Kenya's Tourism & Wildlife has seen a boost in business as international flights reopened on 1st August. The Industry had been disrupted and hard hit due to the pandemic.
Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife recently released the Tourism Research Report 2020 which did a study to measure the impact of COVID-19 on the local tourism sector. Findings of the study indicated an abrupt and unprecedented drop in hotel demand leading to closure of most hotels and job losses. The report warns that the country could lose $320 million with declining passenger arrivals while the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE) sub-sector which brought in Ksh.164 billion last year, are among those projected to lose heavily due to COVID-19.
As a mitigation measure, In July, the Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife collaborated with Facebook and WYLDE International to launch the Boost with Facebook training for the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife hospitality sector. The Boost with Facebook programme is designed to help hundreds of tourism stakeholders to use the Facebook family of apps (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) to boost their businesses’ marketing efforts during these uncertain times.
Speaking about the launch of the programme, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Hon. Najib Balala said, “Boost with Facebook for the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife coincides with our efforts at the Ministry to work with industry stakeholders to review the existing National Tourism Policy to respond to the challenges of COVID-19. Through this programme, the Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife aims to equip SMB’s in the tourism sector with vital digital marketing skills to help them recover from the losses incurred due to the Coronavirus pandemic.”
WYLDE International’s Chief Executive Joram Mwinamo welcomed the partnership highlighting that they will assist the SMBs in the tourism sector which has been adversely affected by the pandemic. “The programme will include a triage assessment of the businesses' who will in turn get personalised feedback on the status of their business and how they can improve their business models and optimise the digital marketing strategies to upscale their businesses in the wake of the pandemic.”
The programme featured webinar sessions led by Facebook’s implementing partner WYLDE International in association with the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) and the Media Council of Kenya (MCK). The programme enabled its participants to identify business constraints caused by COVID-19, learn how to manage stranded assets and develop new business models to survive the pandemic. The programme will also equip SMB’s with skills on building an online presence with Facebook, storytelling on Instagram, connecting with audiences through Facebook groups, growing their business through Whatsapp and implementing advertising strategies on Facebook’s family of apps.
Commenting on the launch, Facebook Head of Public Policy East & Horn of Africa Mercy Ndegwa said, “We are excited about the launch of Boost with Facebook for the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. At Facebook we know that small and medium businesses in Kenya may be experiencing unexpected challenges during the outbreak of COVID-19 and we are committed to providing as much support as possible. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy and pillars of their local communities and this programme is designed to help SMBs in the tourism sector boost their businesses through Facebook during these challenging times.”
Watch the vote of thanks short clip from Hon. Najib Balala below.
This article is written by Wangeci Kanyeki, a media practitioner with Brandspark PR,
the PR Experts at the SNDBX, who spotlight Africa’s brands so they are seen, known and heard.
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