President waives visa fees for young tourists to boost arrivals

What you need to know:

  • Foreign tourists will now pay Sh6,000 ($60) to visit national parks and game reserves instead of Sh9,000 ($90).

  • Kenya has also waived landing fees for chartered flights in a move estimated to cost Sh1.2 billion.

Young tourists below the age of 16 can now visit Kenya without paying visa fees, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced on Tuesday.

The waiver takes effects from February 1.

In a raft of measures meant to increase tourist arrivals in 2016, the President also announced that the country would reduce park entry fees for foreigners.

In the past, foreign tourists used to pay $90 (Sh9,000) to visit national parks and game reserves but they will now be asked to pay $60 (Sh6,000).

The President said he had directed Mr Henry Rotich, the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, to initiate the necessary amendments to the VAT Act to incorporate removal of VAT on park fees so that tourists can enjoy the new entry fees.

He also said owners of tourist establishments would be assisted to secure funding to improve their hotels.

ENGLISH POINT MARINA

He spoke during the official opening of the multi-million dollar English Point Marina, a luxury establishment that incorporates a hotel, restaurant, gym, a pontoon marina and apartments.

“This facility we are unveiling today is a major endorsement of the recovery strategy of our tourism and hospitality industry,” Mr Kenyatta told guests at the launch also attended by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho among others.

Tourism declined following a spate of terrorist attacks at the Coast, which led some countries to slap travel advisories against some parts of the country. Improvements in security led to the bans being reversed last year.

International tourist arrivals are expected to increase in the next three months, according to Tourism CS Najib Balala.

He said tourists had developed interest in visiting the Coast for holidays as a result of the lifting of travel advisories by the UK, US and French governments last year.

“Kenya’s image in the international markets has significantly improved in the backdrop of peace enjoyed in the country,” he said. “US President Barack Obama’s and Pope Francis’ visits last year also put our country on the world map,” he said.

He said several chartered airlines from Italy had resumed flights to Mombasa, boosting tourism in Malindi and Watamu.

“We have also a charter airline from the Polish market which made a maiden flight to Mombasa last month,” he said.

Last week, industry players from the Coast called  on the government to reduce park entry fees arguing that the country was losing tourists to South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda which charged lower.

Kenya has also waived landing fees for chartered flights in a move estimated to cost Sh1.2 billion.

“We will continue to offer incentives to airlines flying into Mombasa and Malindi airports and the waiver will be extended to June 30, 2018, to enable them to increase frequency,” Mr Kenyatta said on Tuesday.

“We are also working with Treasury to see how the government can negotiate for attractive packages so that investors access cheap long term loans to enable them modernise and develop their properties”.

The President said the expansion of Malindi airport to allow direct flights would also attract more visitors. He thanked the UK, US and French governments for lifting travel advisories which he said had negatively affected the country’s image.

“They recognise, as well as we do, that security here has vastly improved, and that there is much to be gained by partnering with Kenya and the region,” he said.

To improve access to the South Coast, Mr Kenyatta said the government was finalising financing agreements for the funding of the Dongo Kundu bypass. The first phase of the project — expected to cost over Sh30 billion — is already under construction.

Meanwhile, Mr Balala said Sh5.2 billion had been invested in marketing tourism — the highest budget allocated in the history of industry — and asked stakeholders to ensure that the investment was not in vain.

He also asked politicians to tone down political rhetoric saying their activities would interfere with development especially in the tourism sector.

Additional reporting by Mathias Ringa.