WTO Conference Expected to Boost Economy

Kenya is set to benefit from the 10th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that was officially opened yesterday at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that almost Sh.2.1 billion is going to be spent by the delegates for the short period that they will be in the city adding that each one of them will be spending at least Sh.50,000 in a day.

This is so because almost 5,000 delegates from the 162 countries that make up the WTO are expected to attend the conference. KICC, the Kenya Airways and Nairobi Hotels are said to be the biggest beneficiaries since the conference is being held in Nairobi.

The government had stated earlier that it will use at least Sh.500 million towards the conference which is going to run for four days and it has prepared for a maximum number of 7,000 delegates.

The tourism sector also expects a boost as the delegates are expected to tour some of the tourist attractions in the country before and after the conference. Kenya Airways being the official carrier for the conference expects WTO to make the country’s position as a conference center a permanent one.

Kenya has been on the map this year since year ever since the president Barack Obama of the United States visited the country in in July for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), then Pope Francis visited the country in November and now the WTO is being held here again.

The CEO of Kenya Airways Mr. Mbuvi Ngunze said that he believes Kenya is already on the global map and that it is now positioned to continue attracting even more bigger meetings in future.

KICC signed a memorandum of understanding with Kenya Airways creating a relationship that will enable the two to market Kenya as a prime destination in key markets for meets, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibition (MICE) tourism.

KICC alone is said to generate Sh.24.6 billion in the Kenyan economy ever year through MICE since that is the main task that it was meant to be performing.

Article by Vera Shawiza.