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Kenya hosts first african edition of UN global tourism resilience conference
The summit builds on the groundwork laid by the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre – Eastern Africa, hosted at Kenyatta University and chaired by CS Miano. The centre won the prestigious 2024 Global Tourism Resilience Award in London, recognizing its contributions to crisis management and sustainable tourism across 14 Eastern African countries.
Kenya will lead the global discourse on building crisis-proof tourism systems as it seeks to cement its credentials as a Pan-African resilience hub at the fourth Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo to be held in Nairobi.
This will be the first time that the UN-anchored event will be hosted in Africa, with over 400 delegates and 40 expert speakers from across the world expected to grace the three-day gathering at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) from February 16-18.
The UN-sanctioned World Tourism Resilience Day will also be observed on February 17, marking a historic moment for the continent as the global tourism community gathers to address the challenges facing the industry.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano said that Kenya’s selection is a notable recognition of the country’s commitment to weaving resilience, sustainability and crisis preparedness into its tourism sector.
“Kenya is honoured to host the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day, Conference and Expo. The conference is informed by our shared vulnerabilities in the face of global disruptions, and more importantly, our collective resolve to overcome them,” said CS Miano.
She further noted that the gathering, themed “Tourism Resilience in Action: From Crisis Response to Impactful Transformation,” signals a decisive shift in moving beyond policy dialogue and crisis reaction to building systems that foster recovery and transformation across the tourism sector globally.
“We ought to face the fact that humanity may not always be in a position to anticipate – let alone resolve – some eventualities instantly. That then makes preparedness essential if not mandatory,” CS Miano added.“The proactive outlook we seek can build systems that foster recovery over and above building capacity for adapting, anticipating and transforming tourism globally.”
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who championed the UN resolution establishing February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day, praised Kenya’s leadership in the movement.
“The establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center in Nairobi in 2019 made that first statement to Africa and to the world. The fact that the United Nations has now embraced global tourism resilience as a critical point of departure is significant, with 94 countries signing off on the resolution,” Bartlett noted.
Since its establishment in 2019, the centre has launched impactful initiatives including the Paid Internships Abroad Programme, a digital inventory of tourism products and experiences, and Harmonized Sustainability Standards that now serve as a regional benchmark.
The centre was the first satellite facility of the Jamaica-based Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, created following a bilateral agreement between Kenya and Jamaica.
The conference is expected to produce a “Resilience in Action” Report, launch new measurement indicators, and forge cross-sectoral partnerships aimed at future-proofing tourism against emerging threats.
Kenya was elected to the UN Tourism Executive Council for 2025–2029 during the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh last November, underscoring its growing influence in global tourism governance.
The three previous Global Tourism Resilience Day Conferences were held in Kingston (2023), Montego Bay (2024), and Negril (2025), all in Jamaica.