The New Normal. With this motto the Kenyan Minister of Tourism Najib Balala wanted to officially present the protocol of his department, drawn up in collaboration and according to the dictates of the Ministry of Health. He did it with a public ceremony and not a virtual one, even if it was a public ceremony, even if it was respectful of the rules (and it couldn't be otherwise...) and therefore with a minimum participation and reserved to actors considered important for the tourism sector. Among these, with the American and German Ambassadors, there was also the representative of the Italian Government in Kenya, Ambassador Alberto Pieri. During the event, Minister Balala also announced that Kenya is among the 80 countries to have received the green light for the reopening to international tourism from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the world forum for the travel and tourism industry.
Accreditation was obtained in recognition of the country's adoption of the protocol that falls within the health and hygiene standards called "Safe Travel" following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The document, of which Malindikenya.net had days ago anticipated the drafts that in fact do not differ from the one presented yesterday, has aroused quite a few controversies among entrepreneurs and hospitality associations in Kenya, especially because it was not accompanied by concrete support to the sector for the reopening and certain dates for the resumption of international flights.
Also for this reason the protocol has been revised and corrected several times. Among the important measures foreseen there is the zeroing of airport parking fees for companies landing in Kenya, the zeroing of fees for receipts and payments under 24,000 shillings, the reduction of V.A.T. by 2% (but these concern all sectors). While in terms of bonuses, 5 billion shillings have been allocated by the Government for marketing, which could perhaps at this time be allocated elsewhere. While there are still no indications of planned aid for hotels that have had to bear extraordinary expenses.