The 3-Day Magical Kenya Travel Expo 2024 Officially came to an end on Friday, 4th October with a live Music Band full of cocktails. The Event was officially launched by President HE William Ruto on Wednesday, 2nd October, in attendance at the Opening ceremony were visiting diplomats, Senior Government officials & Politicians, Private Sector Players, International Media, and Investors. The Event attracted over 4000 Delegates which was slightly lower than the projected 5000 Delegates, Over 200 Exhibitors, and International buyers. During the Opening Ceremony, the President made some declarations on the transit and Long Connection Travelers’ Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), which allows stopover passengers to leave the airport and explore Nairobi and other towns. and Digital Nomad work permit. Nairobi County Governor Sakaja Johnson during his speech requested the president to consider the Nairobi National Park to share its ticketing revenue with the County as promised last year, this request was opposed by the Kenya Tourism Federation Chairman Mr Francis Gichaba suggesting the money should instead be channeled to Kenya Tourism Board to boast its marketing initiative.
The Travel Expo so far is the largest in East Africa in matters of tourism, Most Southern and Eastern African Countries were heavily represented through their respective Tourism Boards. There were scheduled B2B meetings with buyers and sellers to explore potential areas of business opportunities and collaborations that will boast trade activities within the tourism industry. Over 200 Exhibitors showcased their wide range of services ranging from Tours & Travel, Hotels, Destination Marketing Companies, Villas, Lodges, Airline, Insurance, Emergency Evacuation services, Restaurants, Institutions Fashion, County Governments, and Arts and craft suppliers. In the evening there were cocktails and Nightlife experiences for the delegates with a wide array of traditional brews and liquor. It was interesting to see some of the high-profile delegates get loose as they danced and networked at a personal level, not to mention also Kuanguka nayo initiative, the Rhumba music, and Jazz by the live band that made the scene lively.
The event had side seminars that discussed industry issues and trends from captains of industries, as well as withstanding presentations from academic research that fostered the advancement of the tourism industry. Several thematic areas were dearly exhausted during the panel discussions, You can check the live proceedings from the Magical Kenya YouTube page. The Kenya Tourism Board had an award to recognize key players in the tourism industry and to show appreciation for their efforts in innovation. Delegates got to experience Nairobi Street foods from local Vendors and sample the nightlife experience. The security was beefed up to the brim with excellent coordination from The Military, Police service, and Private security guards, the event was held at the Uhuru Gardens first time after being hosted at KICC for Quite some time for reasons best known to the Organizers.
The Event Registration was seamless due to its automation with well-managed cues that were manned by uniformed ushers. After every 20 Min, you were met with an usher ready to assist with a detailed floor plan on their hand. Close to the Main Hall Entrance, there was a large Signage reading MKTE 2024 which was a perfect spot for photo Opportunities. The event organizErs provided free internet to the delegates via Starlink, though we still have yet to understand why it wasn’t dedicated, as some of the exhibitors were complaining about slow internet, especially the foreigners. The Event was organized by Event and Promotion Limited an Events Management Company.
