Kenya tourism earnings rise to Sh120 billion with more arrivals
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala (2nd right) during a press conference in his office on February 8, 2018. He said Kenya’s tourism sector has improved after the country recorded a 20.3 percent growth last year to post earnings of Sh120 billion despite the long electioneering period. PHOTO | KENNEDY KIMANTHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Latest statistics released by the ministry show international arrivals increased by 9.8 percent to 1.4 million.
- The United Kingdom was second with an 11.1 percent share of the arrivals accounting for 107,078 tourists.
- Uganda was third with a share of 6.4 percent at 61,542 arrivals.
Strategies to revive Kenya’s tourism sector bore fruit after the country recorded a 20.3 percent growth last year to post earnings of Sh120 billion despite the long electioneering period.
This is an improvement from the Sh99.69 billion earned in 2016 according to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.
Latest statistics released by the ministry show international arrivals increased by 9.8 percent to 1.4 million from the previous year’s 1.3 million tourists.
The United States remained Kenya’s leading market, growing by 17 percent with 114,507 arrivals.
DIRECT US FLIGHTS
“We look forward to the Kenya Airways direct flights (to the US) that start in October to boost arrivals. In March the ministry will conduct a road show in US to promote the Nairobi-New York flights by the national carrier,” Mr Balala said.
The United Kingdom was second with an 11.1 percent share of the arrivals accounting for 107,078 tourists.
Uganda was third with a share of 6.4 percent at 61,542 arrivals.
Other top markets were India, China, Germany, Italy and South Africa.
BED NIGHTS
Mr Balala said a total of four million bed nights were taken up by Kenyans last year compared to 3.5 million in 2016.
“Domestic market performance is measured in terms of bed nights taken up by Kenyans touring the country. This denotes a 15.9 percent growth,” he said.
Travel warnings issued by western governments which form the bulk of the foreign tourists arriving in the country impacted negatively on the sector with numbers dropping to 12 per cent in the first 11 months of 2015 to 690,893.
TERROR ATTACKS
This was a result of increased insecurity following spate of terrorist attacks.
After the August 8 elections, Mr Balala announced the government would find ways to counter the bad publicity occasioned by the post-election protests in some parts of the country.
The minister slammed foreign and international media for what he said was portraying Kenya in negative light but assured visitors and holidaymakers that the country is safe.
“The numbers dropped after the first elections and tourists had started cancelling bookings before the second election in October,” he said.
This year, the ministry projects there will be a 16 percent growth in the tourism sector.
