Waive tourist visa fees to save sector, urge lobbies
What you need to know:
- The proposed measures come in the wake of the tourism sector hitting its lowest ebb at the Coast, with hotel occupancy averaging 20 per cent compared to 50 per cent during the same period last year.
- “For the sector to recover, there is a need for the government to offer incentives such as waiving the visa fee for international holidaymakers,” he said.
- Newly-elected KAHC Coast branch vice-chairman Silas Kiti urged the government to address the security concerns raised by the UK, US, France and Australia for them to lift the travel advisories which have hurt the sector.
The government has been urged to waive the Sh4,685 ($50) visa fee to save the tourism industry from collapse.
Hoteliers also want entry fees for prime parks such as the Maasai Mara game reserve, Amboseli and Lake Nakuru reduced from $80 (Sh7,496) to $60 (Sh5,622).
Besides the three parks, they have proposed that entry fees for Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks be slashed from $75 (Sh7,027) to $60 (Sh5,622) to help woo more visitors.
At the same time, tour operators have asked the government to suspend the 16 per cent VAT on tourism for two years to ease the burden on struggling firms.
The proposed measures come in the wake of the tourism sector hitting its lowest ebb at the Coast, with hotel occupancy averaging 20 per cent compared to 50 per cent during the same period last year.
Hoteliers say at least 40,000 hotel workers in the region are currently out of work following the closure of 23 hotels.
Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast branch chairman Harald Kampa has urged the government to waive the visa fee to encourage more tourists to visit the country.
He noted that waiving the visa fee would help attract families from the European countries.
WAIVING VISAS
“For the sector to recover, there is a need for the government to offer incentives such as waiving the visa fee for international holidaymakers,” he said.
Addressing a press conference at Serena Beach Hotel in Mombasa on Friday shortly after his re-election, Mr Kampa called on the Kenya Wildlife Service to slash its park fees as part of efforts to attract more visitors.
“There is no need for KWS to charge higher fees whereas visitors to the parks have significantly dropped,” he said.
Newly-elected KAHC Coast branch vice-chairman Silas Kiti urged the government to address the security concerns raised by the UK, US, France and Australia for them to lift the travel advisories which have hurt the sector.
He urged police to intensify security in the resort towns to ensure the safety of tourists.
At the same time, Mr Kiti said there was a need for the authorities to assure traditional and emerging source markets that the tourist resorts and parks are safe.
Kenya Association of Tour Operators Coast branch chairperson Monika Solanki noted that so far, 5,000 workers in the tourism sub-sector have been laid off while more than 900 tour vans are idle in garages.
