Tourists to Kenya needed to boost 2014 season figures

I am currently in Nairobi, working and visiting sites and museums around the city, but in the past week an estimated 900 tourists cut short their vacation to Kenya. With the recent incidents of violence in Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya, most recently on Friday May 16, some tourists have left early and some potential tourists have cancelled their holiday plans.

The Kenya Tourism Foundation estimates that the tourism industry will lose over $50 million between May and October 2014 – the prime tourist season. Obviously the government is encouraging tourists to remain for their holiday and to continue with their travel plans in the region.

Each year an estimated 1.5 million tourists come to Kenya, from the following main countries, according to the Sunday Nation (May 25, 2014): United Kingdom (200,000), America (107,800), Italy (87,790), Germany (63,000), and France (50,000). In addition 11,700 Chinese visitors arrived in Kenya in 2013 (2.8% of all arrivals) – an increasing market for the Kenyan tourism industry.

The overall 2013 tourist numbers were 16% lower than in 2012, due in part to the Westgate shopping complex tragedy in September 2013.

The Sunday Nation article, by Nic Cheeseman, Director of the African Studies Centre at Oxford University, maintains that the greatest challenge in the country is to “develop a more credible and effective plan for tackling terrorism” – which involves improved information of threats, as well as critical action, but it takes time.

In the meantime, Cheeseman suggested three ways the Government of Kenya can mitigate further downward trends in the tourism industry. These include: (1) develop a more effective advertising campaign to attract tourists, (2) suspend the 16% value added tax (VAT) imposed on the tourism sector – which would decrease costs and attract more travellers, and (3) pursue a policy of stronger regional infrastructure with its neighbouring countries throughout East Africa to encourage a common visa to reduce red-tape and promote more fluidity of movement.

In the past week the government suggested incentives for Kenyans to increase their domestic travel and holidays in their own country – but the return of international tourists is essential to boost the tourism industry to, at least, its former numbers.

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. That

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass

The Beggars' Strike by Aminata Sow Fall: book review

The Beggar’sStrike (1979 in French and 1981 in English) is set in an unstated country in West Africa in a city known only as The Capital. Undoubtedly, Senegalese author Sow Fall writes of her own experiences. It was also encapsulated in the 2000 film, Battu , directed by Cheick Oumar Sissoko from Mali. Mour Ndiaye is the Director of the Department of Public Health and Hygiene, with the opportunity of a distinguished and coveted promotion to Vice-President of the Republic. Tourism has declined and the government blames the local beggars in The Capital. Ndiaye must rid the streets of beggars, according to a decree from the Minister. Ndiaye instructs his department to carry out weekly raids. One of the raids leads to the death of lame beggar, Madiabel, who ran into an oncoming vehicle as he tried to escape, leaving two wives and eight children. Soon after, another raid resulted in the death of the old well-loved, comic beggar Papa Gorgui Diop. Enough is enou

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog