SHITEMI BARON KHAMADI urgues the East African region needs to wake up to the fact that it has vast potential for this very lucrative service sub-sector

Survivorepitomises reality TV. The energy and determination each contestant displays is astounding. It’s even more remarkable to learn that the Spanish series was recorded in Kenya — in the Tsavo National Park. And meeting those involved in the entire logistical process was a breathtaking experience. From doctors who ensured the cockroaches the contestants ate were okay to the wood used to light fire and the security for everyone, all these services and many more were provided by a destination management company.

Maniago Safaris is where the buck stopped. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, the 2003 International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Africa (ICASA) conference, the second largest conference to have ever been held in Kenya (with 7,200 delegates) was also handled by Maniago. Duncan Muriuki, the Maniago Safaris CEO, says, “Conference tourism is a niche market sub-sector primarily revolving around service provision to business travelers attending seminars, film shoots, workshops, seminars and conferences”.

Conferences offer a huge multiplier effect when they are held in a city. Primary beneficiaries are tour operators, hotels, transport providers, restaurants, curio dealers and conference service providers. Furthermore, private security firms, stationery providers, translators and extra staff always come in handy in making such an experience successful. This ripple economic effect has however not been exploited in East African.

In Uganda, Speke Resort, Munyonyo and New Serena Hotel offer conference tourism facilities of international status in that country. In Tanzania, Arusha hosts the East African Community Headquarters and has the Arusha International Conference Centre, which is ideal for conference tourism. With gorilla trekking being ranked among the top green travel experiences in the world, Rwanda has great prospects. Source du Nil and Novetel are the two big hotels in Burundi, but, with each having less than 200-bed capacity, necessitate urgent consideration.

With the exception of KICC and the UN Complex, hardly any other venue can host a large conference of ICASA’s magnitude. Nairobi barely has a 6,000-bed capacity.Other conferences that have been facilitated by Maniago include the Africities Conference, the recent 50^th Anniversary of the Nation Media Group and the UN Climate Change Conference of November 2006.

Mombasa is an ideal place, with a bed capacity of over 10,000, the warm climate and a variety of tourist attraction sites augmenting its appeal. Conference tourism in such an area will entice participants to buy local souvenirs. As Muchiri explains, “Often their expenses are catered for by the organisations they represent, leaving them with substantial disposable incomes they can spend on the side”.

The integration of the East African Community portends a brighter future for conference tourism. Opportunity came knocking when Maniago Safaris were asked to assist in the logistical preparations of the Commonwealth Conference in Uganda last year. However, bureaucratic issues vetoed this venture. An integrated Community would have allowed this conference to pass through Maniago’s hands. That notwithstanding the World Economic Forum meeting scheduled for Arusha should provide a springboard for increased opportunities from experts in this field.

Furthermore, accessing logistical facilities like cars, translation and other expertise will be hastened with increased integration. Trend-setting business travelers need to be offered better deals during their expeditions. “It is disheartening that a conference can end at 6pm just to find shops closed. A 24-hour economy would ensure every dollar is spent,” Muriuki points out.

Any person attending a conference is a tourist and ensuring that these people visit tourist facilities increases yields. The lack of beds can be addressed by promoting home stays. There are many people with up-market mansions with unused rooms, these rooms can be used by delegates, hence spreading the undulation effects of hosting a conference. Muriuki says this strategy is highly successful in Durban, the premier conference tourism destination in Africa.

An intimate knowledge of places, staff with experience and love for their jobs and multilingual expertise all comes in handy in placing Maniago on top of its game. Muriuki can say with confidence that “in terms of conference tourism, there is no other company that has that niche like us”