Kenya Takes Home Best Exhibitor Award During the ITB in Berlin

Mohammed Hersi, Najib Balala, Fatuma Hirsi Mohamed,
Posing at the Kenya Stand at the ITB in Berlin. (l. to r.) Mohammed Hersi, CEO Heritage Hotels Kenya; Najib Balala, CS for Tourism; Fatuma Hirsi Mohamed, Principal Secretary for Tourism and J. S. Zohra, Chairman of the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers.

Last week was the annual ITB once again in Berlin. Kenya was well represented.

The annual event has become the one stop shop for German investors and tourists interested in meeting key players in the Kenyan tourism sector and this year was no exception, with the delegation this year including 42 exhibitors  and county governments (Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Kwale and Mombasa) led by the CS for Tourism, Najib Balala, the Kenyan Ambassador to Germany, Amb. Magutt, the Tourism Principal Secretary, Fatuma Hirsi Mohamed and the Acting Managing Director of Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), Jacinta Nzioka Mbithi.

Joseph Magutt, Fatuma Hirsi Mohammed, Najib Balala and Jacinta Nzioka Mbithi
CS Balala joined by (l. to r.) Kenyan Ambassador to Germany, Joseph Magutt, Principle Secretary for Toursim, Fatuma Hirsi Mohammed and Acting Managing Director of Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Jacinta Nzioka Mbithi during a press conference held to inform German and international media houses of all Kenya has/is doing to encourage more tourists to visit the country

The Uasin Gishu Governor, Mr. Jackson Mandago, was in Berlin to promote the North Rift Tourism circuit which is currently under-exploited. Some of the tourism potential in the County include reserve parks, sports tourism and investment in Hotels.

CS Balala came baring a bag of incentives for potential tourists and Charter flight owners amongCharter Incentive Programme (CIP). CIP provides chartered flight operators from Italy and Germany a Sh3,000 subsidy per passenger for every aircraft whose 80 per cent of the travellers terminate their journey at Malindi and Mombasa airports. Game reserves and national park fees have been revised to allow more local and foreign tourists to visit the facilities thereby creating more jobs for Kenyans who once worked at tourist lodges and camps located in various parts of the country.

Fatuma Hirsi Mohamed, Najib Balala and Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare
CS for Tourism, Najib Balala, handing over a “Jambo Kenya” goody bag to the Ghanaian Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ms. Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare as Principle Secretary for Tourism, Fatuma Hirsi Mohamed, looks on.

CS Balala also met with the Ghanaian Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Ms. Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, to discuss on ways the two countries can work together to exploit win-win tourism opportunities between the two countries.

On the sidelines of the ITB, Kenya was able to garner second place in the Africa category in the Best Exhibitor’s Awards. Seems however, Kenya keeps getting the second place, this year they were beat by Egypt while last year they lost to Rwanda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9rlrNY4Thk

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