By Moses Adongo
Mombasa is set to host the 79th International Association of Travel and Tourism Professionals (SKÅL) World Congress 2018 from 17th to 21st October 2018 at Pride Inn Paradise and Resort in Mombasa. The County had last year won the bid to host the conference which will be the first in Africa.
Already the government had set aside Ksh25 million for the event that is expected to attract over 500 delegates across the globe. Skal is a world body that incorporates tourism players and hospitality sector and sits at its headquarters in Spain.
It gives its members the opportunity to meet with experts who will give insights into emerging technology trends in the tourism, travel and hospitality industry. The conference also helps find solutions to improve the business and stay competitive in the current economic climate.
The conference is expected to boost the economy of Mombasa as locals will get to build contacts with potential ambassadors of Kenya’s hospitality industry.
Kenyan delegates will go into the conference a fortnight after the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE), a seminar organized by the Kenya Tourism Board and are hoping to build on their findings at the Mombasa event.
The MKTE, the leading travel expo in East Africa, will be hosted at the Kenyatta International Convention Center from the 3rd October to 5th October 2018. It is intended to give participants, particularly from the sector, an opportunity to network and explore business opportunities.
During the pre-arranged appointment with leading players, participants will exchange ideas on the latest industry trends and also come up with options of boosting African sales in the global markets.
The conference organizers are hoping to build on the 44% growth in exhibitors’ numbers that were recorded during the seventh edition that was held last year.
