Irungu Nyakera, the newly appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), has vowed to transform the venue into a premier hub for conference tourism. During a familiarization tour with CEO James Mwaura on Monday, Nyakera expressed his commitment to enhancing KICC’s role within Kenya’s tourism sector and boosting its competitiveness in the global Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) market.
Nyakera highlighted his dedication to maximizing KICC’s capacity to host business events, a rapidly growing segment within global tourism. He envisions positioning KICC as a strong contender against popular regional destinations such as Kigali in Rwanda and Cape Town in South Africa.
In outlining his strategic goals, Nyakera stressed the importance of complementing Kenya’s traditional tourism attractions—such as its beaches and wildlife—with robust conference tourism infrastructure. He plans to leverage the Centre’s capabilities to capture a significant share of the international conference tourism market, which accounted for 24% of Kenya’s international visitors, according to the Annual Tourism Sector Performance Report 2023.
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Nyakera’s strategy includes working closely with the KICC board and supporting other cities in developing their own conference tourism potential. By doing so, he aims to boost Kenya’s overall tourism output and contribute positively to the country’s economic growth.
The KICC’s renewed focus on business events is expected to drive substantial growth in Kenya’s tourism industry, solidifying the country’s status as a leading destination for global conferences and exhibitions.
