Mombasa International Cultural Festival rekindles hope in tourism industry

Deputy President William Ruto jointly with Mombasa County Governor Hassan Ali Joho and his Kwale counterpart Salim Mvurya join traditional dancers as they dance to different cultures at Mama Ngina sea front where the Mombasa Cultural Festivals is currently going on, August 21, 2015. There are various tribes country-wide who are show casing their culture which comes to an end next week. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

From exhilarating water sports to thrilling cultural dances and dazzling arts, foreign and local visitors to Mombasa have in the last week been treated to a spectacular international cultural festival that ends today.

The retinue of performances full of pomp and colour at the scenic Mama Ngina Drive came from as far away as the French island of Mayotte and China.

The curtains fall on the Mombasa International Cultural Festival (MICF) today with a triathlon before a carnival parade at Mama Ngina Grounds, capped by fireworks.

The festival coincided with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) conference that brought together players in the sector to map out strategies to sustain the recovery of the local tourism industry.

Yesterday, the guests were treated to traditional dhow competitions and entertained by the unforgettable Mayotte group whose taaarab-like beat and slow dance styles have become very popular.

Exhibitors included Modern Coast Bus, Kenya Revenue Authority, Gulf Bank, Tourism Fund, Jocham Hospital, DSTV, Marie Stopes, Temple Point Hotel, Kenya Red Cross and Jomvu Constituency.

Security has remained tight in Mombasa and security agencies said yesterday no serious incident had been reported during the fete. Mombasa has remained calm for the past year after a period of sporadic terror attacks. At the UNWTO meeting, Deputy President William Ruto urged African states to embrace intra-Africa tourism to bolster the industry in the continent.

“The emerging trend in tourism is the union of nations into a single destination. In East Africa, for example, we are working towards having the single tourism visa implemented by our member states,” Ruto said during the opening of an inaugural two-day UNWTO/East Africa Tourism Development Forum at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa.

He said the Government had gone a step further and set up an online portal through which one can apply for a visa and receive it within 48-72 hours. “This kind of safari is not available anywhere in the world but there is a need to package it first before rolling it out to potential clients,” Ruto said of the East African tourism circuit.

He emphasised that tourism remains a key sector of the country’s economy and that figures from 2014 show the sector’s contribution to the economy (directly and indirectly) stood at Sh561.8 billion, or 10.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.

“This contribution is projected to rise by 4.2 per cent this year and by 5.1 per cent per year, peaking at Sh.954.1 billion by 2025,” Ruto said. UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai said the East Africa region is an important destination with unmatched attractions.

He noted that the forum came at a time when international tourism continues to reach new heights worldwide. He announced that the first months of 2015 had already seen a strong four per cent growth in international tourist arrivals.

Upward trend

“This consolidates the upward trend of international tourism in recent years, following the 4.3 per cent growth in 2014 that generated a record $1.5 trillion in tourism earnings - or an average of $4 billion per day,” he added.

East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie said the UNWTO forum had come at an opportune time when the world was paying attention to Africa due to the high economic development growth.

“The East African region has equally been growing at 6 per cent per annum on average. Tourism has and will continue to play a key role in this as people travel more to Africa and within Africa,’’ she said.

Other African Ministers at the meeting which ends today include Seychellois Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange, Mohamed Abuzaid Mustafa Mohamed (minister of Tourism Antiques & Wildlife – Sudan) and Agnes Ekiror Eyungu, State Minister – Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife & Antiquities in Uganda.