The County Government of Mombasa will over the weekend host the Mombasa Foodies Festival aimed at showcasing the different cuisines Mombasa has to offer in a bid to revive the tourism industry within the county.

The festival, a pre-commemoration of the World Tourism Day expected to be observed on Monday under the theme ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’, will bring together over 70 small and micro food vendors in the county who have confirmed their participation.

The two day event will be hosted at the Mama Ngina Water Front Park from Saturday where food lovers will have the opportunity to sample sumptuous coastal delicacies that will be on display.

During a media briefing at the county Mama Ngina waterfront attended by county officials led by county secretary Joab Tumbo and the tourism stakeholders led by Kenya Coast Tourism Association chair Victor Shitakha, they called on residents and visitors to turn up in large numbers for the event.

“We remain cognizant of the fact that tourism is the backbone of our economy in the county, the sector has been adversely affected by the pandemic, however the governor is committed to see that the sector is revived,” said Tumbo

Mombasa’s chief officer in the department of Tourism Asha Abdi said that the county was ready and prepared to host the festival as they prepare to mark the tourism day.

 “We want to use this event as an opportunity to take stalk of the challenges the sector has faced during the pandemic period but at the same time recognize the accomplishment we’ve been able to do with stakeholders in a bid to revive the industry,” said Abdi.

She added that the event was focused on small and micro enterprises operating within the food sub-sector within the tourism industry that she says were hardly affected with some forced to close down.

“We are focusing on the lower tier that is the food vendors whom most have had to close down their operations with most not having the capital to bounce back to business, they will come to display their food products to keep alive the culture of food in our county,” said Abdi.

On Monday, the county will join the Technical University of Mombasa and the Kenya Coast Tourism Association to witness the graduation ceremony of about 300 beach operators trained by the county in a bid to enhance the beach experience.

“The training is a partnership between the county and the stakeholders focused on delivering a comprehensive curriculum for all beach operators in Mombasa,” said Abdi.

The county is also expected to use the day to officially launch the Mombasa County Tourism Revitalization Task Force recently formed by governor Ali Hassan Joho that will spear head recovery of the industry  in Mombasa.

The task force will particularly look at implementing interventions that will aid in tourism recovery and sustainability in the future.

KCTA char Victor shitaka lauded the county for coming up with the taskforce stating that it is a first in the country and will be a game changer in reviving the industry.

“This is the first County that has come up with a team that will join the county to revive the sector, it is actually the first time for private sector to partner with a county for such a course,” said Shitakha.

Shitakha also announced that as from Monday all hotels in Mombasa will be giving out special offers on meals and swimming for the whole week adding that hotels were now witnessing 60 percent occupancy occasioned by increased Meeting Incentives Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) taking place in mombasa.

Public Health chief officer Pauline Oginga assured all who wished to attend the event that all ministry of health protocols would be adhered to ensure their safety.

“We are going to have officers stationed at all entrances to ensure people going in wear masks and sanitise, we will also have others around the grounds to monitor that all adhere to other protocols as advised,” said Oginga.

Oginga added that they will have a vaccination center at the ground for food enthusiasts wishing to get vaccinated.