Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, has called for stronger collaboration, inclusive growth and sustained investment to secure the future of global tourism, as the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Conference & Expo concluded in Nairobi with a clear shift from dialogue to delivery.
Speaking as Chief Guest at the closing session on Global Tourism Resilience Day at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Mudavadi said tourism resilience must be anchored in policy coherence, innovation and people-centred development if destinations are to withstand future shocks.
Underlining Kenya’s commitment, he noted that the country has embraced tourism as a national priority, with deliberate efforts to diversify beyond traditional safari products into cultural, eco, sports, medical and digitally enabled tourism. These investments, he said, are being supported by stronger public–private partnerships, improved service standards and enhanced protection of Kenya’s natural heritage – from the Maasai Mara to the Indian Ocean coastline.
“Resilience must be forward-looking and inclusive,” Mudavadi said, stressing that local communities, youth entrepreneurs, women-led enterprises and small businesses must be fully integrated into tourism value chains. Government, he added, has a responsibility to connect these groups to finance, technology and global markets.
Strong performance, ambitious targets
Mudavadi cited positive sector performance as evidence that Kenya’s strategy is gaining traction. Tourism earnings stood at approximately KSh 268 billion in 2023, with growth in 2024 at KSh 452 billion, while international arrivals have reached 2.4 million. The Government, he said, is targeting 5.5 million arrivals in the coming year.
“These figures reflect a positive trajectory,” he told delegates. “We remain fully committed to developing a vibrant, competitive and resilient tourism sector.”
Resilience beyond infrastructure
The conference’s final day brought together several high-profile moments that reinforced the central message that resilience is no longer optional for tourism-dependent economies.
Earlier, Hon. Rebecca Miano, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, welcomed delegates with remarks that highlighted resilience in real time. Addressing disruptions to flight schedules caused by an air traffic control dispute, she called for swift, good-faith dialogue to restore normal services, stressing the importance of aviation reliability to tourism, national commerce and livelihoods.
“As we discuss resilience and crisis management,” she said, “this situation reminds us why preparedness, coordination and trust are essential.”
The Global Tourism Resilience Day keynote was delivered by Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica and Founder and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), who framed resilience as a practical, systems-based necessity rather than a theoretical aspiration.
Bartlett described tourism as one of the world’s most powerful engines of development, supporting jobs, small businesses and community livelihoods across multiple sectors. However, he warned that tourism’s reliance on confidence and perception makes it uniquely vulnerable to global shocks – from pandemics and climate events to geopolitical instability.
He also drew attention to emerging threats such as cyber-attacks, misinformation and reputational risk, arguing that resilience must now extend beyond physical infrastructure to include data integrity, trust and governance.
“In our time, resilience is not only about roads and runways,” Bartlett said. “It is also about data and dignity.”
Institutional partnerships and legacy moments
A major highlight of the closing proceedings was the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding reinforcing Kenya’s role in the global resilience architecture. Bartlett announced that the partnership has strengthened the GTRCMC hosted at Kenyatta University, which has emerged as a regional reference institution for Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean.
The Centre, he said, now contributes research, policy frameworks and practical toolkits that extend beyond Africa into Europe and the United States, underscoring the continent’s growing influence in global tourism resilience thinking.
Marking his 50th year as a public representative in Jamaica, Bartlett also launched his latest book on tourism resilience, focusing on emerging global risks and the implications of digital disruption. In a symbolic gesture, the first signed copy was presented to Mudavadi, drawing applause from delegates.
Policy, data and inclusion take centre stage
Beyond the headline speeches, the final day featured a series of high-level panel discussions that translated the resilience agenda into practical pathways for governments, destinations and industry.
A flagship panel on data-driven crisis prevention examined how artificial intelligence, big data and predictive analytics can strengthen early-warning systems and protect tourism infrastructure. Moderated by Lloyd Waller, Executive Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, the discussion brought together regulators, destination managers and technology leaders to explore how data intelligence can safeguard visitor confidence, improve response times and accelerate recovery during disruptions.
Parallel breakout sessions focused on the social and environmental dimensions of resilience. One lab addressed inclusive resilience, highlighting the critical roles of women, youth and indigenous communities in tourism leadership, skills development and enterprise growth. Another examined investment and innovation for wildlife and nature-based tourism, with speakers underscoring the importance of conservation finance, technology adoption and public–private collaboration in protecting natural assets while sustaining livelihoods.
As delegates departed, the message from Nairobi was unmistakable. Africa is helping to define how resilience is built, governed and sustained. With Kenya at the centre of that conversation, the conference closed on a note of confidence that tourism, properly prepared, can emerge stronger, more inclusive and more sustainable in the years ahead.
In his closing remarks, Hon. Edmund Bartlett formally announced that the next Global Tourism Resilience Conference & Expo will be hosted in Europe in 2027, signalling that the ideas forged in Nairobi will now travel outward to a global audience.
