Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism, Amadeus and UNWTO sign pact to promote travel and tourism

Kenya’s tourism sector is set to benefit from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Monday to foster inclusive, local economic growth, through travel and tourism.

The MoU was signed by the Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism, Amadeus, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Specialized Agency for Tourism  at the WTM for skills development and empowerment through technology key essentials to developing tourism locally.

November 9th, 2016, Amadeus, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry, the United Nations World Tourism Organization- UNWTO (UNWTO), the United Nations Specialized Agency for Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism of Kenya, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, to foster inclusive, local economic growth, through Travel & Tourism.

The signing took place Tuesday at the WTM (World Travel Market) show in London by Juan Torres, East Africa Regional General Manager Amadeus; Taleb Rifae, UNWTO Secretary General and Lazarus Amayo, Kenyan High Commissioner to the UK represented the Ministry of Tourism.

The stakeholders from the private and public sectors and UN system have teamed up to increase the ability of women and youth from underserved communities, to access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the travel and tourism industries.

Under the MOU, the partners are developing a pilot project in Kenya to which they are inviting other travel and tourism companies, as well as local gender and youth empowerment stakeholders, to participate with their resources and infrastructure, ensuring the young women and men can earn a living from the skills they acquire.

The lessons learned from a successful pilot in Kenya will serve to replicate the development methodology in other countries with similar socio-economic circumstances not only in Africa but further beyond.

Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, says, “The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic industries in today’s global economy. Tourism is a key backbone to the region’s economic growth, with a projected growth of 16% by end of 2016. This initiative enables us to empower women and youth whilst building our local tourism and travel industry.”

Svend Leirvaag, Vice President Industry Affairs, Amadeus IT Group adds; “the growing significance of technology in the industry depends on skill levels, professionalism, and commitment of the work force. At Amadeus, we endeavor to equip communities with new technologies, but for social innovation and inclusive development to happen on a scale that can bring real change, we must involve multiple stakeholders in the industry.”

UNWTO will contribute through access to UN agencies and other key partners to advise on methodology for the inclusion of vulnerable groups into the project and training resources on their socio-economic empowerment through tourism.

Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Spokesperson said, “We need to better understand the impact of technology on our sector and maximize the new opportunities it creates to improve the competitiveness of destinations, make travel safer and easier, and manage our natural resources more effectively.”

Amadeus, the UNWTO and Ministry of Tourism will promote this cooperation in Kenya and East Africa region, to increase awareness on the potential of women and youth in the travel and tourism sectors.

The parties aim to complete the first pilot training before the end of 2017.

Related: Current State of the Kenyan Tourism Sector