Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala (2nd right) during a press conference in his office on February 8, 2018. He said Kenya’s tourism sector has improved after the country recorded a 20.3 percent growth last year to post earnings of Sh120 billion despite the long electioneering period.
Strategies to revive Kenya’s tourism sector bore fruit after the country recorded a 20.3 percent growth last year to post earnings of Sh120 billion despite the long electioneering period.
This is an improvement from the Sh99.69 billion earned in 2016 according to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.
Latest statistics released by the ministry show international arrivals increased by 9.8 percent to 1.4 million from the previous year’s 1.3 million tourists.
The United States remained Kenya’s leading market, growing by 17 percent with 114,507 arrivals.
DIRECT US FLIGHTS
“We look forward to the Kenya Airways direct flights (to the US) that start in October to boost arrivals. In March the ministry will conduct a road show in US to promote the Nairobi-New York flights by the national carrier,” Mr Balala said.
The United Kingdom was second with an 11.1 percent share of the arrivals accounting for 107,078 tourists.Uganda was third with a share of 6.4 percent at 61,542 arrivals.Other top markets were India, China, Germany, Italy and South Africa.
BED NIGHTS Mr Balala said a total of four million bed nights were taken up by Kenyans last year compared to 3.5 million in 2016.
