KENYA: Kenya Airways To Fly 10 Times A Week On Non-stop Flights To Cape Town And Commence Daily Flights To New York In October

Kenya Airways (KQ) will fly to Cape Town 10 times weekly following the introduction of direct flights to the South African city on Wednesday.

The three non-stop flights will depart Nairobi every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday as the carrier stretches its wings to capture the African market.

We are indeed very proud to increase our frequencies to South Africa to cater for the growing number of our customers who travel between Nairobi and Cape Town.

In addition to enhancing Africa integration, this new route will be beneficial to the tourism industry as it establishes vital links with our global network, said Kenya Airways Chief Commercial Officer Vincent Coste.

The national carrier began flying the Cape Town route via Livingstone in 2016, with seven weekly flights to the South African capital. This in addition to the three non-stop flights brings the tally to 10.

The carrier is set to have its maiden flights to New York as well as introduction of direct flights to Mauritius.

The carrier already has a pre-existing code sharing agreement with Air Mauritius, which flies between Port Louis and Nairobi.

This will mean that passengers from Kenya will from June have the option of flying daily to Mauritius.

KQ flies to 42 African destinations out of a total 51 globally.

Kenya Airways is set to commence daily flights between Nairobi and New York in October, marking a milestone for the national carrier that will cut the flight time between the two cities by more than seven hours.

Travellers have begun booking advance tickets for the airline’s maiden flight to the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Kenya Airways has already secured a landing slot at JFK.

The trans-Atlantic flights, scheduled to depart Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 10:30pm every day, will last 15 hours.

This is a reduction from the current flight time of over 22 hours, including lengthy layovers.

We are currently loading the flights onto our system. We shall go live and ready for bookings on Thursday, says Kenya Airways chairman Michael Joseph in a telephone interview.

The launch of direct flights between Kenya and the United States will mark a significant milestone for the business and for the country.

Passengers travelling to JFK will arrive at 6.30 a.m., in time for morning meetings, while the return flight from JKF will depart at 1.30 p.m. and arrive in Nairobi at 10.30 a.m. the next day.

Each trip will have a maximum of 234 passengers, 204 in Economy and the rest in Business Class of the national carrier’s Dreamliner aircraft.

Kenya Airways, known in short as KQ, had announced its preference to operate the flights through a code-share partnership with US carrier Delta Airlines, its SkyTeam partner.

Delta, Virgin Atlantic and KLM Air France are KQ joint venture partner and shareholder are, however, currently working out a time-consuming merger, which has seen KQ opt to go it alone for now.

When this merger is over, we may add another flight to the US with a connecting flight through West Africa, said Mr Joseph.

The government, KQ’s top shareholder, has recently stepped up its campaign to actualise direct flights to America, with the Uhuru Kenyatta administration anticipating it will boost exports to the US and help jumpstart the tourism sector.

With about 100,000 tourists visiting Kenya every year for leisure and business, the US remains the top source of visitors into Kenya from the Americas, according to Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) data

Imports from the US stood at Sh47.8 billion in 2016, mostly consisting of machinery and equipment while exports, mostly garments and apparels, stood at Sh43.4 billion.

Kenya has recently implemented a raft of recommendations by the US government to enhance security, among them separation of passenger arrival and departure terminals, clearing the flight path and fencing off the airport.

As a result, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last February gave Kenya the Category One rating, paving the way for direct flights subject to other permits being received by the airport and KQ.

Mr Joseph now says the airline has secured all but two permits required for it to fly to the US, a position the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general, Gilbert Kibe, confirmed.

JFK is yet to be cleared as the last point of departure, a security-based permit to be issued by the US Transportation Security Administration, said Mr Kibe.

The other outstanding permit is the technical authority to operate from the FAA. I am confident that KQ will receive the two in time.

Mr Joseph, who also exuded optimism about securing the twin clearances, said it was standard airline practice to put ticket up for sale at the closing preparatory stages of entering a new market.

JKIA’s longstanding second-class status forced passengers flying from Kenya to the US to transit through Europe, the Middle East or the four African countries, South Africa, Ethiopia, Cape Verde, and Nigeria whose airports have the designation.

Airlines plying the JKIA and JFK route include Turkish Airlines (through Istanbul), Qatar Airways (through Doha) and British Airways (through Heathrow), KLM (through Amsterdam) and Emirates (through Dubai and/or Italy).

Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways also have flights to the US while RwandAir hopes to commence such flights later this year.

KQ’s foray into the US comes at a time when the airline is facing an uphill task to turnaround its fortunes, with a recent restructuring of its balance sheet seen as the last chance.

The airline’s management, which recently announced a Sh3.8 billion half-year net loss for the business, hopes that the new route will help boost the their flat revenues.

Imports from the US stood at Sh47.8 billion in 2016, mostly consisting of machinery and equipment while exports, mostly garments and apparels, stood at Sh43.4 billion.

Kenya has recently implemented a raft of recommendations by the US government to enhance security, among them separation of passenger arrival and departure terminals, clearing the flight path and fencing off the airport.

As a result, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last February gave Kenya the Category One rating, paving the way for direct flights subject to other permits being received by the airport and KQ.

Mr Joseph now says the airline has secured all but two permits required for it to fly to the US, a position the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general, Gilbert Kibe, confirmed.

JFK is yet to be cleared as the last point of departure, a security-based permit to be issued by the US Transportation Security Administration, said Mr Kibe.

“The other outstanding permit is the technical authority to operate from the FAA. I am confident that KQ will receive the two in time.”

Optimistic

Mr Joseph, who also exuded optimism about securing the twin clearances, said it was standard airline practice to put ticket up for sale at the closing preparatory stages of entering a new market.

JKIA’s longstanding second-class status forced passengers flying from Kenya to the US to transit through Europe, the Middle East or the four African countries — South Africa, Ethiopia, Cape Verde, and Nigeria — whose airports have the designation.

Airlines plying the JKIA and JFK route include Turkish Airlines (through Istanbul), Qatar Airways (through Doha) and British Airways (through Heathrow), KLM (through Amsterdam) and Emirates (through Dubai and/or Italy).

Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways also have flights to the US while RwandAir hopes to commence such flights later this year.

KQ’s foray into the US comes at a time when the airline is facing an uphill task to turnaround its fortunes, with a recent restructuring of its balance sheet seen as the last chance.

The airline’s management, which recently announced a Sh3.8 billion half-year net loss for the business, hopes that the new route will help boost the their flat revenues.

Kenya Airways' destinations outside Africa are:

- Guangzhou, China

- Paris, France

- Hong Kong, China

- Mumbai, India

- Amsterdam, Netherlands

- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

- Bangkok, Thailand

- London, United Kingdom

- Hanoi, Vietnam

- Dubai, UAE

Kenya Airways (KQ) has been feted as Africa’s leading airline at the 24th Annual World Travel Awards held in Kigali, Rwanda.

This is the second consecutive year the national carrier has won the coveted title, beating other nominees including South African Airways, RwandAir, EgyptAir and Royal Air Maroc.

KQ was also named the winner in the Business Class category for the fifth consecutive year, while Ethiopian Airlines bagged the award in the Economy Class category - winning it for the fifth year in a row.

Winning these awards would not have been possible without the passion and dedication of the Kenya Airways team and the strong support from our guests.

Our guests are at the heart of everything we do at the airline and these two awards confirm our undeterred commitment to them, said KQ boss Sebastian Mikosz in a statement Wednesday.

Ethiopian Airlines was feted as Africa's leading airline brand, coming out tops in the category against Kenya Airways, South African Airways, RwandAir, EgyptAir, Tunisair and Royal Air Maroc.

Cape Town International Airport in South Africa was named the region's leading hub while Diani Beach in Kenya was named as Africa's leading beach destination.

The World Travel Awards serve to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry within each key geographical region.

Last year's ceremony was held in Zanzibar, Tanzania.


Tourism Observer

KENYA: Kenya Tourism Federation Opposes Cutting Down Tourism Trade Fairs Attendance

Kenya Tourism Federation like many other Tourism, Travel and Hospitality stake holders are sharply opposed to Kenya Tourism Ministry cutting down of budget for Tourism exhibition attendance.

Are we not supposed under an agreement to have joint stands at tourism trade fairs, which includes Kenya?

Why are they suddenly breaking ranks with us?

Whatever they are trying to say, why not tell the truth that they failed to allocate enough money for tourism marketing this year?

Well let me tell them, if they are AWOL those of us who are at those trade shows will simply sell our own countries and Kenya’s loss will be our gain.

Entebbe and Kigali are now well connected to Europe, the Gulf and across Africa and it is no longer essential to fly through Nairobi to get here said a leading Ugandan tourism agent.

Another from Rwanda said This is an uninformed decision taken for lack of money surely and now trying to explain it away.

I speak of experience because we were told last year that permit fees for gorilla tracking had to be doubled for conservation reasons and we now know that this was equally poorly informed.

At least we still go to tourism trade shows and with the Kenyan competition absent we stand a better chance to sell those expensive permits.

Mohammed Hersi Chairman of the Kenya Tourism Federation made the following statement:

I am one of the few people who are opposed to the move by KTB to pull out of fairs. Even retaining ITB Berlin was after we raised hue and cry.

I do NOT recall any research or study that was done or shared with us for a buy in that indeed participating in these fairs is waste of time and money.

WTM London is mainly for UK agents and some European. It is even more crucial now that BREXIT is happening and UK is taking back Its rightful No 1 position as a tourist source for Kenya . ITB is for entire EU and other buyers

Indaba is mainly for Safari Buyers especially North America. Australia etc. ATM Dubai is for the GCC and Asia.

They talk of ROI. Firstly we have never been told how much we spend on these fairs besides we all fly ourselves and also pay for our accommodation we then share the cost of the stand.

The justification put forward is that we are now adopting a direct consumer approach does not hold any water since it is a known fact that as a safari destination you’ll always need a DMC who in turn works with wholesalers globally.

The logistics of attracting a do it yourself client for a safari itinerary is next to impossible more so when we are trying to attract families.

You tell me which family from Sydney or Seattle or Tokyo would attempt to do that?

Even with a DMC they are never sure about Africa. Kenya as a destination is not some Disney that we can wake up and claim to market direct to the consumer.

You bypass the wholesalers and you avoid the fairs then they’ll happily read your obituary to any potential visitor while our competitors will happily pick the pieces.

They have already done it at ATM Dubai and Indaba Durban and soon at WTM London.

We have no issue with digital campaign but that should complement other channels like fairs.

Even at our worst image crisis as nation like the PEV of 2007/8 while the peace accord was signed on 28th Feb 2008 the following week we were at ITB telling the world we are open for business.

Imagine for once if we missed out?

To KTB if fairs are a failure how comes the rest of the world are all attending?

What is that very special insight that KTB has that has been missed out by the rest of the world who are still wasting their time and money at these fairs so to speak?

If KTB is going digital how come the Tech zones at these fairs are getting bigger and better every year yet all they do is to trade online.

Why would Booking.com, Expedias and The likes "waste" their money at fairs yet they can comfortably do it in a digital way besides that is precisely what they are Online Travel Agents OTA’s.

Where would you meet 30 buyers from 4 continents and 20+ source countries in 3 days?

If you were to physically visit all these source countries to meet all these players you will blow your budget for the next three years.

Coca Cola President was asked by a young pilot why they spend so much money on advertising yet Coca Cola is already popular.

The President calmly responded to the young pilot “Why are we running the engine and yet we are already airborne.”

I am afraid pulling out of these fairs will negatively affect our destination while the competition is rubbing their hands with glee.

Well time will tell and as industry players we are exploring how to take ourselves to WTM London.

If that is to happen then KTB’s very existence will be under focus since marketing and promoting the destination is their first mandate which by default they would have abdicated.

I rest my case
Mohammed Hersi
Chairman
Kenya Tourism Federation

KENYA: Tourists Pouring In Maasai Mara National Reserve Despite Supreme Court Ruling

Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) has endeavored to calm anxiety international visitors after the Supreme Court prolonged the electoral process last Friday.

KTF chairman Mohamed Hersi on Monday informed tour operators and travel agents based in overseas markets that Kenya remained receptive to tourists.

All is well in Kenya, and we call on holidaymakers who were planning to visit the country to come and have fun,he said.
Kenya will remain peaceful during a repeat of the presidential election to take place within 60 days.

Mr Hersi said normal life continues in Nairobi and all the tourist circuits including the national parks, game reserves and the beach resorts at the Coast.

It is still a peak season for the safari circuit as international visitors are still pouring in the Maasai Mara National Reserve for game drives and other parks across the country, said Mr Hersi who is also the chief executive at Sun Africa Hotels.

He said he expects more tourists to visit the Coast as the winter season approaches in Europe.Lodges and tented camps in the Mara have since July been busy, thanks to the wildebeest migration spectacle.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast branch executive officer Sam Ikwaye said hotel occupancy in Mombasa had improved following the calm enjoyed after the Supreme Court verdict.

He said hotel guest numbers had jumped to 60 per cent up from 50 per cent last month due peace in the region.At the Coast, international arrivals are on the increase following resumption of charter flights from Europe to Mombasa two months ago.

A repeat of the presidential election will not affect the industry given that the country enjoyed peace during the General Election last month.

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.

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

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

She added: Security improvement and positive image building campaigns have paid off as the international markets now have confidence in Kenya.

To increase international tourist numbers, Ms Radier said KTB would focus more on markets which yield good results.She added that the marketing agency was working towards promoting the country in new markets.

Ms Radier said this financial year, the government allocated the agency Sh2 billion, with 80 per cent of the funds to be spent on marketing activities.

We have been aggressively marketing the country in traditional markets of the United Kingdom, US, Germany, Italy and France. Our efforts are paying off, she added.

The marketing agency, she said, has also carried out tourism promotion in emerging markets of India and China, adding that tourist numbers from the two markets have been on the rise.

Last year, the US was our top market in terms of arrivals, followed by the UK, India and China. Uganda was our top market in Africa, she explained.

Apart from traditional and emerging markets from Europe and Asia, Ms Radier said KTB is also wooing more tourists from South Africa, West Africa and North Africa.

Through the Tembea Kenya campaign, we are also doing domestic tourism drives to encourage Kenyans to travel across the country for holidays, she said.

The marketing agency, she added, targets to woo more tourists from neighbouring countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia.

Since July, lodges and camps in the Mara have been receiving international visitors from the US, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Australia, Japan, China, Switzerland and Austria.

Following the calm enjoyed in the country, hotels, lodges and camps are expected to register high guest numbers between this month and December.

Kenya’s tourism industry had two positive things going for it in the last one week despite jitters over elections.

First, the decision by the Opposition Nasa to seek legal redress at the Supreme Court has significantly reduced political tension. Second, the travel advisory issued by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not include Safari destinations and beach resorts at the Coast.

The FCO had on August 13 updated its travel advice against Kenya, citing protests that had erupted in a number of areas following the disputed presidential election results.

The hoteliers quickly took note of the bright spots. The key magnet for tourists: the national parks, game reserves and wildlife conservancies as well as coastal resort towns were not covered by the warning.

The hoteliers noted that the FCO warning affects part of Lamu County where the Kenya Defence Forces is currently leading an air campaign against Somali-based Al-Shabaab terrorists but excludes its islands including Manda which foreign visitors flock to.

Mr Sam Ikwaye, the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast Branch Executive Officer, says the travel advice will not deter British holidaymakers from visiting Kenya in the remaining part of the year.

Mr Ikwaye said the UK is a key market for Kenya with tourists flocking to our beaches, parks, and wildlife conservancies.

Since security has significantly improved at the coast, the KAHC official called on operators of chartered airlines in the UK to resume flights to Mombasa to boast tourist arrivals.

Charter airlines from the UK market pulled out of the Mombasa route in 2014 over security concerns. That all tourist hotspots in the country are not affected by the UK travel advice is a major indicator that the country is safe for holidays, Mr Ikwaye said.

In Lamu, county tourism director Ali Ahmed applauded the UK for excluding Lamu and Manda islands from the travel advisory. Previously, he said, UK advisories included the Lamu archipelago impacting negatively on tourism.

Following peaceful elections, Mr Ahmed said more local and international tourists were expected to visit the archipelago.

It is worth noting that the entire Lamu County remained peaceful during and after the General Election, bringing hope to efforts by the government to revive tourism on the archipelago, he said.

Lamu is expected to receive more international tourists from the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Scandinavian countries, he said.



Tourism Observer

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: 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.



Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com

KENYA: Mombasa County Government Urged To Scrap Proposed Local Tourism Fund (LTF)

Tourism players have asked the Mombasa County government to scrap the proposed Local Tourism Fund (LTF) in order to spare them the headache of over-taxation.

Through the the Mombasa County Local Tourism Bill 2017, the devolved unit has proposed the establishment of LTF which will collect levies and fees from players in the industry.

The Bill proposes that revenues collected be used to develop the county's tourism sector.

However, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast branch executive officer Sam Ikwaye said the County should delete the provision creating the Local Tourism Fund from the proposed legislation.

He said Part 4 of the Bill should be be scrapped in its entirety as it clashes with the National Tourism Act of 2011, which under Section 105 established the Tourism Fund a body mandated to collect a levy meant to finance the development of tourism products and services.

Levies collected by the Tourism Fund also go towards financing marketing of the country through the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) as well as training and capacity development activities done by the Kenya Utalii College and other students of the hospitality industry.

We are against Mombasa County government’s plan to establish a Local Tourism Fund because its mandate and roles are similar to those of the Tourism Fund, Mr Ikwaye said on Tuesday in Mombasa.

The KAHC official warned that the establishment of a similar body by Mombasa County would overburden taxpayers in the sector.

Part 4 of the bill has the potential to increase the cost of doing business as the county proposes to charge levies and fees from the local tourism businesses, he said.

Kenya Tourism Federation chairman Mohamed Hersi also called on the Hassan Joho-led government to withdraw the provision creating the body, saying players in Mombasa already contribute to the Tourism Fund.

It should be noted that tourism businesses are already overburdened by taxation. Any move by the county to impose more levies through the local tourism fund will make Mombasa a hostile business environment, he warned.

Mr Hersi, who is also the Heritage Hotels chief executive officer, called on the county's bosses to seek more funds from the national government rather than introducing new levies and fees.

When reached for comment, Mombasa County Tourism executive, Binti Omar, called on tourism stakeholders to present their views at a public participation meeting to be held soon.

“The County Local Tourism Bill is still open to public participation. Therefore, I call on the private sector to present their opinions and the County will find ways of addressing the matter,” she said.


Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com

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: Kenya Attracting More Indian Tourists

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has launched a six-month long marketing and promotional campaigns in major cities of India in a bid to increase tourist arrivals from the market by 21% after the campaign period.

The media campaign dubbed Kenya Kalling will be running in print, radio and on-line media platforms in cities of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Travel agents will be giving affordable travel packages and other incentives to the Indian travelers to visit Kenya during the campaign period in which KTB will spend over 20 million shillings.

The campaign launch is expected to position India as one of the fastest growing tourist source markets to Kenya. The country is now ranked the third best performing market after US and UK.

For arrival figures within the period under review, India has posted a 35% growth of 37,597 arrivals up from 27,944 recorded last year in the same period under review.

Strong cordial ties between Kenya and India are a boost to tourism campaigns.

While launching the campaign in New Delhi India, Kenya’s High Commissioner to India Florence Weche said the promotional campaigns will thrive will thrive with the long-standing cordial relationship between the two countries.

The visit by Indian Prime Minister Modi Narendra to Kenya last year, besides boosting cordial ties between the two countries has largely helped in enhancing top of mind awareness of Kenya among Indians .

This is also an endorsement and a show of confidence on the destination, said the ambassador.

KTB has invested over 20 million in campaign that will provide exciting travel deals including exclusive prizes and incentives to travelers in partnership with national carrier; Kenya Airways.

KTB regional Assistant Marketing Manager Hilda Ogada , makes a presentation during the launch of Kenya Kalling campaign in New Delhi India,

KTB acting Chief Executive Officer Jacinta Nzioka in her statement observed that India has recorded a remarkable grown as a tourist source market and has a potential to grow further.

We have a line-up of activities targeting consumers as well as trade in this market whose accessibility to Kenya has been enhanced by seamless connectivity by KQ and other airlines,she said.

She said that Kenya recently hosted Indian film makers from India to a promotional tour of diverse tourism products that Kenya has to offer presenting an opportunity for film makers to showcase the destination.

Safari, white sand beaches, water sports, Golf and other unique natural treasures as some of the key pulling attractions for new-age Indian travelers to Kenya.

India is an important market for Kenya and we have proposed to invest more on other initiatives that would boost brand awareness through sports such as Cricket, MICE, golf as well as association with celebrities and other consumer brands, said Nzioka.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to India Florence Weche says the system that has been on a gradually implementation has now taken off with positive reception by travel trade in the market.

Last year, the government introduced an e visa application method though extended manual visa system at the port of entries into the country until such a time e visa was fully operational.

But while launching the Kenya Kalling marketing campaign by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) in major Indian cities of Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore Weche termed the method as fast and trendy.

Manual application at port of entry still an option

We advise our clients to do on-line visa applications and we have not experienced any challenge even though some still opts for the manual application at the port of entries, said the Director of Chalo Africa Smita Srivastava who is selling tours to Kenya.

Krisia Holidays Destination marketer Ms Shagun Dhawan said her clients have warmed up to e visa system of application whose initial challenges associated to it have been addressed.

At the same time the travel trade hailed the introduction of single visa for East African countries, a move they said has boosted regional travel and created opportunities for their clients to explore the diversity of the East African region.

They spoke during KTB’s launch of a six-month long marketing and promotional campaigns in major cities of India in a bid to increase tourist arrivals from the market by 21% after the campaign period.

KQ gives attractive rates

National Carrier Kenya airways during the event announced an attractive, all inclusive airfare of INR 25,538 equivalent of about Kshs 38,963 for a return trip from Mumbai to Nairobi which can be booked on their website.

KQ has given attractive fare for travelers from Mumbai to Nairobi as part of campaign to woo Indian travelers

County Manager Lucie Malu said the rates will give impetus to the campaign which KTB has injected over Kshs 20 million to woo travelers to visit Kenya during the campaign period.

India is one of the fastest growing tourist source markets to Kenya and is ranked the third best performing market after US and UK with the current half year growth at 35% of 37,597 arrivals up from 27,944 recorded last year in the same period under review.

The government incentives of visa fee waiver for children below 16 years of age was poised to interest more Indian travelers to Kenya.

The Indian community has strong attachment to their families and the visa fee waiver incentive would fit in well into their travel plans to Kenya, said the High Commissioner.

KENYA: Brief Case Or Unlicensed Tour Operators To Be Stamped Out, Kenya Tourism Board

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:Parliamentary Departmental Committee For Finance Recommends More Funding For Tourism Promotion

Parliamentary Departmental Committee for Finance, Planning and Trade says Kenya’s tourism sector has a potential to become the top foreign exchange earner if it was sufficiently funded.

The Committee vice chairman Nelson Ributhi Gaichuhie said competing destination such as Morocco and South Africa have given Kenya a stiff competition in tourism business owing to adequate resources allocated for tourism activities.

The MP who was accompanied by Stephen Kirwa also a committee member made the remarks yesterday at the ongoing 37th edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) exhibitions in London where about 40 Kenyan travel trades are showcasing their tourism products.

The Kenyan delegation is riding on the positives that Kenya has recorded in the recent past including key international events and high profile personalities that the country has hosted and that have positively projected the profile the destination.

The committee said it will help in lobbying for additional funds towards promotion of tourism business which they noted has picked up with the recent 17% growth from January to August compared to the same period last year.

“We are happy that Kenya is peaceful and our image globally has been projected positively. We thank the government for investing on security and other supportive areas such as infrastructure,” he said.

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Acting Chief Executive Officer Jacinta Nzioka said the UK market that has continued to top in terms of tourist arrivals to Kenya is expected to grow further with promotional and marketing campaigns spread across the market.

“The UK market remains one of Kenya’s top tourist source markets to Kenya. WTM is one of the platforms of showcasing Kenya’s destination and product diversification.

Our global campaigns and the renewed confidence on destination is expected to boost our numbers from the market” added Nzioka

Heritage Hotels Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Hersi lauded the government for reviewing conservation fees whose rates have been exempted from the 16% VAT effective 1st November.

The new rates will see premium Park fees being capped at 60 US dollars down from 70 US dollars. “This is a timely move in increasing interest for safari tours that is popular to tourists and placing the country as a leading safari destination,” said Hersi.

He said Kenya will receive more tourists from the market in the coming months if the positive enquiries in the exhibition are anything to go by.

“We are getting positive enquiries from the travel agents and we are certain that at the end of the show, we would have signed travel deals with the agents,” Hersi enthused.

He added that the prevailing peace in the country has given reassurance to visitors planning to visit Kenya.

Kenya was among the over 180 countries showcasing in a fair to discover and negotiate the latest travel industry trends and opinions at the WTM, one of the largest tourism fair in the world.

KENYA: Kenya Tourism Has Potential To Benefit From West Africa Market

Kenya is projected to record over 30% increase in tourist arrivals from Nigeria and Ghana towards the end of the year as travelers shift their travel plans to the African continent.

According to the UNWTO tourism highlights for 2016, Africa contributed 3% to the global 2015 arrivals translating to 36 million arrivals, presenting Africa’s fertility for intra-Africa tourism

National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NATA) chairman Stephen Isokariari says travel trade has identified Kenya as priority destination visitors prefer besides Europe and other destinations.

“Besides European Nations, Nigeria, Ghana and the larger part of West African countries are increasingly shifting their visit preference within Africa, with travel agencies putting Kenya on the top sale list,” says Isokariari.

Benefits of magical Kenya pre-paid card

He made the remarks in Abuja during the ongoing magical Kenya pre-paid card sensitization campaign unveiled by Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) and West Africa’s United Bank for Africa (UBA) to promote travel within the continent.

The pre-paid card targeting three West African countries of Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal will allow citizens to accumulate and transfer points in the card for use within the hospitality and travel industry.

“Diversity of tourism product offering, accessibility and various incentives are part of the reasons travel agencies are putting Kenya on top sale list,” said NATA chairman.

The loyalty program on the card and merchant affiliation will be managed by eGiftAfrica and the Go Places company.

KTB Chief Executive Officer Dr. Betty Radier in a statement said the West African nationals who travel for corporate, education, medical as well as leisure purposes within Africa will greatly benefit from the card.

She said the card was a great incentive as it avails exciting value adds to current and potential travelers in terms of bonus points and discounts. “There is an estimated market of over 5 Million card users in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, the reason we are leveraging UBA foot print,” pointed out Radier.

Market performance

Nigeria is Kenya’s top tourist source market in West Africa. It posted 17,962 arrivals last year up from 14,065 in 2015, translating to a growth of 27.7%.

Ghana on the other hand recorded a 37.2% growth of 8,391 visitors up from 6,116 recorded in 2015.

Tour operators in Senegal have however cited referral visa regime as an impediment to the increasing desire by Senegal citizens to travel to Kenya. Last year arrivals from Senegal closed at 1,108.

Senegal Kenya airways country Manager Martin Juma disclosed that the National carrier has received numerous concerns from travel agents and individual Senegalese citizens on referral visa application being a major deterrence for their travel to Kenya.

Local travelers and those from West African countries can now access pre-paid travel card that will allow accumulation and transfer of points within the hospitality sector.

This follows a successful launch of Magical Kenya pre-paid card on 21 March, 2017 by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) and United Bank for Africa (UBA)).

The card will also enable all users, whether customers of UBA or not – to have unparalleled access to its built-in benefits available across all platforms.

Promotion of visit to Kenya by travelers across the African continent will be enhanced with the launch of the pre-paid card.

The West African nationals who travel for corporate, education, medical as well as leisure purposes within Africa will greatly benefit from the card, according to KTB.

KTB chairman Mr. Jimi Kariuki said the card will further enhance the Magical Kenya’s footprint in the West African region and the entire continent. He pointed out that there was an untapped market of over 5 Million card users in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.

UBA Chief Executive officer Mr. Isaac Mwige noted that the usage of the card will be through selective criteria of age, deposit balance, number and types of accounts held by customer or corporate accounts.

Kariuki said the Magical Kenya Pre-paid Travel Card was a great incentive as it avails exciting value adds to current and potential travelers in terms of bonus points, discounts or gift.

The loyalty program on the card and merchant affiliation will be managed by eGiftAfrica and Go Places.

Through this partnership, Magical Kenya Prepaid Card Members will be able to access offers, rewards and discounts at these merchants through payments made with their prepaid card.

KENYA: Kenya Tourism Board Appoints Activ8 Branding Agency To Market Kenya Tourism

Kenya Tourism Board has appointed the South African Activ8 Branding agency as their local in-market representative to further boost their marketing drive in South Africa.

They have a structured plan aimed at capturing more of the South African travellers to experience the various wonders and treasures that destination Kenya has to offer.

An experienced brand agency with extensive industry knowledge, Activ8 Branding aims to strategically collaborate with the travel trade and media to position Kenya as the preferred travel destination for South Africans within the African continent.

'We are really excited about this appointment. Kenya is a magical destination that is relatively undiscovered by South African travellers, and so to work alongside the KTB (Kenya Tourism Board) to build relations with members of the travel trade, media and consumers, is a huge honour for us and we are looking forward to cultivating the awareness and delivering, in this market, the recognition it so rightly deserves' said Mr. Tumaini Leshoai, Director at Activ8 Branding when the announcement was made.

South Africa remains one of the leading tourist sources to Kenya from Africa and is expected to perform even better as efforts to further leverage the relationship with the South African market increase.

Kenya, often described as 'the cradle of mankind’ is known for its ethnic diversity and effervescent culture attracting thousands of South Africans and international tourists on a regular basis, all in pursuit of uncovering the essence of all this beauty.

KTB CEO Dr. Betty Radier further added that 'South Africa is an important market for us and therefore we are pleased to be able to drive the market with some strategic campaigns through our new partnership with Activ8 Branding.

We have ambitious targets that we are certain that can be met by maintaining cognisance of the niche market in which we operate and catering to unique needs of travellers from South Africa. KTB is aligning its efforts towards creating a full awareness about who we are as country, and the myriad of experiences that have on offer for travellers to Kenya'.

In order for Kenya to differentiate itself and maintain a competitive edge among other destinations, KTB will be highlighting three of its most prominent themes including honeymoons, beach life and wildlife, through various, well thought-out, in market activations.

KTB will be participating at this year’s Indaba Travel Trade event in Durban, and will also host a roadshow to equip South African tour operators and travel agents with all the relevant information about Kenya as one of Africa’s prime destinations.

Kenya is relying on the ongoing cricket season in India to market her tourism products and create interest for travel into the country among the Indians.

It is understood that the Kenya Tourism Board has allocated about 25 million Kenya Shillings for the destination marketing and promotional campaigns in partnership with one of the India‘s cricket team, the Rising Pune Super Giants.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most attended cricket league in the world and ranks sixth among all sports leagues. KTB hopes to benefit from its global broadcast in over 15 countries in the league series that began in April and will run towards the end of May 2017.

While unveiling the new partnership in Pune, India, KTB Chief Executive Officer Dr. Betty Radier in a statement said the campaign was aimed at increasing Kenya’s brand awareness and familiarity among cricket fans in India, given the popularity of the sport.

'We hope that this association with one of the leading teams in IPL will drive consideration for Kenya as a preferred holiday destination among cricket fans in India' said Radier in a statement read on her behalf by KTB regional marketing manager Betty Ichan.

Through partnership with the team, the CEO pointed out, KTB expects to reach over 100 million fans through a series of activations in all communication on offline and online platforms jointly undertaken by tour operators including Thomas Cook and Odyssey Travel.

'We also expect to engage with approximately 5 million consumers through the social media engagements where Indian fans can win a holiday trip to Kenya' added Dr. Betty.

KTB will leverage the partnership with the team for all the brand promotions and activations in social media platforms until 31st August 2017.

India is currently Kenya’s third largest tourist source market with KTB optimistic that engagement with cricket will help in propelling India to achieve number one status in arrivals over the next few years.

The arrival figures from India to Kenya for the close of the year 2016 posted 64,116 visitors up from 49,756 in 2015, indicating a growth of 28.9%.

Dr. Betty Radier also noted that ease of access to Kenya through the national carrier, Kenya Airways, which flies double daily from Mumbai to Nairobi has contributed significantly to the growth of numbers from the market.

Kenya Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Dr. Betty Radier also hailed the waiver of visa fees for children as a major reason for the sharp rise in arrivals to Kenya from the Indian market.

'Indians do like travelling as families and the visa incentive is paying off. This market has rose from below ten best performing tourist source market to position three after US and UK in that order' said Dr. Betty Radier before concluding: 'This market has all the potential to be the top tourist source market to Kenya and that explains our marketing strategies such as leveraging cricket sport, the most popular to the Indian community among other initiatives'.

KENYA: Tourists Returning To Lamu, Herders Attack And Loot Lodges

Tourists are trickling back to Lamu days after the British government withdrew a travel advisory against the picturesque island.

The advisory, which had been in existence for more than five years, came as a result of insecurity from constant terror attacks and kidnapping of tourists by suspected Al Shabaab militias.

Governor Issa Timamy said the British government’s move to have the advisories lifted was timely and a big boost for the tourism sector.

“I am delighted that the British government decided to suspend the travel ban on Manda and Lamu islands. When our tourism sector is picking, it means that our fishermen are able to sell their catch to various hotels in Lamu.

Our farmers too, once the weather improves, will be able to sell their farm produce to the hotels,” Mr Timamy said.

He added that dhow and boat operators, and tour guides also stood to benefit from the revival of tourism. During the just-concluded Lamu Yoga Festival, the town recorded impressive tourist hotel bookings.

“I was impressed that out of the 350 participants, 200 come from some 27 different nations of the world. This is a clear indication that Lamu’s popularity as a long-haul holiday destination of choice is on the mend,” said Timamy.

The governor said improved infrastructure would further open up the area, citing the introduction of direct flights to the town from Nairobi and Mombasa.

Skyward Express Ltd, based in Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, has announced plans to start the first-ever direct flights between Mombasa and Lamu.

County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri said security forces would remain vigilant to ensure that the region was safe for both locals and tourists, adding that tourism formed a crucial pillar of the region’s economy.

And in Kitui County, ongoing projects are expected to open up the tourism sector. County Tourism Executive Peter Nkunda said several tourist attraction sites, among them a reptile park in Mutomo, the Kanyonyoo wildlife sanctuary and bird watching areas in Mutito and Mumoni hills would be revamped. “We have an elaborate plan to make Kitui a tourist destination.

For instance, the reptile park, which is almost complete, will be a regional tourist attraction centre; one of its kind in East and Central Africa,” he said. The reptile park will showcase some of the deadliest snakes in the world that are found in Ukambani.

The county is working with the National Museums of Kenya to craft a 10-year management plan for the park. According to Mr Nkunda, the county is also in the process of establishing an ecotourism centre at the mythical Nzambani rock, said to have magical powers.

Describing tourism in Kitui as a game changer for the county, Nkunda said the sector had a lot of untapped potential ranging from natural to cultural and historical attractions.

Meanwhile, torching of a tourist lodge and cottages in Suyian camp has sent shivers down the spines of conservationists in Laikipia County. They say the trend might cause a nosedive in the region’s tourism sector.

Although no physical attacks have been meted out on tourists, tourism stakeholders and conservationists are worried that if not checked, the situation might lead to massive loses.

Information from commercial ranchers indicates that so far, five camps have closed down: two in Mugie Ranch, one in Laikipia Nature Conservancy, one on Sosian and the latest casualty in Suyian Conservancy. Last weekend, Suyian was attacked by hundreds of armed herders who set on the conservancy’s main lodge and cottages.

The herders also looted from the lodges. The herders escaped into the bushes, carrying with them mattresses and other property.

The invasions have increased in the last few months since the onset of the dry spell, and despite complaints by the local leadership, the migrant herders are still streaming into the locality, causing massive destruction on the habitat which is home to various wild animals, including the Big Five.

Of concern is the invasions of lodges and camps that host thousands of tourists from various parts of the world. Laikipia has about 30 lodges and tourism enterprises. But ranchers have downplayed the effect, saying only about five are affected by the invasions.

According to information posted by Mr Richard Vigne, the Executive Director of Ol Pejeta Conservancy yesterday, Suyian and Mugie ranches are still occupied by hundreds of herders with thousands of livestock. “Suyian Ranch and Mugie Conservancy remain fully occupied by thousands of pastoralists’ cattle.

It is not clear what, if any plan the authorities have to deal with the issues on these two properties in northwestern Laikipia,” Vigne said.

Laikipia County Commissioner Onesmus Musyoki said the ranchers and communities grazing committees are in dialogue to arrest the situation. “We understand that Suyian, which was attacked last weekend has started consultations with the community to strike a deal where they will allow them graze a manageable number of cattle,” said Mr Musyoki.

Musyoki, who spoke after a meeting with Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet however noted that only Mugie, Kivuku and Laikipia Nature Conservancy were under intense attacks. David Tumpes, the Mukogodo East Ward Administrator said the invasions are likely to affect tourism ventures.

Last year, herders believed to be from the neighbouring Isiolo county invaded Il Ngw’esi and Tasia community lodges, which they attacked, killing two workers. However, no tourist was injured during the attack, although it is feared the attacks might repulse visitors heading to the region.

Early this week, the United Kingdom issued a status update on its citizens, an alert which sent fears of an impending travel advisory in case the situation does not improve.

“UK nationals remain free to make their own decisions regarding travel based on the information available,” said Stephen Burns, Head of Communications at the embassy in a statement.

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) also held a meeting at the Lions Court in Nanyuki, where it exuded confidence that the operations taking place in the invaded ranches will improve the situation.

KTB Chairman Jimi Kariuki, Chief Executive Officer Dr Betty Addero, KTB’s Peter Gacheru and Kenya Tourism Federation official Lucy Karume said Laikipia is among key tourist destinations, as they called for partnership between tourism stakeholders, security agencies and the community.

“We urge stakeholders to engage the security and the community so as to put a halt to such incidences,” said Mr Kariuki.

Laikipia farmers Association, an organisation comprising ranchers and other conservationists released a statement where they noted that reinforcing Laikipia’s security and widening dialogue will avert ruin of Sh4 billion-a-year investments that employ more than 5,000 staff.

Five of Laikipia’s approximately 30 tourism enterprises have closed temporarily, including Suyian. The rest remain fully operational.

KENYA: Tourism Arrivals Increase

Improved performance of the tourism sector helped narrow the gap between the value imports and exports in the third quarter, fresh data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows.

The state-owned statistician says that earnings from the travel account more than doubled to Sh25.86 billion compared with Sh12.28 billion in the corresponding period last year. This is captured in the KNBS' Balance of Payments report for July to September period.

The 110.6 per cent growth in travel receipts helped cut trade deficit, which narrowed by 10.4 per cent from Sh112.37 billion in the third quarter of 2015 to Sh100.68 billion in the corresponding quarter of 2016.

A trade deficit, which is also known as the current account deficit, means the value of imports is greater than the value of exports.

“The improvement in the services account during the quarter under review contributed to the narrowing of the current account deficit,” KNBS said in the report published last Friday.

Net income from international trade in services increased by 69.8 per cent to Sh34.74 billion, the KNBS says, adding: “The increase was on account of increased travel receipts boosted by conference tourism during the third quarter of 2016.”

The rebounding tourism sector a strong growth of 13.8 per cent in the quarter under review (July to September) compared to a contraction of 6.5 per cent during a similar period of 2015.

“The upturn in the sector was mainly supported by the hosting of high profile meetings in the country during the review quarter as well as improved security situation,” KNBS says in the Gross Domestic Product report for third quarter, simultaneously released with the BOP report.

The significantly improved performance was also boosted by downgrading of travel advisories and measures such as the charter incentive programmes, visa fee waiver and, facilitation of inbound tourist travel.

The official data shows visitor arrivals through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Moi International Airport stood at 262,149 between July and September 2016 compared to 208,397 in the same period last year.

Kenya Tourism Board, the marketing agency which records the visitors arrivals data, recently said the recovery of the sector will not be slowed down by August 2017’s general election.

KNBS said difference between in value of imported goods and exports – technically called merchandise trade balance and which significantly influence the current account balance – expanded by 2.324 per cent from a deficit of Sh213.21 billion in July to September period of 2015 to Sh217.99 billion this year.

This, KNBS said, reflects a faster decrease in exports compared to the decrease in imports on a free on board basis.

The data shows remittance inflows from Kenyans living abroad grew during the quarter under review to Sh43.56 billion from Sh40.62 billion in the third quarter of 2015.

Net financial inflows went up by 3.2 per cent from Sh157.61 billion in the third quarter of 2015 to Sh162.57 billion in the third quarter of 2016.

KNBS said this was partly as a result of disbursements towards the Standard Gauge Railway.

The data shows gross official reserves increased to Sh830.6 billion as at the end of third quarter of 2016 from Sh706.7 billion recorded as at the end of the third quarter of 2015.

Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda Jointly Market Their Tourism

Tanzania appears to have been isolated further in efforts to market East Africa a single tourism destination, after Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda launched a portal to jointly market their tourism products online.

At the same time, Kenya is looking to Uganda to boost intra-regional travel for pleasure, building on statistics that an expanding middle class is becoming more amenable to travel.

"The fact that Tanzania has made it clear that regional tourism is not a priority for them is affecting efforts to sell East Africa as a whole. If we are to compete with other regions and destinations, we need unity of purpose," said Carmen Nibigira, the co-ordinator of the East Africa Tourism Platform.

She added that the region must break down the barriers to the growth of the tourism sector in order to compete in the continental and global arena.

The portal will be a shared platform for tourist trade operators to place their multi-country packages targeting regional and international tourists. It follows the launch of the East African multi-entry Single Tourists Visa, which has largely failed to take off as member states have failed to streamline their national visa policies. Since its launch in February 2014, the visa has attracted only 4,000 tourists.

"With the year 2017 being the year of sustainable tourism, it is important for East Africa to implement sustainable tourism practices to ensure that countries remain choice destinations in Africa," said Kenya Tourism Board CEO, Betty Radier at the launch of the portal.

An analysis of tourist arrivals shows that despite countries on the Northern Transport Corridor isolating Tanzania, their efforts to attract more tourists have not translated into significant success, with preferences still being driven by individual country attractions.

The number of visitors to Kenya was 1.8 million in 2011, and dropped to 1.2 million in 2015, according to the Kenya National Bureau of statistics. In Tanzania, the Tourism Sector Survey puts the figures at 1.1 million visitors in 2015, up from 867,994 tourists in 2011.

Total tourist arrivals to Uganda have grown from 1.15 million in 2011 to 1.7 million in 2015 according to Uganda Tourism Board.

In Rwanda tourists numbers rose from 900,000 visitors in 2011 to 1.3 million in 2015, according to the Rwanda Development Board.

"As a region we need to understand competition is stiff and that is why at the policy level we need political goodwill to sell the destination together," said Mr Nibigira.

Despite being home to some of the most breathtaking tourist attractions like the annual wildebeest migration, East Africa is facing stiff competition not only from other African regions but also from the Middle East, the Caribbean and South America.

While East Africa as a whole is struggling to surpass the five million mark in terms of international tourists arrivals, individual countries in Southern and Northern Africa are attracting large numbers.

Morocco, which is currently the leading destination in Africa, attracted over 10.2 million international tourists in 2014, followed by Egypt at 9.6 million and South Africa at 9.5 million.

According to a report by the Africa Development Bank, Africa welcomed a total of 65.3 million tourist arrivals in 2014, representing 5.8 per cent of the total international arrivals. The continent attracted $43.6 billion in revenue from the tourism sector, accounting for only 3.5 per cent of the global market share.

Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo

Meanwhile, figures provided by the Kenya Tourism Board indicate that formal arrivals from Uganda to Kenya rose from 29,038 in 2015 to 51,023 last year. The figure is exclusive of ground travel and cross-border movements of local communities.

Dr Radier told the recently concluded Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo in Kampala that a consumer campaign in Uganda from March to June last year was a major boost to intra-regional travel generating 15 million.

Assistant regional manager for KTB, Fiona Ngesa said Ugandans travel to Kenya for holiday followed by business and conferences, mainly in Nairobi. Ms Ngesa also listed medical tourism as another sector that is growing, with Uganda making up 28 per cent of total medical tourists travelling to Kenya.

Trends show that Ugandans visiting Kenya has been gradually growing in the past decade except for the period between 2013 and 2015 when the sector in Kenya and the region suffered terror attacks.

KENYA: Kenya Tourism Arrivals Shot Up In The Year 201

Kenya Tourism arrivals for the year 2016 shot up.
Mombasa was highest with a rise of 22.2 percent compared to the year 2015 with actual figures reaching 92.872 foreign arrivals through Moi International Airport, up from the previous year's 75.983.

In real terms though did Nairobi top coast figures with 782.013 arrivals, a rise of 16.2 percent and up from the 671.789 travelers entering through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in 2015.

A regular source close to the Kenya Tourism Board however shared the challenge cruise tourism continues to pose as numbers for 2016 ended up below those the year earlier with only 2.717 cruise tourists entering through the port of Mombasa.

The building of a new dedicated cruise terminal however, and efforts to associate more closely with the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands, which were hugely successful in 2016 to drive cruise passenger numbers up, appears to be a promising investment and strategy to have such cruises between the islands also call on mainland ports like Mombasa.

Arrivals from the US to Kenya, despite the lack of direct flights, reached 97,883 in 2016, overtaking the UK - as previously stated here - as Kenya's top source country for tourists. This is of particular importance vis a vis revenues as most American visitors come to Kenya for safari holidays and spend a lot more than tourists coming for beach vacations.

The US figure is up by more than 13.000, a sign that marketing Kenya as a premier safari tourism destination has been successful. The UK ended up second in the ranking list with only 96,404 arrivals for the year 2016, down by nearly 2.000 visitors and attributed to the fact that - despite the incentive packages launched by Kenya in early 2016 to stimulate a return of charter flights - not all those flights from the UK were restored.

India surprisingly turned out to become third largest market for Kenya with 64,116 arrivals last year, an increase of over 15.000 visitors compared to the 49,756 in 2015 while Uganda was fourth and leading African country with 51,023 up from 29,038 previously. Many of those visitors from Uganda are thought to be expatriates now taking advantage of Visa free Interstate Passes, inspite of periodic reports that Kenyan immigration officials hassle them.

China is the surprise fifth placed tourism market source and pushed Germany and Italy to position six and seven last year, with 47,860 compared to only 29,790. This rise is attributed to more flights from China to Kenya, both direct and indirect and in particular the Gulf airlines can take credit for this achievements besides national airline Kenya Airways and its main rival Ethiopian Airlines.

Tourists from the Germany in 2016 reached 43.502, up from 38,236 in 2015 but still had to yield the number five spot to China, again thought to be for not all charter flights being revived from that market.

Italy's arrivals climbed at an albeit slower pace to 35,953 compared to 33,415 in 2015 but also remained behind expectations with not enough seats available for Mombasa and in particular the Malindi market.

The South African market in contrast performed much better in 2016, almost catching the Italians with 35,926 arrivals last year compared with 30,500 in 2015.

Easing Visa regulations was seen as a major factor for that sharp rise after the tit for tat spats between the two countries over advance Visa requirements in previous years.

Notably did arrivals from neighbouring Tanzania only very marginally rise, thought to be rooted in the fact that the Tanzanian government had refused to join the East African common tourist Visa implemented between Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya and the facilitation of expatriate travel via Interstate Passes, a factor also sharply limiting travel into Tanzania by expats from the wider region who prefer Visa free travel among participating states.

For 2017 though have tourism sources already expressed their misgivings over the negative tone introduced for the upcoming August elections and voiced their concern that, should the rhetoric not be brought to civil levels, this could impact on the recovery of the sector at a crucial time.

'If the elections impact negatively on our sector's performance, it is the level of bad language which we have seen emerge over the past months. If tour operators abroad get scared away, fearing for the worst, is is the fault of our politicians who put themselves and not their country first.

If tourists get worried they stay away or look for alternatives. Jobs have slowly come back in the industry but far too slowly at the coast. Any diversion of tourism flows from Kenya to other countries will reverse our gains.

In fact some charters were put on a wait and see mode and might only resume if we as Kenyans can deliver a clean and peaceful election in August. This is our major challenge for the new year. The Kenya Tourism Board, unlike in the run up to the last elections when government did not give them enough money to run a major marketing campaign in core markets and emerging markets, will no doubt go out and sell the country, but buyers will keep an eye on the upcoming elections.

It is a chicken or egg question and we hope that politics will not get in the way of recovering the ground we lost since 2012' contributed a Nairobi based regular reader of this publication.

KENYA: Visiting Kenya Means Getting To See Amazing Natural Beauty And Wildlife

For some good news, visiting Kenya means getting to see amazing natural beauty and wildlife. Here are some photos from around Lake Naivasha. Bonus: baby giraffes!" he posted on Facebook.

Within 14 hours, the photos had 253,000 likes and had been shared by 8,883 of his followers.

And his photos drew positive vibes from his followers with many planning to visit.

"I wish that I could take my kids to see the wildlife like this and not in a zoo in Denmark ... beautiful pictures ..." Heidi L Sorensen posted.

Terry Jordan, who has visited Kenya before, posted a warm message about the country.

"I will never forget my time in beautiful Kenya. Beautiful people beautiful country and the highlight for me was a safari on the Masai Mara. So awesome I recommend everyone do it at least once in this lifetime " said Jordan.

Another admirer of Kenya, Feisal Mohammed Abdullahi, posted: "If you are a mountaineer, then you will be glad to hear that Africa’s second highest peak lies in the middle of Kenya. Mt Kenya is not only beautiful, she is rugged, challenging, and stands tall above all others (except Kilimanjaro)."

Kenya Tourism Board CEO Jacinta Nzioka praised Zuckerberg's visit saying it is a great endorsement by the Facebook founder to have a feel of Kenya's magical experience.

She said it is a testimony that Kenya is the unparalleled safari destination.

"Kenya has indeed benefited from recent positive global visibility and we all need to be proud of this and work together in spreading the message. Something right in international relations and foreign policy is happening to ensure all these VIP visits and international conferences happen in Kenya."

She further stated that the board as well as the Ministry of Tourism will continue making Kenya a tourism destination brand and see increased consumer confidence and demand to visit the destination.

"KTB will host travel influencers, agents and media from over 35 countries in October 2016 during the Magical Kenya Travel Expo between October 12-14 to continue with this impetus." Jacinta said.

Zuckerberg arrived to the country on Thursday and was spotted at Mama Oliech's eatery in Yaya, accompanied by ICT CS Joe Mucheru and PS Victor Kyalo.

"I had lunch in Nairobi with Joseph Mucheru, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary of Information and Communications. We talked about internet access and his ambitious plans for connecting everyone in Kenya."

The billionaire praised Ugali, a popular Kenyan food, " We ate at MAMA Oliech Restaurant. -- a local place everyone recommended. One of my favorite parts of traveling to a new country is trying the food. I enjoyed ugali and a whole fried tilapia for the first time and loved them both!"

KENYA: Mombasa Tourism Board To Enhance Tourism In Mombasa

The Kenya Tourism Board yesterday welcomed plans by the county government to set up the Mombasa Tourism Board.

The administration announced it wants to set up a local tourism marketing agency to complement the national government’s KTB.

Several weeks ago, during a tourism stakeholders meeting with the county government, Governor Hassan Joho said he will push for an executive bill through the county assembly to establish the board.

Kenya Tourism Board chairperson Jimi Kariuki yesterday said the Coast has world-class sandy beaches, making it one of Kenya’s flagship tourism products.

“Marketing the Coast tourism product from a national and local level will further support the acceleration of the region’s tourism recovery,” Kariuki said.

The Kenya Tourism Board yesterday welcomed plans by the county government to set up the Mombasa Tourism Board.

The administration announced it wants to set up a local tourism marketing agency to complement the national government’s KTB.

Several weeks ago, during a tourism stakeholders meeting with the county government, Governor Hassan Joho said he will push for an executive bill through the county assembly to establish the board.

Kenya Tourism Board chairperson Jimi Kariuki yesterday said the Coast has world-class sandy beaches, making it one of Kenya’s flagship tourism products.

“Marketing the Coast tourism product from a national and local level will further support the acceleration of the region’s tourism recovery,” Kariuki said.

In a statement to media houses, Kariuki said infrastructural improvements within and around the key coastal tourism towns are essential to support the sector and attract tourists.

He said this will enable the KTB to deliver its marketing mandate.

He said the concept of having a national tourism marketing agency and a local or regional board is a practice in several top tourism destinations in the world.

France, Spain, Italy, Britain, USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand all have this concept in place. Kenya Coast Tourists Association chairman Mohammed Hersi and Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Coast executive director Sam Ikwaye have supported the move.

KENYA: New Appointments At Tourism Ministry

Mr Joseph Cherutoi New CEO Tourism Fund

The Tourism Fund and Tourism Finance Corporation (TFC) have new substantive chief executive officers.

At the Tourism Fund, Mr Joseph Cherutoi, who has been acting CEO has been confirmed to the position, according to the agency’s chairman, Mr Henry Kosgey. Cherutoi has been with the fund since 2014 when he was first appointed as Head of Finance and later acting CEO. Tourism Fund charges a 2 per cent levy on all gross sales of food, drinks and other tourism-related services.

Also, Tourism Finance Corporation (TFC) has appointed Jonah Orumoi as Managing Director. Orumoi who has been in office in acting capacity since his appointment by Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala on February 26 replaced Maryanne Ndegwa.

TFC Board Chairman Mr Patrick Osero said Orumoi has been appointed as MD for a period of three years effective August 1, 2016. “We are confident that his leadership will refresh the delivery of the organisation’s mandate,” Osero said.

Orumoi was previously head of finance & ICT at the Kenya Tourism Board. TFC is mandated to facilitate and provide development funding and advisory services for long-term investment in Kenya’s tourism industry.

KENYA: Magical Kenya Travel Expo – 2016

Tourism arrivals for Kenya, since November last year, have been rising again after several years of constant downturn.

The Kenya Tourism Board is targeting an annual arrival number of over 1.5 million visitors for 2016, i.e. over 400.000 more than in 2015, and early growth forecasts seem to be met by reality on the ground.

Between January and March this year,arrival figures went up by 16.8 percent, as a result of intensified marketing, confidence building measures by the Kenyan government and of course the various incentives put in place to draw charter operators back to Mombasa.

The CEO of the Kenya Tourism Board, Mrs. Jacinta Nzioka, a few days ago officially launched the countdown to Kenya's largest tourism trade show, in fact East Africa's largest tourism trade show, the Magical Kenya Travel Expo, which will be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre from 12th to 14th of October. KTB is targeting over 170 hosted buyers and representatives of international media houses to sample Kenya's highlights and attractions before then meeting at MKTE to do business.

In a related development it was also learned that over 50 percent of tourist visitors to Kenya now are either domestic travelers or come from the wider Eastern African region and from across the continent with in particular Uganda and Rwanda adding above average numbers.

This is largely attributed to the Visa free travel for expatriates and foreign residents which can make use of the 'Interstate Pass' which gives them Visa free access among the presently three countries of the East African Community.