According to the World Travel and Tourism Council: Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2017 Kenya report, the tourism sector continues to show its resilience contributing direct GDP growth of 3.1% and supporting 6 million net additional jobs in the sector globally. In totality, travel & tourism generated US$7.6 trillion (10.2% of global GDP) and 292 million equivalent to 1 in 10 jobs in the global economy.
Locally, the Kenya tourism sector continues to grow with leisure travel generating KES 290.5 bn of direct travel and tourism GDP as compared with 151.1bn generated from business travel. It is estimated that both leisure and business travel are expected to grow by 5.6% and 6.1% pa respectively.
On the other hand, domestic travel spending generated 60% of direct travel and tourism GDP compared to 40% from foreign visitor spending. While the foreign traveler, whose net worth is significantly higher than the domestic tourist due to the use of foreign currency, makes seasonal visits which last between three and four months. The rest of the year is dependent on local tourism.
Aware of these global trends, Dr. Frederic Oduori, a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management lecturer, attended a five-day training of trainers on the new Galileo Smart Point Version 8.0 System. The Galileo system is the most widely recognised computerised system in the tourism industry. It currently unites around 63,000 travel agencies across the globe to 460 airlines, 29,000 car rental locations, 82,000 hotels, 7,000 tourist attractions and a large range of tour operators and cruise lines.
The new system has made significant improvements allowing it to be more user-friendly and provide features for better decision-making giving the customer an excellent customer experience. Previously the system was more transaction-based.
“Galileo Smart Point is now more customer centred and students at Strathmore University are trained using this live web application. This means they are able to make live bookings in class, issue the ticket and sell the ticket. However, because we are not an authorized dealer, the student then makes a cancellation.”
Using the live web application allows our students to have the right skill set when they complete their four year course. This also ensures minimal transition for our students when they begin working in the industry. All our students learn to work with the system until the last mile making them competitive among their peers.
“The tourism sector is growing globally and people will always travel. What is changing is the specific behavior and needs of the traveler and the specific trends and preferences they individually have. This new system takes into consideration the changing times. Learning this new system gives me confidence that our students will learn using the best system from a top University.”
For more information on the Bachelor of Tourism Management, follow the link below
