Investing in tourism and hospitality industry will do more than just generate income

By Hasnain Noorani

In today’s globalized and symbiotic world, international relations is becoming one of the most vital components in pursuit to protect interests of any nation. The economic potential of tourism is remarkable, with direct and indirect impact on wealth creation.

It is a good public relations device through which a country like Kenya could attract the most desired foreign investments. Countries have progressed in various aspects of development, such as infrastructure, technology, transportation, communication and so forth. In this context, tourism and hospitality has become a booming sector in terms of achieving national development.

For Kenya, tourism could play a vital role as a form of economic, public and soft power. Kenya is rich in natural gifts, resources and wonders with our own diverse historical and cultural heritage. As a form of soft power, tourism can play an active role in promoting people-to-people contact within the East African region and globally and thereby promote peace, friendship, cooperation and economic growth.

Through tourism, Kenya holds the ability to influence the perception of international actors and affect foreign policy outcome by allowing more people to engage with the culture and values. In this globalized world, where civil society, international and local none governmental organizations are increasingly important in the development arena, soft power plays a vital role in multiplying Kenya’s influence and increases the likelihood of success in its foreign policy objectives.

Tourism and hospitality connects people and places. Tourism connects global audiences with some of our strongest soft power resources, exposing them to our culture whilst supporting the economy, tourism can be this bridge.

Tourism helps to ignite GDP growth, increase international trade, boost international investment and drive infrastructure development. In 2018, tourism contributed over USD 2.5 billion to Kenya’s economy and it is a major contributor to the GDP, accounting for more than 10 percent of Kenya’s total economy.

Kenya’s Vision 2030 presents an important opportunity to promote and create new and compelling narratives about Kenya’s culture, heritage and natural beauty. The fact that Kenya is a member of the UN World Tourism Organization, and has diplomatic relations with more than 150 countries with resident embassies in 30 plus countries also puts us at a prime position to promote Kenyan tourism overseas.

The importance of tourism is to uplift and promote a positive image globally, government has been organizing several tourism campaigns including #TembeaKenya, #WhyILoveKenya, #Magical Kenya among others. Now that the foundation has been laid, we must take this opportunity to strengthen our commitment to not only bring tourists into the country but also to leave them with a positive image of Kenya that they can promote within their own communities.

Kenya should also strongly promote tourism through regional and international cooperation. Hosting seminars and conferences in regional forums to discuss new approaches to tourism can be a strategic diplomatic tactic.

But it is not enough to have these conversations behind closed doors; they need to be accessible to the wider public. Social networking sites can facilitate this sense of openness by allowing people outside these spaces to participate in the dialogue.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) need to engage in a variety of other stakeholders, including the youth, business groups and NGOs, to work in collaboration to promote, protect and influence the image of the nation through tourism.

The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) and other research agencies also need to proactively explore the approach of using tourism as a form of soft power instead of only viewing it as a way to generate income for the nation.

By recognizing its potential beyond income generation, we can find new ways to strengthen our diplomatic credibility in the international arena.

This approach to tourism can also be strengthened from the outside.  Kenyans in diaspora can assist in organizing various cross-cultural exchanges to promote the image of the country in International contexts. In modern diplomacy, recognizing the potential of using tourism as a form of soft power will do more than bring income to Kenya; it will create new narratives about the country and promote positive diplomatic relations with our neighbors as well as help promote Kenya as business and leisure travel destinations.

The writer is the Managing Director and founder of PrideInn Hotels and Conferencing