Failure by the national government to devolve tourism management roles is to blame for the slow development of tourism products by county governments.
The devolved units want the Tourism Act of 2011 amended to give them a hand in the management of the crucial sector.
The chairperson of the county executives for tourism, Rose Kisia said delays in the amendment of the Act had denied them roles in the management of the nascent sector.
"The Act was enacted before the counties were put in place and therefore counties are not mentioned anywhere and by implication that is what is denying counties a role in their management and revenue, all of which goes to the national government," she said during the World Tourism Day held celebrations held at the Kisumu Museum.
"So we want to repeal this act and amend it so that it can take into account the counties."
She added that counties have been struggling to draw the line on where mandates fall.
"We have been struggling to understand which part of tourism is devolved. The Constitution says it is the local tourism that is devolved, which the National Government interprets to mean domestic tourism.
But to the counties, all forms of tourism happening in our jurisdictions is local tourism and we should be able to manage some of those products and get benefit from the levies charged," the official said.