Waturi Matu is a Kenyan and serves presently as director, business environment at TradeMark Africa but has before now served in different capacities in different organizations within the travel industry and is popular for her strong views and advocacy for united Africa front when it comes to developing and promoting the travel industry. She speaks with ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA on her life’s trajectory and engagement with the industry

What attracted you to the travel industry?

The universe conspired. I returned from a year’s stay in South Africa, and a board member of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) reached out to me as they were looking at hiring a chief executive officer. At that time, I knew nothing about the travel and tourism industry apart from being a ‘traveller and tourist.’ However, business issues are largely the same. So, I decided to give it a shot and to learn the particulars with regards to policy and regulatory matters in travel and tourism, governance and business support services for membership organizations. I worked at KATA for four years before joining the East Africa Tourism Platform where I did three years. Both bodies left me richer (not money wise of course) than they will ever know. However, I left the organizations with stronger revenue bases, policies and financial systems to ensure their long-term sustainability.

What was the motivation for all the years you worked in the various organizations where you have left indelible prints especially at EATP?

The travel and tourism industry is dynamic, but also fun. It exposes you to the behind-the-scenes. As a traveller or tourist, one may not appreciate the amount of time and effort taken to deliver a good experience. It is providing an exceptional experience, creating an enabling environment for business is my key motivation. I also firmly believe in the Pan African agenda and I want to see Africa indeed arise. It gives me great satisfaction to see travel agents and tour operators embracing the region and beyond doing business together. Linking the East to the South and the West was a major win.

How would you describe your stint at the East Africa Tourism Platform?

Like any other start-up programme or business, the first six months were tough trying to figure out how best to deliver results. Building partnerships, networking with stakeholders allowed me to share the vision and mission of the East Africa Tourism Platform. As the organisation was regional, it was important to sell the benefits of regional integration and showing a business case for the same. Once there was buy-in and trust, which are necessary ingredients for regional integration, it became a lot easier to get our advocacy agenda on the table. It also helped to see that this plan was aligned to both the public and private sector. I spent 60 per cent of my time on the EATP’s advocacy, a lot of this time was spent finding common ground, preparing and presenting evidence-based position papers and championing budgetary allocations for intra-regional tourism. Mostly what people see in advocacy work is people going to meetings and traveling, but for me, it is the build up to the meetings that determines the delivery of results. An estimated 30 per cent of the time was spent providing business to business opportunities and, of course, showcasing the region as one. The rest of the time was in administrative stuff, reporting and communicating.

How challenging was it getting the Single Tourism Visa (STV) through?

The introduction of the Single Tourism Visa for East Africa had been a long outstanding agenda item for over eight years, many discussions, studies, and benchmarking but the political goodwill was lacking in some quarters. As the EATP had this on top of its advocacy agenda and had presented the same to the East African Community (EAC) Heads of States, it found great relevance to the Northern Corridor Integration Projects especially under the chairmanship of Rwanda. Political goodwill delivered and goes to show that integration must be pursued using various legal mechanisms to fast-track issues of great importance.The use of national identity cards as travel documents within Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda is by far the most significant achievement as this directly benefits a greater number of citizens who cross the border every day for trade.

What are the prospects of the STV Tourism Visa and do you see it going far in achieving its set goals?

The prospects of the Single Tourism Visa are high, the visa is a means to an end and not an end in itself. As this visa applies to tourists coming from out of the region and continent, its uptake is dependent on other factors, e.g. safety and security (real and perceived), health, price competitiveness, the cost of air travel, quality of tourism services and facilities, among others. The region and sector must continuously re-invent itself, but most importantly Africa must tell its story better.

What is your impression of Africa tourism?

From a product perspective, Africa is endowed with abundant natural resources, which have contributed significantly to the economic growth and development of the continent. However, tourism is a fiercely competitive industry and the competitive advantage is no longer natural, but increasingly manmade as it is driven by science, technology, information and innovation. Africa must manage its resources better but also complement its tourism products with man-made innovations. Africa’s tourism should also focus on enhancing its standards on infrastructure (air, road, rail and water transport), accommodation and services, much work is needed here. We also need to package tourism for Africans within Africa, the return on investment from traditional source markets will remain low as this market is sensitive. Intra-Africa tourism can grow double digit if harnessed well.

What are the prospects, challenges, and things to be done at both the public and private sector level to change African travel industry?

The governments should focus on creating an enabling environment through tourism friendly policies and regulation, ease immigration of Africans, reduce taxes on air travel and tourism related services. Governments should also develop infrastructure, develop incentives for tourism investment, build convention centres (Through Public Private Partnerships), fund tourism promotion better, conserve our natural resources (launch anti-poaching campaign and increase enforcement) and invest in quality education and tourism training. The private sector should improve their services and products, embrace innovation, explore new markets and promote multi-country packages. I would like to see the private sector better articulate their business issues and spending more time lobbying and advocating an enabling environment. They should also finance and equip their membership organizations, most of which are poorly funded and staffed hence ineffective. Africa’s tourism will only be bright if we reduce reliance on foreign tourists.

What is your impression of Akwaaba and do you think Africa is doing enough to take advantage of it?

Akwaaba has great potential but it must evolve, focus more on business to business. I saw very few tourism stakeholders meeting exhibitors who were mostly national tourism promotion bodies and one or two trade. It should aspire to be better than Indaba, WTM Africa, Magical Kenya and European equivalents like WTM London and ITB Berlin.

My Africa story

I have travelled widely within Kenya and toured some of East Africa’s key tourism attractions. My favorite destination in the region is Zanzibar. I believe that people must first ‘conquer’ their country before they expand their horizon. Having lived in South Africa Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, remain my favorites, Cape Point in particular was a spiritual experience. In Zambia and Zimbabwe, Vic Falls is my favorite spot, my bungee jumped there about a year ago it was epic (This reporter was with her on that trip and her adventurous spirit took the better of her engaging in the bungee jump, which many tourists considered a risky affair. But for her it was a fulfillment of a life-time aspiration as she was on cloud nine on the night). I have also been to Malawi. In Northern Africa, Morocco takes platinum, I spent nine incredible days there traveling through the country, beautiful indeed. In West Africa, I have long been to Lagos, Nigeria, always on business with no time for discovering its beauty. I would love to travel more in this region.

Cherished destination

I cannot say which is my best destination based on the few countries I have visited. Each has given me a new and incredible experience. But Rwanda as a country has shown great leadership and demonstrated what can be achieved with good governance. It’s clean, safe and public service works.

Dream destinations

Egypt remains on my bucket list; the universe has also conspired to frustrate my efforts to conquer Egypt. Also on my bucket list are Seychelles and Mauritius.

Discoveries

From all my travels, I have discovered that the continent is rich in culture and natural resources. Travel has also given me an opportunity to appreciate different levels of development in Africa and its history. I consider myself first African, second East African and lastly Kenyan. Each country offers a different experience and sense of beauty. Despite our issues, Africa is indeed the most naturally beautiful and largely organic place on earth.

Lessons learnt

We need strong public institutions in Africa that outlive leaders/political parties; we should divorce politics from development; and we must exorcise the demon of corruption and embrace fiscal discipline – the misuse of public resources i s sickening.

Recreation

I do try to take time off during the year to go and recharge. This I do with my family and friends. I also attempt to have an annual solo treat that I refer to as ‘having a meeting with myself.’ These are used to reflect and re-strategize the self.

Impression of Nigeria

Nigeria is special, such a vibrant economy but you do not see it. Still shocks me to see the old yellow taxis, epic traffic jams, power and fuel shortage, among others. Nigeria can and should do better.

Source: New Telegraph

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.