Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and Principal Secretary Fatuma Hirsi Mohamed appearing before the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Sports, Culture and Tourism, January 26, 2018. [Photo/Tourism Ministry]
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and Principal Secretary Fatuma Hirsi Mohamed led a ministerial team to brief the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Sports, Culture and Tourism on the Ministry's mandate, role, programmes, policies and challenges.
Hirsi said, tourism contributes about 11 per cent to Kenya's GDP, about 12 per cent to Kenya’s employment and is the 3rd foreign exchange earner. For every 11 tourists who visit Kenya, 1 Kenyan job is created.
During the Friday meeting, Balala indicated that the Ministry had developed the National Tourism Strategy Blueprint 2030 to give strategic direction to its state agencies and the tourism sector generally.
The Blueprint 2030 has 4 strategies: Product, Marketing, Investment Promotion and Infrastructure to move the tourism sector to the next level.
He reiterated that all tourism establishments and stakeholders must embrace the latest technological trends and advancements, to enable Destination Kenya have a competitive edge.
Balala requested for the Committee's understanding of the dynamics in the sector so as to assist and push for requisite Legislative and regulative changes, which include: Sessional paper on Blueprint; Changes in Tourism Act and Regulations; Tourism Transformational Fund; and Restructuring of State Corporations.
He also requested them to push for increased funding to the Ministry and the tourism sector.
Part of the team were Chief Executive Officers of all the Ministry's parastatals and senior Ministry officials.