Kenya urges structured tourism resilience financing at Nairobi summit
Kenya has committed to embed tourism resilience into national development plans and called for a dedicated resilience fund and structured financing to help African destinations withstand shocks. Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano announced the push at the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo in Nairobi this week, which coincided with the UN’s Global Tourism Resilience Day on 17 February – the first time the observance has been marked on African soil. The move aims to protect jobs, small businesses and communities in tourism‑reliant areas, as UN Tourism reports 1.52 billion international arrivals in 2025, with Africa leading global growth at 8%.
The three‑day forum has drawn over 400 delegates and 40 speakers to develop practical frameworks for crisis‑ready tourism, with outcomes expected to include a Resilience in Action report introducing standardised indicators and the Nairobi Declaration on Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management. Speakers, including Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, flagged rising risks from cyberattacks and digital misinformation and urged investment in AI, data systems and cybersecurity. The summit builds on the work of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre – Eastern Africa at Kenyatta University, which supports 14 countries across the region.
Source: Soko Directory
