Kecobat Develops Homestays Training Module

Training has been identified as a vital part of KECOBAT’s activities due to its ability to increase household incomes and tourism revenues through improved management, service and products.

With travel trends becoming more about experiential holidays, Kenya stands a better chance of reaping from the enthusiastic travelers seeking to touch and enjoy the warmth of rural community lifestyles in the simplest of pleasures sharing in the traditional fresh foods, folk arts, agricultural systems, cultures and language, among others.

Homestays provide affordable and secure accommodation options for today’s enlightened tourists. The development of homestays not only bridges the gap of quality accommodation envisaged under vision 2030 but also provide a unique opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves into the rich and diverse cultural exchange and enhance the spread of the benefits of tourism to the local communities of the country.  It is in accordance to this, that KECOBAT in collaboration with the Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism developed Homestays Criteria Guidelines that seeks to steer performance and operation of such enterprises.

Most established homestays do not have the capacity to offer competitive tourism products and services. The need for capacity building has informed KECOBAT’s efforts in developing training manuals for homestays operators.  These operators will be equipped with basic knowledge and skills in the business operation and marketing, understanding of tourism, food preparation, hygiene and tour guiding.

Homestays operators’ training is intended to enable informal and potential workers from the tourism sector of Kenya to enhance their productivity and professionalism and increase their employability and income opportunities.

The purpose of the already developed module will be able to provide facilitators, with guidelines for the presentation and learner support requirements of the course. The document will help plan, prepare, conduct, and evaluate this course.

KECOBAT’s objective for training include among others:-:

·         Equipping homestays operators with relevant knowledge and skills in the operation of homestays;

·         Branding and developing a marketing strategy for homestays;

·         Developing a data base of trained and qualified homestays operators in the country for accreditation, monitoring and evaluation purposes and;

·         Establishing a collaborative alliance among homestays operators