This year’s celebrations to mark the UN Tourism Week will be held in Eldoret as Kenya seeks to diversify its tourism menu beyond the traditional coastal and wildlife-rich regions.
The week-long event, whose theme is “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism” will be hosted at the University of Eldoret grounds from 21st to 27th September.
It will showcase digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as emerging opportunities for enhancing Kenya’s tourism reputation by showcasing innovations, start-ups, digital solutions and best practices in travel technology and smart tourism.
Participants in the annual event will include the National and county governments, tourism sector investors, technology companies, innovators, scholars, conservationists, other stakeholders and the general public.
“We have lined up many interesting activities to not only see but to actively participate in. We invite everyone to visit Eldoret and the greater North Rift to sample the glory of the true home of champions,” Tourism PS Julius Bitok said.
Also lined up are various capacity-building activities on practical deployment of digital technologies and AI for tourism stakeholders, including MSMEs, tour operators, hoteliers, tour guides, youth, and community-based tourism enterprises. There will be guided explorations on how Artificial Intelligence and digital innovation can transform tourism and create new opportunities for Kenyan destinations, businesses and communities.
Exposures will feature, among other fields, lessons on destination marketing, content creation, customer engagement, business development and market intelligence aimed at entrepreneurs and innovators to strengthen visibility and competitiveness.
The event hopes to tap into the people, places and lived experiences of North Rift residents with organised road trips and a destination caravan to attraction sites, experience local tourism products and engage with enterprises and communities.
Participants will also experience hot-air balloon rides and Eldoret’s nightlife, including its entertainment joints and other social gathering offerings.
Attracting more international tourists is also a top agenda through the promotion of tourism products and experiences through experiential activities such as active sports and immersive culture.
The week will also feature exhibitions showcasing tourism products, enterprises, innovations, culture and creative expression, creating opportunities for networking, collaboration and market linkages. Also included in the program are environmental conservation and sustainable tourism through tree-growing and clean-up activities.
