Kenya’s tourist numbers to hit 1.5million this year - 2017

Visitor numbers are expected to hit the 1.5 million mark by the end of this year, according to Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) officials.

Last year, international arrivals to the country rose by 16.7 per cent to 877,602 up from 752,073 in 2015.

The country also received 429,749 cross border visitors, putting the total combined arrivals during the period to 1.3 million, a 10 per cent growth from the previous year.

KTB chairman Jimi Kariuki and KTB chief executive officer Betty Radier said they are counting on international arrivals to hit their target.

Mr Kariuki attributed the tourism fortunes to a reduction of park entry fees, visa waiver for children under 16 and charter incentive programmes as well as a waiver of landing fees for Moi and Malindi international airports.

“A number of international airlines have increased flights to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa following a surge in tourists visiting the country for holidays,” he said in an interview with the Sunday Nation.

Airlines that have increased flights from Europe to Nairobi include German carrier Lufthansa and Swiss international carriers.

In an exclusive interview in Mombasa, Mr Kariuki and Ms Radier said visitors from across the globe had since July been flocking to the Masai Mara National Reserve to watch the wildebeest migration.

“In the past two months, wildlife enthusiasts have been pouring into the Mara in droves to witness the migration of wildebeests from Tanzania to Kenya,” Mr Kariuki said.

Charter airlines that have resumed flights from Italy to Mombasa include Neos Air, Meridiana Fly and Blue Panaroma.

A polish carrier Enter Air is also operating flights between Warsaw and Mombasa while Condor serves the Frankfurt-Munich-Mombasa route.

“Hotels in the coastal resort towns are at the moment receiving more international tourists following the return of charter airlines,” said Mr Kariuki.

According to Ms Radier, the industry’s growth has been bolstered by yielding markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India and China.

The KTB chief executive attributed the growth to the government’s tourism recovery campaigns carried out locally and internationally.

She also added that, “security improvement and positive image building campaigns have paid off as the international markets now have confidence in Kenya”.

Source: businessdailyafrica.com