This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
Published on September 3, 2019, a report highlighted Kenya's untapped potential in conference tourism. The country has made strides in this area but still ranks behind South Africa and is losing ground to Rwanda.
According to the report, Rwanda outperformed other East and Central African destinations in 2018, hosting two international conferences per month and generating Ksh 6 billion for the year. This impressive performance serves as a benchmark for Kenya to improve its conference tourism.
The World Economic Forum, a prestigious gathering of thought leaders, has been hosted by South Africa and Rwanda in Africa. Kenya could capitalize on this opportunity by bidding to host the World Economic Forum for Africa, which would bring significant benefits, including increased visitors and attention to the country.
Alternatively, Kenya could establish its own annual regional economic forum focused on growth opportunities in the region. This approach has been successful in other regions, such as the Great Lakes Economic Forum in Ontario, Canada, and the Caspian Economic Forum in Central Asia.
Examples of successful economic forums, like the Yalta International Economic Forum in Crimea, demonstrate the potential for conference tourism to boost a country's growth potential and attract visitors. Kenya needs to take a more proactive approach to capitalize on this opportunity.
