Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga, had the honour of joining a distinguished gathering of tourism industry leaders and major stakeholders in Nairobi yesterday morning, for the official launch of the TouristTap mobile application. The ceremony was graced and officiated by the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, the Honorable Rebecca Miano, EGH.
Tourism and wildlife conservation in Kenya continues to leap from strength to strength, and the launch marks a significant leap forward in how Kenya welcomes the world to our doorstep. The introduction of TouristTap is a powerful statement that Kenya has already embraced the future of travel, ensuring that our visitors enjoy efficient and convenient access to our biodiversity heritage, thus enhancing their overall experience.
TouristTap is a clever mobile application developed by the innovative minds at Craft Silicon. It is designed to solve one of the oldest and most persistent headaches for international travelers: how to conveniently pay for goods and services when they are far from home. We have all seen it happen—a visitor admires a beautifully carved wooden rhino at a curio shop near Amboseli or wants to buy a cold soda after a hot game drive in Tsavo East, only to realize they have no Kenyan currency; the nearest ATM is several kilometers away, and their mobile wallet only works with a local SIM card. It is a moment of frustration for the tourist and a moment of lost opportunity for the local Kenyan artisan or vendor.The technology behind TouristTap is both advanced and wonderfully simple to use. Most people carry credit or debit cards that have a special symbol on them. It somewhat resembles the Wi-Fi symbol, albeit turned on its side. This is the contactless payment symbol. Visitors from Europe, North America, Asia, or other areas who possess a bank card with this symbol, will conveniently access goods and services at will.
An impressive feature of TouristTap App is that it turns the smartphones of Kenyan merchants into payment terminals. Using NFC technology (Near Field Communication), the merchant opens the app on their phone. The tourist simply taps their contactless card against the back of the merchant’s phone, after which the payment is automatically processed. It is the exact same motion one uses to pay for groceries at a supermarket in London or a coffee in New York, and is now available under an acacia tree in the Maasai Mara.
TouristTap eliminates the inefficiency of withdrawing unfamiliar currency from an ATM, buying and registering a Kenyan SIM card to use mobile money, or carrying large amounts of cash, which adds peace of mind regarding safety and security.
Prof. Kanga was keen to emphasize that this innovation aligns perfectly with the KWS Strategic Plan. Conservation not only protects animals; it ensures that the communities living alongside wildlife feel the tangible, positive economic benefits of tourism. One of KWS’s Strategic Plan goals is community participation and enhanced benefits from wildlife conservation. TouristTap will enable the Service achieve this, going forward.