WTO’s 5,000 guests a boost for Kenya Airways, hotels and KICC

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) and the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) and Nairobi hotels are eyeing a big boost from the upcoming World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting slated for December.

The meet, which will be the 10th WTO Ministerial conference, will be held in Nairobi.

Kenya Airways is the official carrier of the estimated 5,000 delegates.

The national carrier’s group managing director Mbuvi Ngunze on Thursday said the meeting, to be held from 15 to 18 December, will position the country as a conference destination.

“I believe we are well positioned to continue attracting even more and bigger meetings in the future. This is critical in growing KQ business,” said Mr Ngunze.

Speaking during the signing of a partnership deal between KQ and KICC, Mr Ngunze added that Kenya is strategically positioned as a Meetings Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibition (MICE) tourist destination.

He said that airlines and convention centers deliver great results in numbers to any destination.

“We will be sourcing, through this partnership, key MICE markets that both parties are targeting as well as bidding for regional and international conferences, together,” he said.

Kenya won the bid to host this year’s edition of the WTO conference after Turkey dropped out of the race. Indonesia held the ninth edition of the biennial event in 2013.

READ: WTO forum to boost Nairobi hotels, tourism

The KICC Chairman Fred Simiyu, speaking during the signing, noted that Africa controls 3.2 per cent market share of the world’s MICE sector, of which Kenya accounts for only 0.3 per cent.

Mr Simiyu said that through partnering with KQ, they intend to increase Kenya’s market share to a significant figure and boost the recovering tourism sector.

He added that they intend to host at least 50 international conferences the caliber of WTO, Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and (GES).

In 2014, US hosted 829 conferences, Germany 722, Singapore 175 and South Africa 175, an indication that MICE tourism is the next frontier in a country’s development, he said.

“We have agreed to collaborate in the establishment and development of MICE tourism products in a bid to boost the sector through significant bids like the WTO conference. Kenya controls 10 per cent of the MICE market share in Africa, imagine what that translates to in terms of revenues or the monies that will accrue to the country’s economy through multiplier effect,” said Mr Simiyu.