President Jakaya Kikwete
SPEECH BY DR. JAKAYA KIKWETE, PRESIDENT OF TANZANIA,AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM COMPLEX OF THE KENYATTA UNIVERSITYNAIROBI.
Honorable Professor Margaret Kamar, Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology;
Honourable Chinu Makwere, Minister for Environment;
Professor Crispus Kiamba, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology;
Professor Justice Onesmus Mutungi, Chancellor of Kenyatta University;
Mr. Benson Wairegi, Chairman of the Council;
Professor Olive Mugenda, Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University;
Members of the Senate;
Staff and Students;
Invited Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Thank you fo the warm reception and gracious hospitality. I am deeply touched. I thank President Mwai Kibaki, the Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Professor Margaret Kamar and the leadership of Kenyatta University for associating me with this historic event of the official opening of the Hospitality and Tourism Building of the Kenyatta Univesity. It is a very pleasant surprise, but a great honor and privilege for me and my country. We will always cherish.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
This is the second time I visit this great University, my Alma Mater. The first time was on 19 December, 2008 during the 25th graduation ceremony, where I was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Human Letters ‘honoris Causa”. I am pleased to note the tremendous development that has taken place at the University. A lot has been accomplished in such a short period of time. One of the recently completed projects is the Hospitality and Tourism Building that we are celebrting it’s official opening today.
Allow me to take this opportunity to sincerely congratulate the Kenyatta University Council, Management and the entire University community for their enviable efforts and good work. Actually, we are gathered here today to celebrate your hard work and dedication. Please continue to do the good work for the sake of the great people of Kenya and East Africa that this University has always served with deligence.
Honourable Minister;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
It is an open secret that tourism is an important sector for all the economies of East Afrian Community countries. Also, East Africa is an important tourist destination in the world. The tourism and hospitality industry are key pillars of the region’s socio-economic development and poverty reduction endeavours. Tourism has an incredible multiplier effect, better than many other sectors. In 2010, the region received about 4.3 million tourists and holiday makers from abroad. This is a small number when compared to the world’s total of over 900 million tourist arrivals in 2010. This means that we can do better.
We have earned a substantial amount of foreign exchange from tourist activities as such tourism has made a significant contribution to the incomes of our respective nations and peoples. It is an important source of tax revenues to our governments. For example in 2011, the sector accounted for 17 percent of GDP in Tanzania; 5.7 percent of GDP in Kenya; 4.0 percent of GDP in Uganda; 3.3 percent of GDP in Rwand;a and 3.6 percent of GDP in Burundi. In addition, there are many East Africans whose livelihood solely depends on tourism. Tourism, therefore, is a key sector which deserves the attention of our governments, the business community and the people of East Africa. Given the potential that the region has in terms of tourist attractions, I am sure the industry can grow even further if we take the right steps.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Specifically we need to identify what more needs to be done that we have not, what challenges need to be overcome. The first challenge we need to deal with is inadequate skilled manpower and expertise in the field of tourism and hospitality industry. Skilled manpower and experts that would transform the existing potential of our region into meaningful economic gains. A region may have all the natural beauty and tourist attractions, but without appropriate expertise to exploit those potentials, the region and its people will not be able to enjoy the fruits of our God-given gifts.
I am happy that this University is setting the pace by walking the talk of providing the region with the much required skilled manpower in tourism and hospitality industry. By being open to all citizens of East Africa and beyond, the University will indeed contribute a great deal towards our desire for advanced collaboration in matters of tourism. Since there are other universities in the region that are also teaching similar programmes, I suggest that the Kenyatta University to take the lead in inviting experts from other universities to develop collaborative and harmonised tourism programmes among the region’s universities.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
The second challenge is lack of adequate supportive physical and institutional infrastructure to promote tourism in the region. Our physical connectivity in terms of roads, air and waterways are not well developed and in some places poor or non-existent. Hotels, restaurants and other tourist services are inadequate. And, some of the hotels and related services are not up to good standards. In this regard, therefore, we need to work together to overcome these shortcomings and improve regional connectivity and services to tourists. This, we can not do alone as governments. We need to encourage both the domestic and international private sector to rise to challenge and invest in the tourism sector. I have in mind expanded air and surface transport, increased number of high standard hotels, tourism marketing and enhanced cooperation among key stakeholders.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Regarding inadequate supportive institutional framework, we need to work together to create strong domestic and regional institutions that would promote tourism in its totality. The promotion of East African region as a common destination is one matter that would need our utmost attention. There is no need to compete and scramble for the same market. In my view, we stand to benefit more by working together and forging alliances instead of competing and creating rivals. This is totally unnecesary.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Indeed, several initiatives have been discussed and some already taken at regional level to promote tourism sector. But we need to do more. We could do joint promotion of the East African tourism market. Our governments, embassies and stakeholders could do joint marketing in the tourist source countries. We could go to international tourist fairs together and jointly sell East African tourist attractions.
There is, also, the proposed issuance of Single Tourism Visa for the East African tourist market. This is another way to promote the EAC region as a single tourist destination and create synergy in the tourism industry across the region. It is a great idea which can boost tourism in East Africa. However, we must make sure that it is properly structured and all the important issues are carefully considered before this innovative idea is implemented. We will need, for example, to address revenue sharing mechanisms; security issues; technological needs; manpower requirements and ensure that the required capacities are in place.
Besides this, we should also address the issue of flights and air fares from the major tourist source markets to our region. Africa is not well served with world airlines and fares are higher for similar distances in other regions. This in some ways acts as an obstacle to growth of the sector in our countries. Besides developing our own airlines, we need to do more to encourage major airlines to increase flights and reduce fares.
Honourable Minister;
Permanent Secretary;
Chancellor;
Chairman of the Council;
Invited Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
It would be remiss of me if I did not express my deepest thanks and gratitude to the Vice Chancellor Professor Olive Mugenda for the offer of two scholorships to Tanzania students to come and persue studies in the hospitality and tourism. Asante sana. The Tanzanian Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Ambassador Hamis Kagasheki is here with me. I saw him smiling. He will follow up the offer immediately. Ensure gender balance but I would not mind if it is all girls.
This is not a day for long speeches. Let me once again congratulate the Kenyatta University Council, Management and entire University Community for completing the construction of the Hospitality and Tourism Building. It is a big achievement not only for the University but also for the East African region. It is, not only significant to this University, but in essence it responds to the wider national and regional goal of improving the quality and standards of higher education and training in tourism and hospitality. I am sure the University will play a greater role in building the human resource capacity in the region.
With these few remarks, it is now my pleasure to declare the new Hospitality and Tourism Building officially opened.
Thank you for your kind attention