Players in the tourism industry in Kenya have warned that the country could post poor performance this year due to the Eurozone crisis, travel advisories and increased insecurity at the Kenyan coast.
The Kenyan coast is one of the country’s leading tourist attractions. The region has witnessed intense violence, killings and grenade attacks following the killing of a Muslim cleric, Aboud Rogo, suspected to have been involved in terrorism activities.
Concerns over the outcome of the March 2013 elections could also scare away tourists for fears of a repeat of the 2008 post-election violence which led to the killing of 1,300 people and displacement of 300,000 others.
Figures from the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) indicate that 564,835 tourist visited the country in the six months to June up from 549,083 posted last year. This figure however captures all international arrivals including that of persons who may not be tourists.
“It has been a very challenging year. Various factors, internal and external, have hit the industry hard. The increment might not be a reflection of growth in the sector,” KTB managing director Muriithi Ndegwa told the Business Daily.
Tourist numbers from key European markets that have been hit by the Eurozone crisis fell with Italy declining by 12 percent, France by 24 percent and Belgium by 18 percent.
“Travel advisories by the key source markets such as UK, France and USA contributed to a slight decline on the number of arrivals. Insecurity in the coast of Somali led to a decrease in the number of cruise ships and cancelation of chatter flights also had a negative impact,” said Tourism minister Danson Mwazo.
According to the Kenya Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) the situation is much worse on the ground with most of the operators posting declining numbers of guests.
Analysts have also warned that Kenya’s target of attracting two million visitors this year is unattainable, given that tourist numbers are expected to slide later in the year, as the elections fever heightens.
Hotels and resorts operating in Mombasa and other towns at the Kenyan coast are likely to be hit hard South African low-cost airline 1Time last week announced it would withdraw its flights between Johannesburg and Mombasa this month, just five months after it launched flights in the country.
The KTB has in recent times been promoting new tourist circuits in Rift Valley and Northern Kenya to reduce dependence on beach tourism at the coast. The government has also been promoting local tourism as international numbers record flat growth.
Kenya’s tourism industry was the leading Forex earner for the country buts its performance was adversely affected by the 2008 post-election violence and global financial crisis.
