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.

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