This follows an additional Sh400 million that the tourism industry will receive from the Catering And Tourism Development Levy.

The country’s tourism marketing is carried out under the aegis of the Kenya Tourist Board.

In the 2011/2012 budget estimates released last week, the government allocated Sh800 million to the department. An extra Sh200 million will be advanced to KTB for the purpose of marketing Kenya as a destination of choice to tourists.

The total allocation to the agency will be a record high in its history coming at a time when it has constantly received less funding. Despite being one of the key foreign exchange earners for the exchequer, tourism sector has consistently been under funded.

Speaking earlier in the year, Tourism minister Mr Najib Balala had indicated that the sector would push for at least Sh1 billion in funding for marketing activities.

Compared to other destinations that Kenya rivals, the funds are however still below what competition offers to market their destinations.

According to Tourism assistant minister Ms Cecil Mbarire, the sector is in the process of engaging partners for funding. “We are in discussion with others to seek ways of ensuring that we get more funding to market destination Kenya,” said Ms Mbarire.The summit is part of a familiarisation programme for the officers to enable them experience first hand local tourist attraction centres they market abroad.

Meanwhile, the Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees is set to embrace innovative technology in remittance of dues from its customers.

Unlike previous methods where stakeholders used to line up at CTDLT branches to pay manually, they will now be remitting the same using e-banking, mobile money transfer and better website management.

According to Ms Flora Ngonze the Trust’s ICT manager, these new methods are for instilling agility in the hotel and tourism industry which is a key driver to the country’s economy.