KENYA: International Tourist Arrivals To Shoot Upwards

Kenya’s international tourists arrivals are projected to jump by about five percent in 2019, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, told journalists in Nairobi that the tourism sector will not experience the 37 percent year on year growth witnessed in 2018 due to a number of challenges.

We are projecting only a slight growth in the number of international arrivals by the end of 2019 fueled by intensified marketing efforts in key source markets, Balala said during the launch of the partnership between Express Travel Group and Travel Leaders Group to form Travel Leaders Kenya.

Balala noted that in 2018 Kenya experienced a rate of growth of the tourism sector that is faster than the global average of 3.9 percent and the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 3.3 percent.

This makes Kenya the third largest tourism economy in Sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa and Nigeria, both of which grew substantially less than Kenya in 2018, he added.

Kenya’s international tourists arrivals stood at 2.03 million in 2018.

The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has set a target of attracting 2.5 million international tourists annually by the end of 2024 and 3 million by 2030.

According to Balala, Kenya is a long haul destination for international travelers in the main tourist source countries in Europe and North America.

As such we cannot achieve in the short term high tourists number like Egypt and Morocco that are close to Europe, he added.

Kenya Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway promoting beach tourism.

Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is promoting beach tourism along the Indian Ocean shores, a senior government said on Wednesday.

Najib Balala, cabinet secretary, ministry of tourism and wildlife told journalists in Nairobi that the Mombasa to Nairobi railway line has reduced the cost of travel to the port of Mombasa.

Since the completion of the SGR, we have seen a surge of local and international tourists visiting the coastal beach of Mombasa, Balala said during the launch of the partnership between Express Travel Group and Travel Leaders Group to form Travel Leaders Kenya.

Balala revealed that the SGR has increased the travel options for visitors seeking to tour the coastal region.

Previously tourists had to contend with high cost of air travel or the unreliable road transport network, he added.

The 480 km SGR line built by Chinese from Nairobi to Mombasa was launched in 2017 while the construction of the 120 km Nairobi to Naivasha section which is also funded by the Chinese is almost complete.

Balala said that once the SGR is complete, it will open up the western tourism circuit which is largely unexploited due to high cost of transport and lack of public awareness of the rich cultural heritage in the region.

Through the use of SGR, we hope to expand the tourism sector by making all parts of the country accessible to both domestic and foreign tourists, he added.

The government official noted that Kenya’s main tourism products are the beach tourism and the safari product which largely attract high-end clientele.

Kenya plans to promote the green tourism sector in order to enhance its sustainability, the tourism regulator said on Thursday.

Kipkorir Lagat, director general of Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA), told a forum in Nairobi that tourism is a very fragile industry that depends on nature to provide services to its clients.

We will work closely with tourism stakeholders to enable the sector adopt measures to conserve natural resources and reduce their green house gas emissions, Lagat said during the stakeholders forum of the retail industry and the Tourism Fund.

He said that the government already offers tax incentives for hotels that have green buildings and use renewable sources of energy.

Solar equipment for heating is also exempt from Value Added Tax, he said.

TRA noted that environmental sustainability is now a key pillar of the tourism sector given the growing number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting the country.

Government data indicates that approximately 2 million visitors entered Kenya in 2018, up from 1.4 million the previous year.

Lagat added that Kenya also hopes to cash in on the growing number of tourists who seek eco-friendly destinations.

Last week, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a ban on single use plastics in national parks and beaches beginning in June 2020.

The tourism regulator noted that environmentally friendly policies such as use of biodegradable products and recycling could help make the tourism sector more sustainable.


Tourism Observer

KENYA: Tourism Stakeholders Reject Najib Balala Proposal To Merge All Tourism Associations In To One

Some Tourism stakeholders has rejected a government proposal to dissolve all tourism associations and merge them into one representative body.

Last week, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala had suggested that the sector's players establish one lobby to represent the interests of those in the private sector rather than having many associations.

Najib Balala said having one body would strengthen their voice and and better help them push their agenda.

It will be easier for me to hold negotiations with officials of one tourism umbrella body rather than officials from 24 tourism associations, Mr Balala had said.

However, the Tourism Professional Association (TPA) has come out to oppose the bid saying the law supports formation of regional associations to represent interests of various players.

The Tourism Cabinet Secretary’s suggestion is against the TRA (Tourism Regulatory Authority) Act which encourages establishment of regional tourism associations, TPA interim secretary Sam Ikwaye said Monday, adding that the different associations represent different interests.

Mr Ikwaye also says devolution had further segmented the goals of different tourism organisations in the 47 counties.

There is no way we can dissolve the tourism associations to form one association as the interests of hoteliers are different from those of tour operators or travel agents, he added, citing the Kenya Coast Tourism Association for tourism players and the Kenya Association of Tour Operators for tour operators.

Currently, there are more than 40 associations representing the interests of different investors in the industry.



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KENYA: Tour Vans To Get Special Tourism Service Vehicle Licence

Kenya has rolled out a special tourism service vehicle licence (TSV), effectively shutting public service vehicle operators, who usually convert their vehicles into tour vans during tourism peak seasons, out of the business.

In efforts to streamline operations in the tourism sector, which is often invaded by PSV operators, the government has launched specific stickers in line with the National Transport and Safety Authority Act, 2012.

The law provides for a separate and distinct tour operator’s licence.

Tour business operators have praised it as the best way of weeding out unscrupulous operators. With this licence, Kenya has set the benchmark for other East African countries, particularly Uganda and Rwanda, with whom it is conducting joint marketing initiatives to position the region as the ideal tourist destination.

“The licence will help streamline the sector, promote professionalism and create a level

The government will reign in on unscrupulous and unlicensed tour operators who were giving undue competition to genuine businessmen in the tourism sector.

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Acting Chief Executive Officer Jacinta Nzioka said the board will engage with other relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies in the sector to stamp out the menace.

She made the remarks in a statement read on her behalf by KTB Domestic Assistant Regional Marketing Manager Alphose Munguti during a one-day training workshop of domestic tourism sales agents in Diani over the weekend.

KTB has launched a one-month long training for domestic tourism sales agents across the country with over 500 operators benefiting in Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale counties.

Other government agencies including Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Utalii College, Tourism Fund, Tourism Regulatory Authority and National Museums of Kenya are supporting the training.

The training aimed at sensitizing the agents on the potential the domestic market had in the growth of the tourism is set for Kisumu, Nakuru and Meru before the launch of phase two in other regions that have not been covered.

Over 1.2 million Kenyans afford air transport

According Ipsos Synovate in a research commissioned by KTB, over 10 million Kenyans are in middle-class status with their spending power ranging from shillings 24,000 to 120,000 shillings per month.

Further, over 1.2 million Kenyans are potential air travelers, adding to the potential of domestic travelling across the country.

Nzioka noted that domestic tourism has grown remarkably in the recent past contributing 56% of total bed nights occupancy.

“This market is resilient and reliable in cushioning the sector during hard times and that is why we have began sensitizing those who are selling domestic tours to take up this opportunity,” said Nzioka.

During the training in the coastal region, the sales agents lamented that ‘brief case’ tourism operators we operating without licenses, giving cheap tour packages to travelers since they were not paying government taxes.

A trainer took through participants during a one-day training in Mombasa

Led by Susanne Ndoli of Monika Tours and Safaris, the operators pointed out that cases of tourists being conned out of their money by rogue operators have been reported in the past.

“Besides giving us undue competition by evading taxes, the reputation of our destination is at risk, if the unlicensed operators continue to operate unchecked,” added Ndoli.

Domestic Tourism Association chairperson Stacy Wakesho called on the sales agents to register with relevant associations as a platform to champion their interest in the sector.

The agents mostly beach operators, curio operators and safari sellers also appealed for more hospitality refresher courses by Kenya Utalii College to improve their service delivery.

KENYA: Hotel Grading Goes On

Eight hotels in Nairobi County have been ranked five-star by the Tourism Regulatory Authority.

According to results published in a gazette notice on November 18, town hotels in Nairobi which were rated five-star were Villa Rosa Kempinski, Hemingways Nairobi, Sankara Nairobi, Fairmont The Norfolk and The Sarova Stanley.

Other hotels in Nairobi that got the five-star rating were Radisson Blu Hotel, Dusit D2 and Tribe Hotel. Of the more than 80 hotels classified by the agency, only 30 establishments were awarded star ratings.

Hotels that got the four-star rating were Crowne Plaza, Ole Sereni, House of Waine, Weston Hotel and Southern Sun Mayfair Nairobi. Others rated four-star were Sarova Panafric, Fairview, Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club and The Boma.

In the three-star category was The Clarion Hotel, Ngong Hills Hotel, The Heron Portico, Panari Hotel, Marble Arch Hotel and Mountain Breeze Hotel.

Establishments ranked two-star were Central Park, Fahari Gardens, Eton, Boma Inn, Jacaranda Nairobi, West Breeze and After 40 hotels.

In other regions, Amboseli Sopa Lodge and Kibos Safari Camp in Kajiado County were rated three-star along with Maanzoni Lodge in Machakos County.

Westwood Hotel in Nyeri County was rated two-star and so were Ibis Hotel Nanyuki in Laikipia County, Ibis Hotel Nyeri, Maxoil Hotel in Laikipia. Ibis 2000 Hotel Karatina in Nyeri County got a one-star rating.

Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi was rated four-star while Bollywood Bites in Mombasa was ranked three-star.

The results were for the remaining six counties of Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni and Kajiado whose hotel classification was completed last month.

On Sunday, the agency’s director-general Kipkorir Lagat said the exercise was conducted fairly and the assessors had been certified by the East African Community secretariat.

Sarova Stanley general manager Paolo Marro was delighted with the results, saying the establishment was ranked a five-star due to its quality services. “The five-star rating is a confirmation of our commitment to offering our guests the true African experience,” he said.

In the previous results of hotel classification which was conducted in 41 counties across the country by the agency, only seven establishments had been rated five-star.

The agency had rated hotels from the regions of Nyanza, Western, North and South Rift, Central and Upper Eastern and at the Coast.

Those ranked five star establishments were Leopard Beach Resort and Swahili Beach Resort from Kwale County and Medina Palms, Watamu, in Kilifi County. Others were Mara Serena Safari Lodge and Olare Mara Kempinski from Narok County, Segera Retreat Lodge in Laikipia County and Lake Elmentaita Serena Camp in Nakuru County.

Mombasa County tourism hub did not feature in the list of five-star winners as its popular hotels were ranked four-star.

In Kisumu County, the top rating was a three-star with establishments such as Kisumu Hotel, Sovereign Hotel, The Vic Hotel and Imperial Hotel rated three-star.

Of the 228 establishments which were inspected by TRA certified assessors in the 41 counties, seven were rated five-star, 31 as four-star while 42 were ranked three-star.

VISIT: Visiting Elementaita Camp

The conservancy is famous of over 400 species of birds including flamingoes and white pelicans.

For those who love playing recurve archery in a tranquil environment, Lake Elementaita Serena Camp is the place to be.

The camp is on the shores of Lake Elementaita, where hundreds of thousands of birds congregate every year.

Elementaita Serena Camp General Manager Alphaxad Chege says the hotel is the only one in Kenya that offers this kind of sport.

“The camp offers this ancient and elegant discipline of recurve target archery with the help of modern day equipment and trained instructors for the first timers,” he says.

In collaboration with the Federation of Target Archery Kenya, 10 employees have been trained on the sport and make sure guests are supervised.

The sport takes place in a purpose-built and interactive archery range that is surrounded by trees.

Mr Chege says the camp offers a variety of fun, dynamic and challenging archery target activities that can be enjoyed by individuals or a group.

These are classic target archery, balloon archery, tic-tac-toe target, archery golf par 5 and baseball archery.

“We started this sport to offer our guests a variety of enjoyable activities to choose from. We also wanted to be distinct,” says Mr Chege.

A recurved bow has limbs that bend from the archer when unstrung and the game involves one aiming and targeting a ‘bulls-eye’ on a distance board.

Now a Unesco world heritage site, the camp is also home to many rare species of animals and is only a two-hour drive from the city.

It can also be accessed by air. Small airplanes land at Soysambu Airstrip.

Elementaita is the only lake in East and Central Africa that offers a perfect breeding ground for great white pelicans.

The hotel was opened in 2011 and was rated as five-star by the Tourism Regulatory Authority in the just concluded classification.

It also offers unique tent activities on the shores of the lake.

Flamingo Suite is a tent for special occasions. He says it is the best place to be for those on honeymoon.

“It is far from the rest of the camp to give the newly weds the special privacy they may need during their stay,” Mr Chege says.

The camp that blends aristocratic elegance with modern luxury suites was also given a gold-eco-rating award by Ecotourism Kenya in recognition of its efforts to promote sustainable tourism through preservation of Kenya’s environment and cultural heritage.

The camp offers open breakfast and lunch at the shores of the lake during sunny days and a bonfire dinner in the evening.

Its location within the conservancy means that, as well as game drives, one can go on walking safaris to get up close with the flora and fauna.

Visitors can also enjoy horse riding or head out on night drives to experience the bush in the dark.

Hopefully spotting spring hares, an aardvark or an elusive leopard as well as explore ones creative side by indulging in some water colour painting.

“The conservancy is famous of over 400 species of birds including flamingoes and white pelicans.

According to camp’s resident naturalist Richard Kipng’eno, change in weather patterns, which could be linked to global warming saw water levels at Lake Nakuru rise to never seen before levels thus flooding the entire park in 2014.

This in turn made the park inhabitable, not only for the world famous flamingoes but also for a lot of other wildlife animals including the big cats.

This led Lions and leopards which are a common feature at Lake Nakuru National park to cross over to the Soysambu conservancy making it the first time that big cats have returned to the conservancy in decades.