The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) has just announced their launch of an online payment solution specifically targeting the Kenya tourism industry. The bank announced the news during the East Africa E-Tourism Conference, which is taking place at the Nairobi Crowne Plaza hotel.
This is exciting news for hotel owners, tour operators, and other players in the Kenya travel industry. Kenya recently joined the world of true broadband, and many serious business want to exploit online opportunities through e-commerce.
Just a few months ago, most operators in the tourism sector found it very expensive to accept online payments. This is because no local bank offered e-commerce services. This possibly restricted tour operators and travel agents from maximizing on the existing potential.
In developing this service for the tourism sector, KCB partnered with NightsBridge of South Africa. NightsBridge provide travel software with real-time connectivity to some hotels and lodges inventory.
Prior to the KCB e-commerce solution, I&M bank was the only other Kenyan bank offering online payment processing services, which they introduced in January 2010. The entry of KCB therefore signals that e-commerce in Kenya is on its way up. With the government planning to stimulate e-commerce in the country, we expect other banks to launch similar products soon.
