NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 20 – Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has called on all the 54 African Nations to be united saying the move will boost Tourism Industry which has been adversely affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Speaking during the restoring air route networks for secondary hubs in Africa, Balala said there is an opportunity to create a market within the continent if the nations present a united front in the aviation sector.
“The continent of Africa needs to heavily invest in its infrastructure, which is the road, rail, and especially the air connectivity which is the cheapest to develop. There are 1400 cities within Africa but only 260, representing 16% of the total, are connected,” said Balala
To bolster trade within the African Continent, the CS proposed that the big African Airlines such as Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Egypt Air, and South African Airlines need to merge to form the best Continental airline and collaboratively build routes networks to enhance Africa connectivity in all the 54 countries.
For efficiency, the CS said there is a need for Public-Private Partnerships and added that Mombasa is ready to be promoted as the second hub of Kenyans after Nairobi.
“Mombasa already has an International Airport and is a famous tourist destination in itself. We just recently launched the Kenya Coast Campaign, which is aimed at promoting the region and opening it up as a hub,” said Balala.
The tourism sector is one of the Sectors that have been ravaged by the effects of Coronavirus as international tourism is currently limited.