Tourism stakeholders in Kenya’s South Rift region are now rooting for the promotion of business tourism in the region to boost local revenue collections in the counties.

The stakeholders observed that apart from the wildlife safaris and culture tourism that bring huge returns in the region, there was need to exploit the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) to fetch more revenue for the counties.

The stakeholders made the proposals during a public participation forum on the proposed draft on National Tourism Policy and Tourism Amendment Bill in Narok town, which brought together industry players from Narok, Nakuru, Kericho and Bomet counties.

Philip ole Kilesi, an hotelier in Narok town, said the growth of business tourism translates to the growth of urban centres, which has a multiplier effect.

“We want tourists who visit the Maasai Mara National Reserve to first stop in Narok town, hold meetings and enjoy our fresh food before proceeding to the national reserve. This will benefit traders more and spur the growth of our urban centres,” he said.

Ole Kilesi also called for the construction of curios and exhibition centres at the main gates of the National Reserves where tourists could see and buy the beautiful local artefacts before entering the park.

“For many years, the Maasai women have been hawking their ornaments at the Maasai Mara National Reserve gates without any coordination. I feel there is a need for decent showcasing and selling of our artefacts,” he said.

He called on the Kenya Power and Lighting Company to address the issue of on-and-off power supply that affected big hotels which host foreign tourists.

Narok County Commissioner Kipkech Lotiatia commended the locals for giving vital information that would enrich the policy document. He observed that Narok County is a tourism county and gets a huge chunk of its local revenue collections comes from the tourism industry.

The county commissioner pointed out that the major threat the tourism industry faces includes increased cases of poaching, sale of bush meat and environmental degradation.

David Kinyangi, a Director at the State Department of Tourism, underscored the importance of public participation in the preparation of the two documents and assured the residents that their views would be incorporated in the final document.

He reiterated that the two documents were important in the tourism sector as they guided the industry.

“Getting views from stakeholders is an important constitutional mandate that we have undertaken. We will go to various parts of the country with the main aim of getting views from our stakeholders and general public,” he said.

The public participation exercise will be completed by March 7 before the Bill goes to Parliament for debate and approval.

The National Tourism Policy provides a framework for the management and development of tourism delineating the roles of National and County Governments and other stakeholders.

Moreso, it highlights various tourism products and experiences such as culture, wildlife, marine, business, and eco-tourism. The policy also includes strategies for promoting international, regional and domestic tourism.

• A Tell / KNA report / By Ann Salaton