Insecurity, Ebola fears keeping tourists away
What you need to know:
- He said to counter the negative publicity, the KTB team in Germany, Switzerland and Austria was passing the message to travel agents and the media that Kenya is now safe from terror attacks and violent crime.
Insecurity, the Ebola threat and a drop in charter flights have been cited as the major problems crippling the tourism sector.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) representative for the Germany, Switzerland and Austria tourist markets, Mr Guido Burger, said in Mombasa yesterday that the terrorist attacks in Mombasa and Lamu and the killings of German and Russian tourists at Old Town between June and July had kept tourists away.
He said although the Ebola outbreak occurred in West Africa, tourists had the wrong impression that they could contract it anywhere in Africa.
“The attacks in Mombasa and Mpeketoni a few months ago also seriously affected bookings, especially in European markets,” he said.
He added that travel bans by the United Kingdom on its citizens to the coast region also contributed to the decline in arrivals.
KENYA IS NOW SAFE
He said to counter the negative publicity, the KTB team in Germany, Switzerland and Austria was passing the message to travel agents and the media that Kenya is now safe from terror attacks and violent crime.
“We have come up with reassurance campaigns to create awareness that Kenya is safe,” he said.
The KTB would also use the World Travel Awards recently won by resorts like Diani in Kwale to woo tourists.
Meanwhile, medical practitioners converge on Mombasa today to discuss Kenya’s preparedness to handle Ebola and other infectious diseases.
Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia is expected to officially open the Association of Kenya Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers meeting at the Reef Hotel.
The meeting comes at a time when WHO has said Kenya is at risk from Ebola as precautionary measures have been casual.
Additional reporting by Rebecca Okwany
