KENYA: Tourism Grew 10.7% In The First 5 Months Of The Year 2017

Tourist arrivals grew 10.7 per cent in the first five months of the year, cementing a rebound the State says has continued into the electioneering period.

The number of international visitors rose to 358,985 in the year to May up from 324,276 in a similar period last year, according to data from Kenya Tourism Board (KTB).

The growth is welcome news to hoteliers who had been forced to cut jobs, slash pay and close shop following the crippling effects of several travel alerts issued in 2014 after a spate of terrorist attacks on holiday getaway towns.

Given the feedback we have received from numerous stakeholders, including hoteliers at the Coast as well as the Maasai Mara, most hotels and resorts are currently experiencing full booking, said Betty Radier, the KTB chief executive officer.

The wildebeest migration, also known as the 8th wonder of the world, started in June and is expected to continue until October. This attraction continues to bring many tourists globally to the Maasai Mara.

Kenya in 2013 witnessed dips in tourist arrivals ahead of the elections on fears that the violence that ripped through the country after its 2007 polls would erupt again.

Ms Radier said the arrival of global personalities Chinese business Mogul Jack Ma, and Veronica Ferraro, Italian fashion blogger close to the election has helped calm visitor nerves.

Tourism was once the highest foreign exchange earner, before a decline that started in 2011 before last year’s rebound.

Official data shows that tourism earned the country Sh84.6 billion in 2015, down from Sh87.1 billion in 2014 and Sh97.9 billion in 2011.

Earnings increased to Sh99.7 billion last year on arrivals of 1.39 million tourists, down from 1.71 million in 2011.

Past terrorism attacks had caused a big drop in foreign visitor arrivals after Western nations issued travel advisories.

This partly saw the weakening of the shilling to the US dollar last year as the drop in arrivals threatened to cut the inflows of hard currency.
The US and Britain have since lifted their travel advisories on coastal holiday-making towns of Mombasa and Malindi, raising hopes of a faster sector revival.

Kenya’s tourism industry is expected to grow at an annual average of six per cent over the next decade.

The country's travel and tourism's GDP is projected to grow at six per cent annually over the next 10 years, as the total economy grows at 5.9 per cent, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WITC) Benchmarking Report 2017.

The projected growth is quicker than automotive manufacturing at 4.3 per cent and agriculture sector at 5.1 per cent.

The WTTC report shows that travel and tourism industry is larger than mining, chemicals manufacturing and automotive manufacturing combined.

The economic value of the business and leisure travel sector, which is 10 per cent of Kenya's GDP, is almost the same size as Kenya’s banking sector, the report shows.

On employment, travel and tourism directly supports nearly three times as many jobs as the banking sector and more than twice as many jobs as the financial services sector in the country.

The report shows that 1.1 million direct, indirect and induced jobs were supported by the industry in 2016, or 9.2 per cent of the country’s total employment.

These figures show that the tourism sector is not only a major engine to economic growth in Kenya, but it is also a creator of jobs, said David Scowsill, president and chief executive officer of WTTC.

In Kenya, as in other countries, travel and tourism provides jobs across all levels of society and from the most remote rural areas to the busiest city centre.

The report by WTTC indicates that Kenya will need another 500,000 people to serve the travel and tourism industry over the next 10 years.

Scowsill says in order for our sector to continue to boost the economy and livelihoods in Kenya, it is important to address the anticipated talent shortage.

We depend on quality people to deliver a quality product to our customers, the WTTC boss said.

He said right policies, programmes and partnerships need to be put into place to ensure that Kenya’s workforce of the future know about the opportunities in the industry.

Scowsill added that appropriate skills and knowledge in the workforce would support future growth of the sector.

Kenya is a beautiful country with a great tourism product and I call on the Kenyan government to continue to invest in the travel and tourism sector to foster the growth and further explore the great socio-economic benefits our sector has to offer, he said.

Countries researched in the study by WTTC included the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, China, South Africa, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore, Argentina and Canada.

Others were Turkey, Jamaica, Thailand, Spain, South Korea, Italy, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Japan and Mexico.

The WTTC benchmarking report is published every two years and is sponsored by American Express.

Travel and tourism is a key driver for investment and economic growth globally.

The sector contributes $7.6 trillion or 10.2 per cent of global GDP, once all direct, indirect and induced impacts are taken into account, according to WTTC’s annual produced economic impact report.

The industry also accounts for 292 million jobs or one in 10 of all jobs on the planet.

Kenya is banking on marketing campaigns in leading global cruise conventions and enhanced security to increase the number of international tourists arriving by sea.

Last year, the Port of Mombasa was voted Africa’s leading cruise facility for the second-year running by the World Travel Awards.

Mombasa is a preferred destination for cruise holidaymakers since after they arrive at the port, it takes them a short time to head to national parks for game drives,said Tourism Cabinet secretary Najib Balala.

Cruise tourism, he said, is a lucrative market for Kenya, adding that visitors arriving by sea are high-end holidaymakers.
To tap the potential of this segment, Kenya is building a Sh350 million cruise ship terminal at the port.

The project, which is expected to be completed before the forthcoming cruise tourism season in November this year, would significantly boost the industry as the port currently lacks a facility for catering to global international holidaymakers.

Mr Balala, Kenya Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Betty Radier and officials from the Kenya Ports Authority were in Miami, US, on Monday, where they participated in the Seatrade Cruise Global convention which closed its doors on Thursday.

The forum is the cruise industry’s premier global event and brings together business, industry cruise lines, suppliers, travel agents and partners in the sector.

As the epicentre of the cruise industry, Seatrade features exhibitors and attendees from around the world including key industry players.
Mr Balala said Kenya’s participation in the Miami convention would boost the country’s growing cruise industry.

He attributed the improvement to the decline in pirate attacks off Somalia coast and enhanced security in Mombasa.

Recently, Mr Balala said Kenya would participate in the Miami convention to market the Port of Mombasa in order to attract more cruise ships and increase tourist arrivals by sea.

Cruise tourists, he said, had boosted the industry and the economy, because they later make repeat visits and go to national parks such as the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Tsavo East and West National Parks, Amboseli National Park and Shimba Hills Game Reserve and excursions in Mombasa Town.

Although the tourists who arrive by sea spend a short time in the country, majority of them later come for longer holidays thereby boosting the economy, he said.

The availability of a cruise terminal at the Port of Mombasa will be a game changer to tourism industry as it will help attract more international tourists to the country.

Mr Balala said the facility would offer services to tourists when they arrive at the port or when departing for other destinations.

Over the years, there has been no terminal at the port to cater for tourists who arrive by sea. But I am glad that by the next season we shall have a modern cruise ship facility, he added.

According to figures by the Kenya Tourism Board, arrivals by cruise ships at the Port of Mombasa declined by 17.7 per cent to 2,717 last year compared with 3,302 visitors in 2015.

During this cruise tourism season which began in November last year and ends this month, at least 2,958 tourists arrived in the country by sea.

Only two cruise ships MS Nautica and MS Silver Cloud made two trips to Mombasa this season.
The arrival of luxury cruise ship MS Silver Cloud at the Port of Mombasa on Monday a week ago marked the end of the cruise tourism season.
The ship, operated by Silversea Cruises brought 255 passengers and 224 crew from Zanzibar and departed for Seychelles the following day on Tuesday.

Majority of the tourists who arrived aboard MS Silver Cloud were from the United States while others were from Germany, Canada and England.
Some of the visitors flew over to Maasai Mara National Reserve for game drives, others travelled to Shimba Hills Game Reserve in Kwale for safari while the rest remained in Mombasa for excursions.

KPA managing director Catherine Mturi-Wairi recently said the launch of the construction of the cruise terminal comes at a time when the port is experiencing a rise in ship arrivals compared to a few years ago.

The KPA boss said a survey which was carried out in 2015 by Tourism and Transport Consult International on cruise tourist potential for Kenya showed that Mombasa could easily attract 140,000 passengers yearly.

She said the cruise terminal would offer a range of facilities including a lounge area for passengers, reception counters for cruise operators, restaurants and souvenir shops.

The ultra-modern facility will give our visitors the opportunity to relax upon arrival and before departure, she said.

Kenya remains a favourite tourist destination, loved globally for its sandy beaches, wildlife, rich culture and favourable weather conditions.
Foreigners who have not traditionally visited Kenya in large numbers are now doing so, especially in the past one year.

Even domestic tourist numbers are rising as the expansion of the middle-class continues even though the economic and financial conditions of the poorer sections of the society may have deteriorated with inflation.

Last year, the country saw international arrivals at 877,602, a 16.7 per cent increase from the 752,073 recorded in 2015.

The country also recorded 429,749 cross border entrances putting the total combined arrivals in 2016 at 1.3 million, a 10 per cent growth from the previous year.

The 2016 statistics released by Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) indicate a shift in the performance from key source markets with some countries doubling the number of tourists coming into the country while others, for instance, United Arab Emirates (UAE) declining sharply from 40,875 accounting — or 5.4 per cent of tourists who came into the country — to 18,428 (2.1 per cent) last year.

The US topped the list of countries that had the most tourists coming into the country, ousting the UK, which had been the number one source market for Kenya for the longest time.

“The UK has shown slight decline, while all the other markets have shown positive growth. This may be attributed to the Brexit that has led to a weaker pound, making other destinations more expensive hence reducing the number of tourists from the United Kingdom,” says the KTB report on Tourism.

The US accounted to 11.2 per cent (97,883) while the UK accounted for 11 per cent (96,404) of tourist arrivals last year.
In 2015, the UK was top at 98,523 (13.1 per cent) while the US was at 84,759 (11.3 per cent). In 2011, 203,290 tourists from the US paid Kenya a visit compared to 119,615.

India took third position accounting for 7.3 per cent (64,116) of the tourists, a sharp rise from 49,756 (5.4 per cent) visitors recorded in 2015.

Uganda took the fourth position accounting for 5.8 per cent (51,023) of tourists up from 3.9 per cent (29,038) who visited Kenya in 2015.
China followed closely with 47,860 (5.5 per cent) up from 29,790 (4 per cent) in 2015.

“The growing positive relations between Kenya and China and India may be contributing to the growth of tourists from this region. India and China have fully recovered and surpassed the 2011 performance,” said the report.

Germany, Italy and South Africa accounted to five per cent (43,502), 35,953 (4.1 per cent) and 35,926 (4.1 per cent) of tourists who visited country last year, respectively. France recorded 20,435 while Canada emerged the 10th market source at 19,700 (2.3 per cent).

A total of 782,013 international arrivals were recorded at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi while 92,872 came via the Moi International Airport, Mombasa. Tourist arrivals by cruise ship were 2,717 down from 3,302 recorded in 2015.

August and July, December and January remained the best periods for the tourism sector in Kenya, recording the highest number of visitors.

The main purpose of travel to Kenya remained holiday accounting to 75 per cent of the arrivals with business and conferences contributing to 13 per cent and the rest (study, on transit) of the reasons taking up 12 per cent.

“Holiday is the major reason of travel into Kenya, taking a share of 73 per cent of the total arrivals compared to 70 per cent in 2015. Both business and conference contributed 14 per cent per cent of the arrivals compared to 16 per cent in 2015, with VFR, transit and study with eight per cent, three per cent and one per cent in 2016 as was the case in 2015,” said the KTB in a statement.

KTB chief executive Betty Raddier expressed optimism the sector’s performance would boost earnings.
“We project that tourism sector will make Sh94 billion for the Kenyan economy as we expect it to stay resilient despite the looming general elections,” she said.

We have hired a global exhibitor On Show Solutions for the October fair to take marketing efforts of Kenya as a destination to the next level.
We are banking on the firm’s global experience and expertise to take Kenya to where it used to be. It is in our plan to learn about changing consumer demands and diversify to suit the market demands.

Africa contributed to 29 per cent of total tourism arrivals with Uganda topping the list, followed by South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Uganda recorded the highest growth in the number of tourists at 75 per cent with Ethiopia experiencing a 39.8 per cent (15,328) increase followed by Nigeria at 27.7 per cent. South Africa, Rwanda and Tanzania recorded a 17.8 per cent, 3.7 per cent and 2.3 per cent growth respectively.

Uganda has shown the highest growth in arrivals into Kenya from the region. Easier facilitation and the joint marketing initiatives may have led to this growth. Uganda, Nigeria and Ethiopia have fully recovered and surpassed the 2011 tourism performance,read the report.

Africa’s growth may be attributed to increased arrivals from most of our markets of focus, especially South Africa, Uganda and Nigeria.
Europe has always remained the top source market for Kenya but has been declining as it is the case with The Middle East over the recent years while Asia has seen a positive growth attributable to arrivals from China and India.

The Middle East has seen decline due to the instability in the region in general and the recession in the UAE in particular, due to the depressed oil prices, added the report.

The tourism sector is still on a recovery journey and the KTB says since the post-election crisis India, China, Uganda, Nigeria and Ethiopia markets have fully recovered.

The tourism agency expressed confidence that the numbers would remain on an upward trajectory. The agency grew domestic travel by 14.6 per cent in 2016 beating the target set the previous year.

The State agency had projected that sector would grow by three per cent after it embarked on aggressive marketing campaigns to woo local tourists.

Data from Kenya National Bureau of statistics indicate that Kenyans took up 3.6 million bed nights in 2016 compared to 3.1 million in 2015.
Domestic tourism is as important as international tourism and we want Kenyans to embrace and promote it.

We have products that are tailored to the local tourists and KTB is constantly working with the players in the market to ensure that the local needs are met. We are looking forward to a better performance this year, said Ms Raddier.

According to the agency, domestic tourism has potential that needs to be harnessed and there is a need to push for local tourism to sustain the operations of the hospitality industry — should international arrivals dwindle as elections approach.

Despite efforts made by the State agency, domestic tourists cite the high rates charged by hotels as the greatest impediment when planning for local travel.

A report Cytonn Investments released in October called on local hotel operators to come up with attractive incentives that compel locals to patronise their facilities.

An outlook report by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows that forward bookings in major tourist hotels are in line with seasonal trends and prospects for the sector remain high in 2017.

According to the CBK study, the economy is expected to remain resilient this year supported by macroeconomic stability, public investment in infrastructure, lower energy prices and the recovery of tourism sector.

The hospitality players expect the sector’s performance to remain on an upward trajectory.
We have not seen any cancellation so far, in fact, some of our members are almost fully booked for the July and August one of the busiest seasons.

We are confident that everything will be fine and hopeful that Kenyans will take elections as a one day event after which life continues, said Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers chairman Mike Macharia.

Kenya's tourism sector will take another two years to recover after the government beefed up security and boosted funding for the sector, a key source of hard currency revenues, new tourism minister Najib Balala said.

Visitor numbers and earnings have plunged in the last four years as al Shabaab militants from neighbouring Somalia launched a series of attacks on Kenyan soil in retaliation for Kenya's military intervention in Somalia.

That has hit the shilling currency, which fell 11 percent against the dollar last year after a 4.5 percent decline in 2014, and dragged on growth in the Kenyan economy, East Africa's largest.

Balala, who took over the tourism ministry last month, said the fact there had been no serious attack in the last eight months showed security had improved as a result of investments in equipment, vehicles and security personnel.

Smaller attacks have continued, mainly near the border with Somalia.

We are going to work hard to not only create jobs and improve our GDP, but also to stabilise our currency by getting the numbers in, by getting the foreign currency in, he said.

During campaigning for the 2013 elections, President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee coalition set a target of 3 million visitors a year by 2017.

Balala said the tourism ministry planned to spend 5.2 billion shillings $50.83 million) this fiscal year, which began in July, on measures to foster growth in tourism.

From December this year we are going to see a lot of visitors come in, to fully recover, I think it will be winter 2018, he said after skydiving onto a white sandy beach to promote Kenyan resorts.

Visitor numbers dropped 12 percent in the first 11 months of 2015 to 690,893, reflecting the impact of travel warnings issued by western governments after a spate of Islamist attacks that killed more than 400 people, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) said.

These included raids by gunmen on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in 2013, coastal towns in 2014 and a university in April last year.
Balala said earnings had fallen to $870 million in 2014, from a peak of $1.2 billion in 2011.

Travel warnings -- including from Britain, the source of more than half the nation's tourists -- have since been lifted, spurring an increase in the number of visitors to Kenya's game parks and beaches. November arrivals of 62,548 marked a jump of 6.7 percent compared with the same month in 2014, KTB said.

Official figures for the peak month of December are still being compiled but individual hoteliers and safari operators have reported improved business.

Balala said the government is using Sh1.2 billion this fiscal year to offer rebates to charter operators who take their clients to the Kenyan coast, an area that was hit hard by the decline.

It is also targeting visitors from new markets like Russia, Hungary and Nigeria as well as the European nations on which Kenya has traditionally relied.

Officials have also waived landing fees for charter flights to the coast, reduced park entry fees for tourists and urged operators to modernise their facilities.

Most of these hotels are of the 1980s. We want to move them to 2030 fresh, modern, with a touch of culture and African heritage, Balala said.



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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: Marketing Budget To Be Cut If Kenya Tourism Board Does Not Bring In Resonating Tourists

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has threatened to cut Kenya Tourism Board (KTB)'s marketing budget if they do not deliver the desired results.

Mr Balala said although the Jubilee government had been allocating substantial amount of money for marketing to KTB, Kenya is still not getting much value for its money.

Speaking at Diani Reef Beach Resort in Kwale during a Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) meeting on Thursday, he said the government had allocated Sh2 billion for marketing in the last two financial years.

He noted that since KTB was established in 1997, the marketing team had been participating in annual international travel shows in the United Kingdom and Germany, yet international tourist numbers were still low.

Mr Balala said despite the huge budget for marketing, the country received only 877,000 international tourists last year while Morocco and Egypt had between 10 million and 11 million arrivals each.

He added that South Africa received nine million international visitors while the country’s international arrivals were below one million.

Last year, KTB spent $200,000 on participating in the World Travel Market in London. But we are yet to get value for the money which was spent, he said.

A group of 60 people were taken to London last year for marketing during WTM, yet still we don’t get tourist numbers compared to our competitors.

Mr Balala said,it will not be business as usual. If we don’t see results from the marketing initiatives, I will reduce the budget of KTB.

In order to transform the marketing agency, he said the government in December last year appointed Betty Radier to spearhead reforms at KTB.

He called on the new KTB boss to bring reforms in the marketing agency for the country’s tourism industry to recover.

However, he said the industry had the potential to recover in the near future if political leaders and their supporters could desist from violence during the August 8 polls.

For tourism to do well, there is need for leaders seeking political positions and their supporters to maintain peace during the electioneering period on August 8,he said.

Mr Balala said apart from tourism being an economic driver, it also supports livelihoods of millions of people across the country.

The Cabinet secretary also raised the alarm over cattle grazing in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, warning that it could affect visitor numbers in the popular game reserve.

He called on Narok County chiefs to address the challenge of cattle in the reserve as part of efforts to tackle human-wildlife conflict.

Mr Balala warned that overdevelopment, environmental degradation and the blocking of wildlife migratory routes by the fencing of private land neighbouring the reserve were among the concerns affecting the Mara.

Unless we address the challenges facing the Mara, we might kill the goose laying golden eggs,the Cabinet secretary warned.

At the Coast, Mr Balala said the government had earmarked Sh100 million to improving beach products in a bid to attract more international visitors.

He called for the formation of five beach zones namely Mombasa, Diani, Malindi, Watamu and Lamu to be marketed as individual destinations.

The government will spend Sh100 million with the aim of improving the standards of the coastal beaches for them to woo more visitors for tourism in the region to recover,he said.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) national chairman Jaideep Vohra also called for peaceful campaigns ahead of the August 8 elections.

He said if the country conducts peaceful elections, tourism would recover, boosting the economy and job creation.

For tourism to thrive, peace is key. Therefore, we are appealing to leaders and electorates to keep peace for the industry to recover, he said.

KENYA: Madaraka Express To Increase Frequency Routes Between Mombasa And Nairobi

Kenya Railways will in july increase the frequency of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) passenger trains between Mombasa and Nairobi to accommodate increasing demand from travellers.

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said Thursday that four more Madaraka Express trains will transport passengers between Mombasa and Nairobi starting July.

Beginning next month, three trains will transport commuters to Nairobi daily while three others ferry passengers to Mombasa.
The increase in trains connecting the capital and the coastal hub brings the total number to six a day.

Speaking at Diani Reef Beach Resort in Kwale, Mr Balala added that following the introduction of the train services, hotels in Mombasa had experienced a rise in the number of domestic tourists.

The first train, which will make stopovers at stations like Voi and Mtito Andei along the way, will depart from Mombasa at 8 a.m. while the second - which will be express - will depart at 9 a.m.

Mr Balala explained that the third train will also be express and will depart from the port city at 3 p.m.

It has come to our understanding that many travellers have been missing the opportunity to travel by rail. Some groups of tourists have been unable to travel to Mombasa due to limited seats, he said.

Mr Balala was optimistic that the move will boost tourism in Mombasa and Nairobi and go a long way in reviving the industry.

Meanwhile, Mr Balala suggested that construction of a bridge between Mombasa Island and Likoni could offer a lasting solution to the transport crisis in the area.

He said that although the government would soon receive two new ferries built in Turkey, they will not be a lasting solution to mass transport challenges on the channel.

The major challenge crippling tourism in the South Coast is the problem of transport on the Likoni channel. The solution is for the government is to build a bridge,he said.

However, Mr Balala noted that when the Dongo Kundu bypass project is completed, it would help address transport problems between Mombasa and Kwale counties.


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KENYA: Tourist Arrivals Have Shot Up 10% 2017

Tourist arrivals grew by 10.6 per cent this financial year, according to Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) chief executive officer Betty Radier.

Ms Radier said the industry’s growth was bolstered by yielding markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, India and China.

Speaking at Diani Reef Beach Resort in Kwale on Friday during a Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) annual symposium, the KTB boss attributed the growth to the government’s tourism recovery campaigns locally and international markets.

However, she added that the Ministry of Tourism will soon hold a press conference in Nairobi to give detailed information about the tourism growth.

In the last five years, KTB has been focusing on tourism recovery by convincing the international markets that Kenya is safe for holiday in a bid to overcome the challenge of insecurity perception, she said.

Following security improvement in the country and the positive image building campaigns have paid off as the international markets now have confidence in the Kenyan destination.

But Ms Radier said the tourism recovery will depend on how the country conducts the August 8 polls.

If the country achieves peaceful elections, then the industry has the potential to recover given that tourism posted a 10.6 per cent growth this financial year.

For tourism to post further growth, the KTB boss urged political leaders and their supporters to carry out their campaigns peacefully.

Morocco,Algeria,Tunisia and Egypt receive more international tourist arrivals of between 10 million and 11 million each, this can be attributed it to the two North African countries being short haul destinations.

Kenya is a longer distance as a destination and as a result, travel costs are much higher than those of Morocco,Algeria,Tunisia and Egypt.

Despite the distance, KTB is taking advantage of the local premier products such as beach and safari, diverse cultures as well as unique and authentic experiences to woo more international holidaymakers.

In order to build up the international tourist numbers, Ms Radier said KTB would focus more on markets which yield good results.

She also added that the marketing agency was working towards promoting the country in new markets in efforts to increase international visitor numbers.

On Thursday, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala threatened to cut the Kenya Tourism Board’s marketing budget if the team fails to deliver the desired results.

Mr Balala said although the government had been allocating a substantial amount of money for marketing to KTB, the country was not getting much value for its money.

He added that in the last two financial years, the government had allocated Sh2 billion for marketing.



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KENYA: Sarovar Wants Sh57 Million Compensation From Ole Sereni Hotel For Terminating Management Contract

Hospitality company Sarovar from India has asked the High Court to allow it to recover Sh57 million from Ole Sereni as compensation for being unfairly booted from management of the four-star Kenyan hotel.

Sarovar claims in suit papers that Ole Sereni has failed to honour demands for settlement of the Sh57 million it was awarded by an arbitration panel in December last year.

Ole Sereni is yet to respond to the suit. Justice Rachael Ng’etich has ordered the Kenyan hotel to respond before July 19 when the case comes up before her again.

Ole Sereni on opening its doors in 2009 hired Sarovar to manage the Mombasa Road facility. The hotel however parted ways with Sarovar in 2013 following allegations of negligent management.

The two parties opted to settle their dispute through arbitration, and in December last year the panel of Njoroge Regeru, Njeri Kariuki and Wilfred Nderitu ruled that Ole Sereni had not followed due process and awarded the Indian firm Sh57 million.

Sarovar has sued Ole Sereni through its parent firm, Placid View Properties Limited.

Sarovar argued that Ole Sereni did not give a 30 day notice before terminating its management deal with the four star hotel.

The final award has not been modified, set aside, or varied by any competent court. I am not aware of any proceedings in this honourable court seeking to set aside or vary the final award. Placid View Properties Limited is yet to settle the final award despite my company making a request through our advocate.

I request this honourable court to adopt and enter judgment against Placid View as per the final award of the arbitration tribunal to enable my company enforce the resultant decree. I also pray that my company be awarded the costs of these proceedings, Sarovar executive director Ajay Bakaya says.

But Ole Sereni insisted that there was no need to issue a notice, as Sarovar had breached the management contract by failing to ensure that the hotel was up to standards expected of a four star facility.

KENYA: IATA Rates Kenya 10th Out Of 37 Countries For Visa Openness

Kenya is among the top 10 African countries for visa openness, a survey by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has shown.

The country is ranked 10 out of 37 countries for visa openness and 31st for cost competitiveness in the continent.

The findings are among highlights of The Importance of Air Transport to Kenya, a study by Oxford Economics on behalf of IATA.

IATA Regional Vice President for the Middle East & Africa Muhammad Ali Albakri said Kenya could reap greater dividends from aviation by adopting policies that ensure a competitive operating environment for airlines.

While Kenya’s air transport infrastructure ranks highly among African states, it is important that heavy fees, taxes and charges do not hold aviation back, he said.

About a fortnight ago, Kenya granted South Africans additional time to visit without visas, pointing to a thawing of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Kenya is also set to commence the issuance of four-day transit visas from January which will allow foreign passengers on Kenya Airways awaiting connection flights at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to exit for shopping and sightseeing.

Passengers on layovers, a break between two flights taking passengers to their final destination, will receive a 96-hour transit visa, up from the current 72.

The move is expected to boost KQ’s income and the local travel industry as well as increase the attractiveness of JKIA as a transit port.

The IATA survey showed that an estimated 130,000 aircraft land and take off annually from the JKIA which is the key gateway to the rest of the world.

In 2014, JKIA handled over 5.8 million passengers, the Moi International Airport in Mombasa handled 950,000 passengers while the Wilson Airport handled 310,000 passengers.

The study found that air transport sector’s ability to connect Kenya to emerging countries and fast growing cities can help drive economic growth.

There are 6 direct flight destinations among the ten fastest growing countries in the world as measured by GDP growth and 9 direct flight destinations among the 20 fastest growing countries.

The data shows there are 20 direct weekly flights among the ten fastest growing cities in the world as measured by GDP growth and 41 direct weekly flights among the 100 fastest growing cities.

Albakri said the study confirms the vital role that air transport plays in supporting the country’s economy.

The data showing that the air transport sector in Kenya supports some 620,000 jobs including tourism-related employment, while contributing Sh329.6 billion (US$3.2 billion) or 5.1 per cent of the East African nation’s GDP.

KENYA: Maasai Mara National Reserve

The Maasai Mara National Reserve also known as Maasai Mara and by the locals as The Mara, is a large game reserve in Narok County, Kenya; contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Mara Region, Tanzania. It is named in honor of the Maasai people the ancestral inhabitants of the area and their description of the area when looked at from afar: "Mara," which is Maa, Maasai language for "spotted," an apt description for the circles of trees, scrub, savanna, and cloud shadows that mark the area.

It is globally famous for its exceptional population of Masai lions, African leopards and Tanzanian cheetahs, and the annual migration of zebra, Thomson's gazelle, and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October, known as the Great Migration.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is only a fraction of the Greater Mara Ecosystem, which includes the following Group Ranches: Koiyaki, Lemek, Ol Chorro Oirowua, Olkinyei, Siana, Maji Moto, Naikara, Ol Derkesi, Kerinkani, Oloirien, and Kimintet.

When it was originally established in 1961 as a wildlife sanctuary the Mara covered only 520 square kilometres (200 sq mi) of the current area, including the Mara Triangle. The area was extended to the east in 1961 to cover 1,821 km2 (703 sq mi) and converted to a game reserve.

The Narok County Council (NCC) took over management of the reserve at this time. Part of the reserve was given National Reserve status in 1974, and the remaining area of 159 km2 (61 sq mi) was returned to local communities. An additional 162 km2 (63 sq mi) were removed from the reserve in 1976, and the park was reduced to 1,510 km2 (580 sq mi) in 1984.

In 1994, the TransMara County Council (TMCC) was formed in the western part of the reserve, and control was divided between the new council and the existing Narok County Council. In May 2001, the not-for-profit Mara Conservancy took over management of the Mara Triangle.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) covers some 1,510 km2 (583 sq mi)in south-western Kenya. It is the northern-most section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, which covers some 25,000 km2 (9,700 sq mi) in Tanzania and Kenya. It is bounded by the Serengeti Park to the south, the Siria escarpment to the west, and Maasai pastoral ranches to the north, east and west.

Rainfall in the ecosystem increases markedly along a southeast–northwest gradient, varies in space and time, and is markedly bimodal. The Sand, Talek River and Mara River are the major rivers draining the reserve. Shrubs and trees fringe most drainage lines and cover hillslopes and hilltops.

The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland with seasonal riverlets. In the south-east region are clumps of the distinctive acacia tree. The western border is the Esoit (Siria) Escarpment of the East African Rift, which is a system of rifts some 5,600 km (3,500 mi) long, from Ethiopia's Red Sea through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and into Mozambique.

Wildlife tends to be most concentrated here, as the swampy ground means that access to water is always good, while tourist disruption is minimal. The easternmost border is 224 kilometres (139.2 mi) from Nairobi, and hence it is the eastern regions which are most visited by tourists.

Altitude: 1500-2180m; Rainfall: 83mm/month; Temperature range: 12-30℃

Wildebeest, topi, zebra, and Thomson's gazelle migrate into and occupy the Mara reserve, from the Serengeti plains to the south and Loita Plains in the pastoral ranches to the north-east, from July to October or later. Herds of all three species are also resident in the reserve.

All members of the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, African elephant, cape buffalo, and black rhinoceros) are found in the Maasai Mara. The population of black rhinos was fairly numerous until 1960, but it was severely depleted by poaching in the 1970s and early 1980s, dropping to a low of 15 individuals. Numbers have been slowly increasing, but the population was still only up to an estimated 23 in 1999.

Hippopotami and crocodiles are found in large groups in the Mara and Talek rivers. Leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, and bat-eared foxes can also be found in the reserve. The plains between the Mara River and the Esoit Siria Escarpment are probably the best area for game viewing, in particular regarding lion and cheetah.

As in the Serengeti, the wildebeest are the dominant inhabitants of the Maasai Mara, and their numbers are estimated in the millions. Around July of each year, these animals migrate north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October.

The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving some 1,300,000 wildebeest, 500,000 Thomson's gazelles, 97,000 Topi, 18,000 elands, and 200,000 zebras. These migrants are followed along their annual, circular route by predators, most notably lions and hyena.

Antelopes can be found, including Grant's gazelles, impalas, duikers and Coke's hartebeests. The plains are also home to the distinctive Masai giraffe. The large roan antelope and the nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely present elsewhere in Kenya, can be seen within the reserve borders.

More than 470 species of birds have been identified in the park, many of which are migrants, with almost 60 species being raptors.Birds that call this area home for at least part of the year include: vultures, marabou storks, secretary birds, hornbills, crowned cranes, ostriches, long-crested eagles, African pygmy-falcons and the lilac-breasted roller, which is the national bird of Kenya.

Unlike most other National Parks in Kenya the Maasai Mara National Reserve is not administered by the Kenya Wildlife Service, but by Narok County government. The more visited eastern part of the park is managed by Narok County Council and the western part, known as the Mara Triangle, by the Trans-Mara county council, which is contracting management to the Mara Conservancy, a local nonprofit organization formed by the local Maasai that contains several anti-poaching units.

The outer areas known as Maasai Mara Conservation area is administered by the Group Ranch Trusts of the Maasai community who also have their own rangers for patrolling the park area. The wildlife roam freely across both the Reserve and Conservation areas which are a continuous wildlife ecosystem.

The Maasai Mara is a major research centre for the spotted hyena. With two field offices in the Mara, the Michigan State University based Kay E. Holekamp Lab studies the behavior and physiology of this predator, as well as doing comparison studies between large predators in the Mara Triangle and their counterparts in the eastern part of the Mara.

Since 2008, Amanda Subalusky and Chris Dutton have been working in the Mara River Basin to help develop a trans-boundary river basin management plan between Kenya and Tanzania. In 2010, they had completed a flow assessment for the river to identify the river flows that are required to sustain the ecosystem and the basic needs of 1 million people who depend on its water.

The Mara Predator Project also operates in the Masai Mara, cataloging and monitoring lion populations throughout the region. Concentrating on the northern conservancies where communities coexist with wildlife, the project aims to identify population trends and responses to changes in land management, human settlements, livestock movements and tourism.

Sara Blackburn, the project manager, works in partnership with a number of lodges in the region by training guides to identify lions and report sightings. Guests are also encouraged to participate in the project by photographing lions seen on game drives. An online database of individual lions is openly accessible, and features information on project participants and focus areas.

Since October 2012, the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project is working in the Mara monitoring cheetah population, estimating population status and dynamics, and evaluating the predator impact and human activity on cheetah behavior and survival. The head of the Project, Dr. Elena Chelysheva, was working in 2001-2002 as Assistant Researcher at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Maasai-Mara Cheetah Conservation Project.

At that time, she developed original method of cheetah identification based on visual analysis of the unique spot patterns on front limbs,from toes to shoulder and hind limbs from toes to the hip, and spots and rings on the tail. Collected over the years, photographic data allows the Project team tracing kinship between generations and building Mara Cheetah Pedigree.

The data collected helps to reveal parental relationship between individuals, survival rate of cubs, cheetah lifespan and personal reproductive history. This work has never been done before and the team is sharing results with the Mara stakeholders and respondents. The ongoing research is a follow-up study, which will compare results with the previous one in terms of cheetah population status and effect of human activity on cheetah behavior and surviving.

The project is working in affiliation with Kenya Wildlife Service, Narok and Transmara County Councils and with assistance of Coordinator of Maasai-Mara Cultural Village Tour Association (MMCVTA). The team is cooperating with Mara Hyena Project and working with managers and driver-guides from over 30 different Mara camps and lodges. Rangers and driver/guides are trained cheetah identification techniques and provided with Catalogues of the Mara cheetahs.

Game parks are a major source of hard currency for Kenya. Entry fees are currently US$80 for adult non-East African Residents and $30 for children. There are a number of lodges and tented camps for tourists inside the Reserve and the Conservation area borders. The tourists/visitors cater for their own expenses, unless previously arranged by their agencies.

Although one third of the whole Maasai Mara, The Mara Triangle has only one lodge within its boundaries,compared to the numerous camps and lodges on the Narok side and has well maintained, all weather roads. The rangers patrol regularly which means that there is almost no poaching and therefore excellent game viewing. There is also strict control over vehicle numbers around animal sightings, allowing for a better experience when out on a game drive.

Lodges and camps are available inside the Reserve including Keekorok. Balloon safaris are also available. Early morning departures let visitors see the vast landscape, the rising sun, and the gatherings of animals.

Mara Serena Airport, Musiara Airport and Keekorok Airport are located in the Reserve area of the Maasai Mara. Mara Shikar Airport, Kichwa Tembo Airport and Ngerende Airport are located in the Conservation area of the Maasai Mara.

The BBC Television show titled "Big Cat Diary" was filmed in both the Reserve and Conservation areas of the Maasai Mara. The show followed the lives of the big cats living in the reserve. The show highlighted scenes from the Reserve's Musiara marsh area and the Leopard Gorge, the Fig Tree Ridge areas and the Mara River, separating the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara.

A study funded by WWF and conducted by ILRI between 1989 and 2003 monitored hoofed species in the Mara on a monthly basis, and found that losses were as high as 75 percent for giraffes, 80 percent for common warthogs, 76 percent for hartebeest, and 67 percent for impala.

The study blames the loss of animals on increased human settlement in and around the reserve. The higher human population density leads to an increased number of livestock grazing in the park and an increase in poaching. The article claims, The study provides the most detailed evidence to date on the declines in the ungulate (hoofed animals) populations in the Mara and how this phenomenon is linked to the rapid expansion of human populations near the boundaries of the reserve.

In the Serengeti National Park, a proposed 50-kilometre (31 mi) road from Musoma to Arusha, with tarmac touching the Serengeti, is raising criticism from scientists who say that the road will disrupt the annual migration of the wildebeest, and that this disruption would affect predators such as lions, cheetahs and African wild dogs, as well as the grasslands themselves.

According to CCTV The route is expected to carry 800 vehicles a day, mostly trucks, by 2015 and 3000 vehicles a day an average of one every 30 seconds by 2035, a campaign promise made by Tanzanian President Jackaya Kikwete [sic] in 2005 .

In late June 2011 the Tanzanian government decided to cancel the Serengeti road plan due to global outcry.

KENYA: Airlines Flocking Mombasa For High Season

Turkish Airlines is expected to resume daily flights between Istanbul and Mombasa from next month.

The airline’s marketing manager Carol Mukinya said the carrier would increase flights from the current five per week to daily programmes.

She attributed the flights increase to the peak season which begins next month, adding that passenger numbers were rising owing to the summer season.

Between May and this month, we have been operating five flights a week due to the low season which is coming to an end on June 30, she said.

Ms Mukinya noted that the Turkish national carrier is expected to operate daily flights from July to March next year when the high season ends.

Through our daily flights from the Istanbul hub in July, we expect to fly more tourists to Mombasa for them to enjoy holiday,she said.

The flight increase would boost tourism and the airline would connect Mombasa with other 300 routes the carrier operates on across the world.

Tourists prefer to come to Mombasa for holiday during summer time due to its alluring beaches and its rich historical culture, she explained.

Turkish Airlines is the only one from Europe operating scheduled flights to Mombasa. Regional airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir also operate scheduled flights to Mombasa.

During the low season, majority of the European chartered airlines stop flying to Mombasa owing to low numbers.

On Sunday Lufthansa announced that it would increase flights between Frankfurt and Nairobi to six per week from June 21.
Lufthansa which is the largest airline in Europe in terms of fleet size, plans to increase operations on the Frankfurt-Nairobi route from five flights a week to six.

On the other hand, Swiss International Airlines is expected to increase flights between Zurich and Nairobi from five per week to six beginning July 6.

Hotels which were shut down for the low season in April at the Coast are expected to re-open to welcome guests by the end of this month and July 15.

Lufthansa Group East Africa regional sales general manager Tobias Ernst said: We are excited to further support tourism in Kenya by providing more capacity for visitors.

The Lufthansa service will be available throughout the week except Mondays using an Airbus A340-300 in a three-class configuration offering customers Business Class, a Premium Economy Cabin and Economy.

Lufthansa says will maintain the late-night departure from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to arrive in Frankfurt early morning.

Kenya has stepped up efforts to return to peak performance of the tourism sector, where signs of growth have started showing with an improved performance in 2016, earning Sh99 billion.