world famous Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, to the north by Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserve and Samburu Game Park and Ewaso Ng'iro River to the west. Components of the proposed resort include hotels, museum, theatres for international festivals and international conference centres. Other features are golf courses, cultural events like the international camel derby and mountaineering, biking and nature walk


Kenya Airways Seek Funds To Expand Its Fleet of Planes

Kenya Airways on Friday launched 250 million U.S. dollars rights issue to raise funds to increase its fleet and expand the air route network to link Nairobi to all African countries and the rest of the world. The national carrier is seeking to raise the money the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) to fund its expansion plans that will see it more than double the number of its aeroplanes to 115 in the next ten years. The company said it will also take bank loans to finance the ten-year expansion plan that will cost 3.6 billion dollars when completed.

The rights issue has already attracted 49 per cent subscription after the Kenya government that owns 23 per cent of the company and the KLM that owns 26 percent of the company said they will take all their rights. President Mwai Kibaki who launched the fund raising process said the expansion besides improving inter-connectivity will allow flexibility in movement of both cargo and passengers. Kenya Airways plans to double its fleet numbers from the current 34 planes to 68 through the expansion plan.

KTB Partners With Jockey Club of Kenya to Promote Domestic Travel

The Jockey Club of Kenya is partnering with the Kenya Tourist Board this weekend to bring Kenyans to the Ngong Race Course, to promote both horse racing as well as domestic tourism across the country, now generally known as Tembea Kenya. The mini exhibition was well timed, a week prior to the long Easter weekend, to give Nairobians the overview of what special deals are on offer for them, at the coast as well as upcountry, inside and outside the safari parks. It has become official policy that by 2015 half of Kenyas tourism numbers are to be generated through domestic and regional tourism, reducing reliance on the often volatile markets overseas when political or economic events dampen interest and financial ability to travel long haul.

Number Of Ostrich Is Growing At A Very Good Rate Across Tsavo National Park

MCTA chairman Mohammed Hersi was privileged to spot a male [black] and a female [grey and white] Ostrich couple with their young family deep inside Tsavo East National Park. He recalls: "They did escort me along the road for a while before they finally scampered into the bushes. This is a rare sight and it is also evident that the number of ostrich is growing at a very good rate across Tsavo National Park. Kudos to the Kenya Wildlife wardens and ranger teams."

Child Sex Tourism Concern at TJRC sitting in Mombasa

The government has been urged to implement the laws on sex tourism. Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) acting chair Tecla Namachanja said lax laws are to blame for sexual exploitation of children in Coast province. "Many young girls in the area are now selling themselves to tourists making the region lag behind academically," she said. During the TJRC's hearings in Mombasa, parents recorded statements on how their children are engaging in sex tourism.

Namachanja said: "It appears that all the government does is to enact laws in order to conform to international obligations without the will to enforce them. Otherwise how does one explain the fact that despite the laws it has enacted, thousands of children continue to be defiled and exploited in sex tourism at the Coast?" She said most parents attributed the problem to the high level of poverty in the region and challenged residents to take more interest in education to uplift their living standards.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund, some 30,000 children in Mombasa, Kilifi, Malindi, Ukunda and Kwale are being exploited in the sex industry and this is likely to be an underestimation due to the lack of monitoring and the social stigma that inhibit children from reporting some of the cases.

Tour operators demand review of Likoni channel fees

Tour operators are demanding that tour vans be charged per trip for VIP ferry services instead of paying the fees upfront for three months to cross the Likoni Channel. They said paying Shs166,000 every quarter hurts tour operators during business downturns and puts the VIP services beyond the reach of smaller firms. "Tour operators have proposed that the Kenya Ferry Services charge Shs1,200 per trip for vans taking tourists either to the South Coast or North Coast," said the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (Kato) coast branch chairperson Monika Solanki.

The VIP services are preferred because of queues of vehicles waiting to board the ferries that have in the past seen tourists miss flights. However, tour operators said the blanket three months payment was too costly for them since they don't use the services daily. Kenya Ferry Services managing director Musa Hassan Musa said the mode of payment would remain in force because it was revised from six months on the request of Kato. "It is upon the customers to choose the mode of payment which is suitable to them. If you need VIP treatment, you must be prepared to pay for it," Mr Musa said.

Mombasa Residents Cry Foul Over Gaping Potholes

Residents of Mombasa have decried the dilapidated roads in the city. The most affected areas are sections of the Mombasa's Nyerere Avenue, Jomo Kenyatta road, Likoni Ferry ,Magongo area near the airport, Bamburi, the busy Nkrumah road near the electricity building at Mount Kenya University building(Baluchi street) – Nairobi highway around the industrial Changamwe and Miritini areas as well as feeder roads leading to Container Freight Stations which are used by heavy trucks.
However repairs have been done in the city centre and a along Likoni Ferry road.

Slight Improvement in Handling Mombasa Garbage

There is slight improvement on the garbage manace in mombasa central business district. The piles of garbage that were evident in most part of the city have partly been cleared. In Likoni, residents recently took the initiative to clear the piles of garbage in the area under the umbrella of residents association. Resident of Mombasa residents have been urged to be more responsible in garbage disposal.

TOURISM Minister Dan Mwazo has urged all industry stakeholders to market Kenya as an ideal holiday destination at every possible opportunity as he works to woo investors into this sector. Speaking during a week-long global tourism conference being held in Sendai in Japan, Mwazo said Kenya was facing stiff competition in the tourism business globally and thus players in the local industry have to come together to look for new markets. Mwazo told delegates attending the World Trade and Tourism Council meeting that Kenya had some of the world’s best tourism attraction sites that needed to be nurtured and marketed for increased foreign exchange earnings. “Part of my agenda here is to look for investors to invest back home,” added the Minister. Japan is the third largest tourism economy in the world and Kenya is also using the meeting to grow networks in that country which is one of the country's targeted emerging markets. The meeting has been scheduled to give delegates a chance to examine the impact of the march 2011 Japan earthquake and Tsunami disaster on the country’s travel and tourism economy.

Etihad unveils daily JKIA-Abu Dhabi flights

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is predicting that the number of tourists’ arriving from the United Arab Emirates will rise following launch of daily flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Abu Dhabi by Etihad Airways. The Board anticipates more than 45 per cent growth in the next two years up from 42 per cent witnessed the year ended 2011. "Lack of direct flights to Abu Dhabi has been a challenge in growing tourism in that region. With the new development, there are signs of growth as we expect the Abu Dhabi as a hub to open up other markets within the region," said John Chirchir, Kenya Tourism Board Marketing Manager for Emerging Markets. The number of tourists from the United Arab Emirates has on the in crease even though Dubai was the only hub directly linking Nairobi to the region. KTB attributes the upward growth to the incentives offered by the government to businesses, and interest in the country’s diverse culture and wildlife. Last year recorded the largest number of arrivals at slightly over 20,000, compared to 2009’s 11,811

Ksh2.65m for Human-Wildlife Conflict Victims in Tsavo



The Kenya Wildlife Service has paid out Sh2.65 million in compensation to victims of the human-wildlife conflict in the Great Tsavo between December 2010 and January 2012. KWS senior warden Samuel Rukaria said Taita Ranch has the highest cases of the conflict, a fact he attributed to the ever growing human population in the area. "The growing human population means there is an encroachment into the animal corridor, which brings about the conflict," said Rukaria during a press briefing at Taita Lodge.

Esther Njeri, a community worker with KWS, said the main concern is to protect property and life. The Greater Tsavo includes both the Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks.

The compensation is handled by the District Compensation Committee with the claims being paid out about three months from the date it is made. KWS pays Sh50,000 for injuries and Sh250,000 for deaths. Loss or destruction of property is not compensated. Rukaria asked MPs to push for the passing of a bill which pushes for better terms in compensation. The KWS is currently erecting a 70km electric fence from Mwakitau to Mwatate at a cost of about Sh80 million to reduce the human-wildlife conflict.

Mombasa roads deplorable, says tourism players



Tourism stakeholders at the Coast appealed to Prime Minister Raila Odinga to ensure roads and water services in Mombasa town are improved. They said the infrastructure in the town is in bad state and could hurt tourism. Kenya risks losing to competitors if the situation is not addressed, they said. At the same time, Tourism minister Dan Mwazo asked tourism players to be more innovative to attract more visitors.

He said the sector can attract more than 10 million tourists if well managed. “Mombasa needs immediate help. This is the gateway to East Africa and must have good infrastructure,” said Mohammed Hersi, who is the Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association chairman. He said the Airport Road that stretches from the Moi International Airport to Changamwe should be repaired as soon as possible. The players blamed the congestion at the Likoni crossing channel for the delay of tourists to and from the airport.

They dared Raila, who is visiting the region, to queue like the ordinary commuters at the channel to understand the crisis they are facing. They said water shortages in Malindi, Kilifi and parts of Mombasa is a threat to the industry adding that sometimes piped water is only available once a week. Raila said the industry will rake in more money if corruption, bureaucracy, security and investment issues are solved. He said more local investment should be encouraged. He directed the Kenya Urban Roads Authority to act quickly on some of the major roads including the Airport road. He said some of the bad roads in the town should be repaired by the local authorities. He accused some local authorities of sleeping on the job. “Most local authorities have gone to bed and abandoned their responsibilities.

We will see to it that the situation is rectified as soon as possible,” he said. He said the water problem should not be a problem in the region and directed the water ministry to ensure free flow of piped water at all times. The Prime Minister cited the Dongo Kundu project which he said will ease congestion at the Likoni crossing channel. He said plans are underway to construct a bridge at Likoni but at the moment the government is embarking on expanding the ramps for more ferries to dock at the same time.

Tourism assistant minister Cecile Mbarire said politicians in the country need to conduct themselves responsibly in order to ensure peace in the country. She assured tourists that Kenya is peaceful and safe and will remain so even after the general election.

Air Uganda ups daily fights on Entebbe-Mombasa route



Air Uganda has increased daily frequencies with more direct flights on the Mombasa-Entebbe route. The Ugandan national carrier will now fly five times weekly from Tuesday to Friday and Sunday to cater for the growing demand on the route.

The carrier has seen a growth of 39 per cent in passenger numbers on the route in the last quarter. The success is attributed to increased trade between Kenya and Uganda, with the Mombasa port being a key entry point for goods within the East Africa region. Air Uganda’s Country Manager, Njeri Wachira, said the Mombasa -Entebbe operation continued to exceed the airlines’ expectations over the past year. "We are pleased to build on this success by increasing our frequency to five times weekly," she said. "When we commenced operations on this route in 2010 we promised to open up market opportunities for Kenya entrepreneurs in Uganda.

This has been realised especially in manufacturing, construction, petroleum and the tourism sector," she added. According to last year’s Ministry of Tourism report, Uganda recorded the highest number of tourists visiting Kenya from Africa, with a growth of 85.5 per cent (13,517 passengers) compared to the same period in 2010. "We will continue to promote Mombasa as the tourist destination of choice in Uganda and work with various travel partners to further grow the number of tourists visiting Mombasa," said Ms Wachira. Business executives flying directly from Moi International Airport, Mombasa to Uganda will now not be required to transit via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. "Our flying time from Mombasa to Entebbe is one hour, ensuring that time conscious business travellers cut back on upto three hours travel time when using our direct and affordable service," added Wachira. Air Uganda flies three times daily to Entebbe from Nairobi set to up business between the two states.

Tourism stakeholders calls on Government to Resolve the Issue of MRC

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has demanded that MRC drops its call for the secession of the Coast from Kenya if it expected the Government to engage them in dialogue. "We are not going to dialogue with people who claim not to be Kenyans," he declared. He was responding to calls by investors and managers in tourism for Government to resolve the issue of MRC once and for all to lower tension at the Coast. He spoke after opening a leadership forum aimed at revamping tourism held at a Mombasa hotel on Monday.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has demanded that MRC drops its call for the secession of the Chairman of the Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association (MCTA) Mohamed Hersi said the tourism industry was concerned that MRC has attracted media attention while the Government was doing nothing to address the issue. "We are worried as an industry that MRC is making headlines in the media while the Government appears to be not taking any action. The matter is causing tension at the Coast," Hersi noted. Hersi said players in the tourism industry want the MRC issues to be sorted out before the group activities could undermine the sector. He also asked Government to resolve the travel ban imposed on Lamu by Britain and other foreign countries last year, saying it was hurting the destination.

"MRC should be Kenyan first before we can initiate dialogue with them," Raila said. The PM recently announced that he was ready to meet MRC leaders and dialogue but the talks flopped after the latter insisted on secession. Last year Coast Provincial Commissioner Ernest Munyi had also softened the Government stand and called for talks with MRC under Muslims for Human Rights, but the outlawed group refused to drop the secession call.

Watamu Marine Association Community Waste Management and Recycling Enterprise wins SEED Award from IUCN, UNEP and UNDP



The Award is a recognition of their particular achievements in innovation and entrepreneurship so far, your promising efforts to promote economic growth, social development and environmental protection in Kenya, and not least the potential of WMA partnership to inspire others. Watamu Community Solid Waste Management and Recycling Enterprises serves as an example of successful cooperation between community organisations and the local marine tourism industry in creating a plastic recycling value chain. The results are cleaned-up beaches and new employment opportunities for women and youth. MCTA congratulates Watamu Marine Association for winning this special award.


Coast hotel rebrands as more tourists expected

Stakeholders in the multi-billion shilling tourism industry are taking the cue from the government and moving with speed to rebrand and renovate their establishments in anticipation of booming tourist arrivals. A number of establishments within the Coast, Kenya’s tourist hub, are optimistic that the number of visitors to the country would be higher than previous years. Newly appointed Tourism Minister Dan Mwazo, who spoke when presiding over the official opening of the rebranded Hillpark Hotel, Tiwi Beach branch, in Kwale Country, said aggressive marketing and branding of tourist sites will enable the country hit the 3-million tourist mark a year.

The minister said the media played a key role in the sector’s growth and asked journalists to support efforts to revamp the industry. "The Kenyan media has done more harm than good by magnifying minor incidents of insecurity to appear like they are of international magnitude. This is really impacting negatively on this sector," lamented Mwazo. Hillpark Hotel – Tiwi Beach formally commenced operations in 2003 then trading as Maweni Beach cottages with 15 units all on self-catering. Last week marked a significant milestone in the hotel’s history following its rebranding. "In 2005 we acquired the Capricho Beach Cottages and redeveloped them to meet the changing client needs and tastes- undertaken in stages as the business was running.

With this development Maweni & Capricho beach Resort came into being,’’ general manager George Swanya said. He said the second phase involved re-doing a free flow swimming pool, a bar and 90 seater restaurant as well as a construction of new hotel rooms. And in 2010 the hotel put up a modern conference centre to tap into the emerging and fast growing conference tourism market. ‘‘This enabled us offer a wholesome package to clients who could now combine business with leisure. Pomboo is a Kiswahili name for Dolphin one of the brightest mammals.

We have never disappointed as conference tourism forms part of our large hotel client base,’’ Swanya said. The hotel has fully embraced eco-tourism and takes the cue in environmental conservation and green energy.

Bamburi Nature Trail Revised Rates 2012/2013

Lafarge Ecosystem have revised their rates as follows:

Most tourist establishments in Masai Mara Game Reserve have sent their workers on compulsory leave. Hoteliers say it is expensive to maintain the staff when business has stagnated for more than five months. “We decided to temporarily lay off non core workers because of low business volume. However, they will be back when it picks up,” said a manager of a prestigious lodge in the park who declined to be named.

He blamed the situation on frequent threats by terrorists who attack places foreigners visit, warning that if security was not improved before the forthcoming peak season, only a few tourists will visit the reserve. The peak season kicks off in mid July when hundreds of wildebeests cross Mara River from Serengeti plains in Tanzania. About 900,000 foreign tourists visit Mara annually. Stakeholders also blame the series of violent protests by the local community in the reserve since October. The locals have been opposed to a decision by Narok County Council to award Equity Bank a 10-year contract to collect park entry fees.

“The protests rubbed salt in the wound. During that period tourists who had booked their stay cancelled them citing security concerns,” added Moses Kipeno, a proprietor of a tented camp

Kalanzo Woos Chinese To Invest In Kenya’s Tourism

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has called on China to invest in Kenya’s service sector. Kalonzo asked more Chinese tourists to visit. He also encouraged Chinese companies to construct hotels, training as well as health institutions, and invest in water and financial services. The Vice President was addressing the opening ceremony of the Beijing International Fair on Trade in Services. He said Kenya has a conducive environment for both local and foreign investments and urged China among other countries to exploit business opportunities in the country.

The Vice President said trade in services has emerged as a driving force of the world economy and it is estimated to account for 20 per cent of global trade. "This trade fair comes at an opportune time to make us all refocus our attention in diversifying our export products as well as venturing into more service-oriented trade," Kalonzo said. While opening the meeting, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China is embracing more liberalization policies in order to take leadership in global trade services.

Insecurity Concern Affecting Tourism In The Coast



Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) and Mombasa Coast Tourist Association (MCTA) have published figures of recent trends in tourism. It shows a pattern of decline in a sector that accounts for 63 per cent of Kenya’s total earnings. KTB links the fall to “negative occurrences which have been happening at the Lamu archipelago.” Mombasa Republican Council cessation calls may also have a bearing on the downturn.

The statistics come from a comparative study of tourist arrivals by air and sea or cruise ships in the region for the first three months of both 2011 and 2012. MCTA’s study is based on reports received from specific air charter firms. Both reports attribute cancellation of these private flights, which represent the bulk of tourist arrivals to the Kenyan coast through Moi International Airport (MIA) Mombasa, to security concerns and negative publicity as well as other global factors.

According to Mr Muriithi Ndegwa, the KTB Managing Director, growth in arrival figures through MIA has been minimal (this year) and this can be attributed to the “misinterpreted presence of Kenya Defence Forces in Somalia”. KDF forces entered Somalia last October and it is during this time that arrivals reduced. “Mombasa was also affected in the earlier part of the year (2012) as a result of negative occurrences which have been happening in the Lamu archipelago in the course of 2011,” KTB explained. Last year terrorists from Somalia raided tourist resorts and kidnapped or killed several British and French tourists.

According to the KTB data, no tourist has arrived in Kenya’s coastal waters by cruise ship this year, compared to 586 between January and March last year, attributing the decline to fears of piracy and insecurity in the region. MIA, the hub of Kenyan tourist charter flights from Europe, has lost more than five of its regular charters this year, according to the association that released its findings on Friday. MCTA cited recent grenade attacks in Mombasa and Mtwapa and threats by Somalia’s Al Shabaab as a leading cause of the decline. According to MCTA chairman Mohamed Hersi, the economic crunch that has affected Greece, Spain and the recent change of government in France negatively influenced the level of travel by tourists from those countries, but local and regional insecurity has played a role in the fall. “The frequent attacks (by terrorists) are worrying, and we as the tourism stakeholders are pleading with the Government to beef up security before things get out of hand,” he went on.

Media Urged To Report Responsibly



Tourism stakeholders are disappointed by irresponsible reporting by certain international media regarding security issues in the country, a case in point is the recent attack at bellavista along Moi avenue where some international press were reporting barely ten minutes after the incidents with outrageous news flash, breaking news and headlines with clear misrepresentation of facts. MCTA chairman Mr. Hersi urged media to report responsibly as such misrepresentation of facts could bring tourism industry down. His sentiments were also echoed by Mr. Noordin Tejapar MCTA vice chairman who was the master of ceremony at MCTA annual general meeting.

MCTA Chairman Calls On Stakeholders and Government To Support Charter Flights



Mr Mohammed Hersi gave a chilling account on a number of charter flights pulling out of Mombasa route. Charter flights, which have ceased operations, according to Hersi, include Corsair from France, with Air Berlin from Germany down to one weekly flight from its initial two. He said TUI UK that operated out of Manchester in the UK has pulled out, leaving only the one that originates from London. Swiss-based Edelweiss is also said to be considering stopping its flights while another British operated airline — Monarch — has pulled out altogether, and will not be resuming soon until 2014, according to Hersi.

The only relief for the region’s tourism, according to Hersi, is chartered flights operated by TUI Nordic — which ferries in visitors from Sweden and Finland. It started operating on the Mombasa route last year, and is still active to date. Hersi addressed a special session of members of MCTA during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Nyali International Beach Hotel over the weekend. He said Kenyan hoteliers should encourage tourists to travel to Kenya on Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Rwandair, Precision Air of Tanzania and Uganda Airlines, which fly to the Coast.

Hersi added it was also encouraging that award-winning Qatar Airways is keen on starting flights to Mombasa. And according to KTB’s data, XL Airline Charters cancelled its flights this February. The data also shows that comparatively, tourist arrivals this year through JKIA in Nairobi grew in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year. However, the same does not reflect on the data sourced from Mombasa’s airport.

Total tourist arrivals for the whole country for the first quarter of this year by air and sea was 312,258 compared to 313,691 in the same period in 2011. This shows a 0.5 per cent decline, according to KTB. During the same period JKIA’s share grew by 8.8 per cent to record 239,523 arrivals, compared to 2011 when it registered 220,097 visitors. Mombasa airport received 72,735 visitors this year, compared to 93,008 in 2011, a 21.8 per cent decline. KTB argues that MIA’s decline in arrivals could also be linked to JKIA’s improved performance and competition from other destinations like Zanzibar, Mauritius and Seychelles.

Lately the banned secessionist group, Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), has stepped up its calls for a boycott of the coming general election, fostering new jitters in the sector that was brought to its knees between 1997 and 2002 by terrorist raid on Israeli properties and staggered attacks by tribal militia. Intelligence reports suggest wanted terrorist Emrah Erdogan is hiding in Coast Province, although on Friday, Hersi warned that tourism could suffer more from the separatist talk waged by MRC. “If the grievances raised by MRC are not addressed soon, then things might get out of hand because in case of any tension, the tourism industry would be hurt as tourists would stop flying in,’’ he said.

Experts Say Mombasa Will Not Sink Even In 100 years

Marine experts have published scientific evidence of the sea level rising along the coast. This comes a week after revelations on the possibility of Mombasa Island sinking. However, experts drawn from the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research (KMFRI) maintained that although the rise is causing land loss, the island would not sink in the next 100 years. “Rise of sea levels by only a few tens of centimeters could result in loss of land due to erosion and inundation of low lying coastal areas, salt water into coastal ecosystems and into ground water systems, and loss of terrestrial and marine biodiversity.

This may have wide economic, cultural and ecological repercussions,” said KMFRI Research Scientist and Physical Oceanographer Charles Magori. Dr Magori said that 20 years of monthly sea level data observed by the Mombasa gauge station discloses a rising trend of about two millimeters per year. “This is consistent with projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,” he said. Magori said seasonal variations in sea levels occur with maximum values usually observed in the period of April-May and October, with the lowest sea level occurring in February and in the period of July-August.

He said the variations are attributable to changes in atmospheric pressure as well the monsoon wind regimes. Magori added the inter annual variation in sea levels are also largely attributed to thermal expansion of the ocean due to global warming and localised effects from salt variations. During a media briefing held on the sidelines of a Kwale Climate Change Hearing Workshop, Dr Wilbur Ottichilo, MP and an expert in the study, said Mombasa Island will be no more in 50 years’ time due to rising sea levels.

Japan Gives Kshs 29b For Dongo Kundu Bypass



The is long awaited Dongu Kundu bypass project is now becoming a reality, this after the government received 29 billion shillings from the Japan This development put smiles on the faces of key stakeholder. MCTA Chairman Mohammed Hersi in a long discussion on many issues concerning the tourism industry at the coast said that the new bypass, finally offering a straight road alternative to the often unreliable Likoni ferries, is in his opinion crucial to future tourism developments at the Kenya coast, as it will open up vast stretches of the coast line south of Mombasa island, which traders and tourists alike can then visit, on business and on leisure with much greater ease compared to the present torment they experience when crossing the ferry.

Starting point will be Miritini, where the new highway will branch off the main route coming from Nairobi to the coast, and then pass Mwache, Dongo Kundu after which it is being named and Kibundani, before joining the present main road which runs from Likoni to Ukunda and via Msambweni to the Lunga Lunga border post with neighbouring Tanzania. Construction start could happen as early as December this year, subject to preparing for, inviting and evaluating tenders and construction period, due to having cross swamps and wetlands, may take up to 2018, in other words nearly 6 years. That said however, after waiting for this to happen for the past decades, there is general relief that the project financing with the assistance of Japan has now taken a giant leap forward and that there is a distant light at the end of what used to be a very dark tunnel


Kwale Plan To End Elephant Menace

A modern and more effective electric fence will be erected to control elephants to end the human-wildlife conflict in Kwale, senior warden Mohammed Kheri has said. The current fence which stands at 7 feet with a voltage of 8.5 kilovolts will be replaced with a three feet modern fence with an upgraded voltage of 13 kilovolts. Speaking in Mombasa, Kheri said construction of the 120-kilometre fence will begin within a month with a pilot project covering a 10-kilometre stretch from Tsimba to Golini.

The new fence, which has four strands with outriggers to will keep the animals a more two metres away from the fence, will cover Shimba Hills National Reserve and the Mwalughanje Sanctuary. He said the fence, which is already in use in Laikipia has ended the human-wildlife conflict in the region. “We are committed to ensuring that we protect both the community and the animals. Kwale residents should accept these elephants and work together in finding a lasting solution. Our Laikipia brothers have succeeded with the modern fence,” said Kheri.

He asked Kwale residents to take wildlife as a resource especially now that the country is going into county government. He blamed human activities for the damage to the current fence through vandalism and interference. “People vandalise these wires while others cut them to get access to the trees in the reserve for logging and firewood. The public should report anyone who is responsible for this because they are contributing to the problems they are facing with animals,” he added. Kheri said the number of rangers on the ground has been beefed up and a mobile vehicle put in place to enhance faster response to emergency cases. He urged residents to closely work with KWS officials in managing the animals and facilities surrounding the park.

The elephant menace elicited mixed reactions during the Madaraka Day celebration in Kwale with some civic leaders vowing to mobilise residents to kill jumbos that stray into their farms.

Upcoming Events

25th to 27th September 2012 Regional Tourism Fair at Mama Ngina drive.

The tourism industry has joined calls for withdrawal of the proposed VAT Bill 2012 warning that it risks slowing down the sector growth and new investments. Tourism stakeholders represented umbrella body Kenya Tourism Federation whose membership is drawn from all professional organizations in the industry yesterday warned that national carrier Kenya Airways alone stands to lose about Sh22 billion if the bill is passed.
“The impact will be quite huge. Just a 16 per cent application of VAT on food alone is likely to push the cost of doing business in hotels by more than 30 per cent,” noted Kenya Association of HotelKeepers and Caterers CEO Mike Macharia during a press briefing yesterday. Aside from some of the hotel items that are exempt from tax, tour operators have also enjoyed exemption of transportation of tourists. If VAT Billl 2012 is enacted, it could mean increasing the cost of tours in the country and could affect Kenya's competitive edge as a destination.
The contentious was to be introduced in parliament on Tuesday but it was put on hold due to Finance Minister Njeru Githae's absence in parliament then. Some MPs have also raised objections to the proposals under the VAT Bill because of its implications to the crucial agricultural sector and price of essential commodities like milk and flour. Players in the agricultural industry who have for a long time enjoyed exemptions on agricultural inputs were the first to raise the alarm over the VAT Bill.

Minister Danson Mwazo launches 'culinary tourism' extravaganza

Kenya officially launched culinary tourism as part of efforts to promote the east African nation to become a prized destination for overseas tourists keen on sampling the country’s wide range of cuisine. Minister of Tourism Danson Mwazo who launched the extravaganza in Nairobi said culinary tourism is one of the main new niche products that the government is adapting in its efforts to offer a diverse choice to tourists visiting the country.

"The Chef Delight Awards is a right step towards building a formidable culinary and hospitality sector that will be an attraction to tourists besides the conventional beach and wild," the minister said in Nairobi when he officially launched the Chefs Delight Awards. "I would like to urge all the dining establishments that are not yet part of this initiative to join in and participate actively as a way to uplift the quality of cuisine and quality of service delivery in-order for us to be competitive globally," he added. Kenya said it will scale up efforts to promote food tourism as part of diversification of this sector that is leading foreign exchange earner in the East African nation. Kenya has been keen on diversifying tourism products and her rich cuisine is an ideal platform to support this effort.

Previously, the government emphasized on sports and culture tourism and currently plans are in top gear to promote culinary tourism. The minister urged the Award organizers, International Quality Awards Ltd., to move in earnest and ensure that the initiative expands to include other east African countries and eventually be a continental culinary awards brand. The Chefs Delight Awards Initiative will see nominated restaurants; bars and chefs compete against other establishments within the same cuisine category. Clients will vote the best restaurant and chef based on their dining.

High Court Blocks Caroline Mutoko's Appointment As Tourism Chair



The appointment of top Kenyan radio presenter Caroline Mutoko as the chair of the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation (KTDC) has been blocked by the High Court.the High Court, through Justice Cecilia Githua suspended the gazette notice through which Tourism minister Dan Mwazo appointed Mutoko, and members Mutoko, the breakfast show host at Kiss 100, was also blocked from becoming a member of the board of Kenya Safari Lodges and Hotels. A person appointed as chair of KTDC automatically becomes a board member of the government owned Kenya Safari Lodges and Hotels.

Mwazo had replaced the whole team that Najib Balala left at KTDC. KTDC chairman Mohamed Shaiya complained that the minister acted illegally. Shaiya’s lawyer, Hassan Lakicha, told the court that the minister’s action was unconstitutional and must be quashed. “The first respondent is morally and legally obligated to uphold the rule of law which enjoins him to comply with and respect the Constitution, statues as interpreted by the courts. His action against the applicants is a gross transgression of the law,” Lakicha told the court. He said the minister never informed the complainant that he planned to publish a gazette notice revoking his job.

“This non-disclosure is in breach of the cardinal rules of natural justice which provides that no person is to be condemned unheard,” the lawyer said. He argued the minister’s actions were informed by political ill will and malice. . “The revocation of the appointment of the applicant contained in the notice 10231 and 10235 of July 20, 2012, special issue Vol. CXIV-No. 69 is not based upon any basis of facts or law.” The applicant’s lawyer was ordered to file and serve a substantive motion within 21 days. The case will be mentioned on September 25. The tourism players also took the opportunity to complain over recent parastatal board appointments made by the Minister of Tourism adding that they were not consulted and it was done in contravention of the new Tourism Act 2011 which is pending implementation.

KTF chairperson Lucy Karume said the immediate former directors of the six parastatals should have been left to finish their terms or if a revocation was necessary they should have been briefed prior to the dismissal. “The minister is blatantly ignorant”

Stakeholders Meet over Human-Wildlife Conflict in Tsavo

Increased population and human activities near the Tsavo National Park have been blamed for the increasing human-wildlife conflict in Taita Taveta county. A consultative forum between the Kenya Wildlife Service and other stakeholders in the area was told that the conflict is caused by competition for water, food and space between the humans and animals.

The forum had been convened to seek strategies to end the human-wildlife conflict by boosting food and security in the region. The stakeholders said climate change is contributing to the conflict with animals being forced to move out of the conservation area and stray into the farms in search of food and water. KWS assistant director in charge of biodiversity research and monitoring Samuel Kasiki said it has been difficult to address the rampant human-wildlife conflict in the Tsavo conservation area because the communities neighbouring the park engage in land uses.

"The diversity of land uses including smallholder agriculture, pastoralism, commercial plantations and wildlife conservancies among others make it difficult to come up with a common approach to the problem," said Kasiki. He said elephants often stray into community farms near the protected areas in search of water and forage while the pastoralists move into the park to graze their animals during the drought. Early this week, the Kenya Wildlife Service rangers impounded more than 2,000 livestock which were found grazing in the park.

The workshop was funded by Danish Development Agency through the Office of the Prime Minister under the Green Kenya Initiative to the tune of Sh750,000 to exchange knowledge and experiences in enhancing water-food security, identifying adaptation strategies under changing climatic conditions, while mitigating human-wildlife conflicts in the Tsavo conservation area.

Marketing Kenya at Olympics



The tourism body intends to present Kenya as the home of Safari, clean and secure beaches, rich culture, training facilities for the athletes and general adventure among others. This will part of the activities scheduled in London after the official opening of Kenya House at Stratford on Friday, creating a window into the wealth and unique opportunities the country has to offer ranging from investment opportunities, rich cultural heritage as well as Kenya’s dominance in the tourism sector. Kenya hopes to capitalise on the more than seven million visitors to the Olympics, being part of the 13 million people expected to tour London this summer.

The event will also give top Government officials a chance to engage with the many Kenyans in the Diaspora. UK plays host to over half a million Kenyans. Apart from the tourism sector, Kenya House has been put together by various arms of the Government including the ministries of Finance, Trade and Industry, Youth and Sports and Information and Communication. According to the Managing Director of the Kenya Tourist Board Muriithi Ndegwa, there will be online campaigns as well as print adverts in the UK’s consumer media aimed at getting those attending the games visit Kenya House.

To ensure that they do not miss any sporting events, guests will be able to watch live coverage of the Olympics using the in-house big screens as they soak in the friendly Kenyan atmosphere. Visitors will also learn about the country as a favourite destination from a permanent exhibition showcasing the country’s past, present and future. There will be rare opportunities for guests to rub shoulders with record breaking Kenyan athletes, some of whom will also give some running tips. “Among the speakers will be journalists who have been to the country on familiarisation tours and who have also trained with our athletes.

We would like them to talk about their experiences while in Kenya since they are in a position to reach a big segment of external audiences. Lined up too, will be opportunities to enjoy cultural performances, sample local foods and win some prizes. Another highlight will be a high level investment meeting to be held at Mansion House to discuss the country’s investment opportunities not only in tourism but also in other mega projects earmarked for the country as part of the economic blueprint, Vision 2030.

Coast Hotels Brace for Brisk Trade

Hotels at the Coast anticipate a busy time this month as business from the domestic market soars due to the school holidays and Mombasa International Show. The surge in domestic tourism complements the high tourist season that kicked off last month with the resumption of charter flights from Europe. Schools are closing and families usually pour into the Coast for the holidays.

The Mombasa International Show, which opens on August 29, has attracted 20 international and more than 100 local exhibitors. Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association (MCTA) chairman Mohamed Hersi said company executives; parastatal heads and top government officials flock to Mombasa to take part in the five-day show. “We expect brisk business as people from Nairobi and other parts of the country are pouring in,” he said. Mr Hersi, who is also the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort general manager, said the hotel, which currently has bed occupancy of 70 per cent, will be full next week.

Former Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast branch chairman Titus Kangangi said hotels in Malindi, Watamu and Diani will also be busy. Mr Kangangi, who is also the Platinum Hotels managing director, said the industry expected brisk business.

New lease of life for Kenya's 'lunatic' railway



The African Development Bank has just approved a £24.8m (KES 3.59bn, $39.8m) loan to help finance the rehabilitation of the dilapidated Kenya-Uganda railway. The project involves upgrading the existing line between Mombasa on the Indian Ocean to the shores of Lake Victoria - the route once dubbed the "lunatic line" because of the high cost of building it both in terms of money and human life. The total cost of the upgrade in Kenya will cost between £1.8bn and £3bn ($3bn to $5bn).