Small Businesses in the hospitality industry set to benefit from Tourism fund

The Tourism Fund in collaboration with Nakuru County Government will offer training to small businesses in the hospitality sector to boost their knowledge in the industry.

This is aimed at promoting tourism in the County starting from the bottom up and sensitizing them on the benefits they can derive from the Fund.

Speaking while he received a team from the Tourism Fund led by the Chairperson Samson Kipkoech who paid him a courtesy call in his office, Deputy Governor, David Kones reiterated the need of sensitizing small businesses on the Tourism Fund.

“Small-scale businesses in the hospitality sector have created a lot of jobs in the county, training targeted to these groups of people in the restaurants and Nyama Choma joint to offer the best services can go a long way in boosting their businesses and Tourism in the county.”

The Deputy Governor further urged the team to have a sensitization meeting with small business people in the hospitality sector so that they understand their obligation to the Fund and its benefit to those who contribute.

His sentiments were echoed by CEC for Trade, Cooperatives Culture and Tourism Mr Stephen Kuria who said the Fund has mainly been benefiting the upper class of hotels and restaurants and they is a need to look at the businesses in the lower levels.

The CEC further implored the Fund to partner with the County Government on mapping out Tourism sites in the County to enhance Tourism.

On his part, the Tourism Fund Chairperson welcomed the move saying such businesses need practical solutions and the Fund is ready and willing to collaborate on the same.

He added that small businesses when given such training should aspire to expand and make Nakuru a place tourists can come to sample different kinds of food like in Barcelona, Spain which is a destination for food tourism.

Mr Kipkoech also promised more engagements with small-scale traders to conform with the Bottom-up approach as envisaged by the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.

Nakuru County is a tourism hub, and the administration of H.E Susan Kihika is making all efforts to grow this sector with an aim of creating more employment opportunities for the people.