SPEECH BY H.E. DR. JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE HOSPITALITY ...
SPEECH BY H.E. DR. JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE,
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA,
AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE HOSPITALITY
AND TOURISM COMPLEX OF THE KENYATTA
UNIVERSITYNAIROBI, KENYA, 11TH SEPTEMBER, 2012
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
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