Tourism sector earns Sh3.7bn due to charter incentive project

A charter flight landed in Mombasa from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Wednesday in yet another major boost for the tourism sector.

Some 120 tourists landed at Moi International Airport in the county via the Tui Netherlands Charter Flight.

REVENUE

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, who was at the airport to welcome the visitors, said the government has extended the charter flights incentive to 2022 to boost the sector.

Mr Balala reported that the government has earned Sh3.7 billion since the launch of the incentive programme.

"Having spent Sh200 million under the Charter Incentive Programme (CIP), Kenya's tourism sector has made a return of Sh3.7 billion in revenue earnings," Mr Balala said

Since the start of the CIP in 2016, at a cost of Sh1.2 billion, there have been 55,000 arrivals in Mombasa and other parts of the coast.

Moi airport receives 15 charter flights per week, up from nine last year.

REVIEW

The LOT Polish Charter Flight arrived in Mombasa with 250 tourists on Saturday.

The plane will fly to Mombasa twice a week, bringing 500 visitors in this period.

The number of charter flights has risen from one (Condor Airlines) to the current 10, a major boost to tourism in the region, a sector which had recorded a drop as a result of negative travel advisories and other factors.

The government has been offering incentives, the latest being a review of programmes to entice low cost carriers.

Tourism Principal Secretary (PS) Joe Okudo said the government will review the CIP to incorporate low cost airlines and scheduled flights, to boost the number of visitors.

In a statement, the PS said: “The move will not only strengthen our destination’s brand visibility but also increase visitor numbers. It will allow us to venture into joint marketing initiatives with the airline operators and travel agents’ consortia."

POLAND NUMBERS

Currently, the charter model only works in Eastern Europe and Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), leaving out other key tourist source markets for Kenya.

But the PS said, “Within the charter period (November 2018 to March, 2019), Kenya shall have received about 8,000 arrivals into Mombasa, a major boost to the tourist numbers into the region."

Poland has continued to grow its market share of visitors into the country. Last year's number was 11,947, up from 9,572 recorded in 2016, a 24.8 percent increase.

For the last eight months (January-August), the number was 7,504 up from 6,782 visitors in the same period last year, translating to an increase of 10.6 percent.

Last week, the Tui Belgium Charter Flight landed at the Moi airport with approximately 150 tourists from Brussels.

AIR CONNECTIVITY

The PS noted that air connectivity is key to boosting arrivals.

Mr Okudo said the government will venture into joint promotion with travel agents to increase demand for travel.

The number of charter flights is expected to increase towards the end of the year and the PS was optimistic that the review will incorporate the other two international airports.

Kenya Tourism Federation official Mohamed Hersi said, "We are honoured to receive the inaugural Lot Polish Airlines by Tui Poland for the first time, flying a Dreamliner, in Mombasa. Mombasa and the coast are bouncing back in a big way."

Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa Managing Director Bobby Kamani said they expect more visitors during the holidays as Kenya has enjoyed peace and tranquility.

“We had two high profile events in our country. They have shaped out hopes for increased business,” he said.

"At the moment, it is clear the coast is a safe destination for tourists. This will encourage more international visitors to come and sample Kenyan hospitality."

SECURITY

Mr Kamani noted the advantages of the direct flights between Nairobi and New York and lifting of travel advisories due to the threat of attacks by terror group Al-Shabaab.

“Travel advisories have been kept to a minimum since 2014. Security has continuously improved and there has been political stability. These factors have definitely encouraged Americans to visit Kenya," he said.

Mr Kamani said stakeholders have also expanded links to new source markets and sought to diversify revenue streams in order to grow the tourism sector.

Sam Ikwaye, Coast branch executive officer of the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) aired the same views.