Nairobi — The new county governments have been urged to work in collaboration with the hospitality industry to help combat the unemployment majorly among the youth.

The hospitality industry was one of the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic as at least 1.2 million people were laid off in 2021 and another 2.5million in 2021 during the first five months of the pandemic as most hotels were totally shut hence they did not generate any revenue.

PrideInn Hotels, Resorts and Camps founder and Managing Director Hasnain Noorani has urged the new governors to consider working with the hospitality sector as it has the potential of hiring more 1.2 million people.

With the industry yet to reabsorb those who were laid off during the pandemic as a way of staying afloat, Noorani noted that the partnership with the different county governments will help absorb them back into the industry even as it continues to recover as the international tourists arrival in the country continues to increase hence the need for the sector to hire more employees.

The level of operations especially in hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa has improved in the half-year period of 2022 compared to the previous year which has led to an increased need for both permanent and casual employees in the hotels to support the operations.

"We invite county governments to collaborate with us. Whether it is by bringing conferences to our properties or outsourcing our services, working together will help us help them fulfill their promise of creating jobs for unemployed Kenyans," said Noorani.

Noorani spoke ahead of the Council of Governors (CoG) induction programme slated for September 14-18 in PrideInn Paradise Beach & Spa Hotel in Mombasa where the county bosses will pick the leadership of the council.

According to data compiled by the Tourism Research Institute (TRI), the country recorded 924,812 international tourists from January to August representing a 91 per cent growth compared to 483,246 recorded in the same period in 2021.