Consolidated tourist arrivals in nine months through September rose by 12.50 per cent compared to the same period last year, fresh official statistics shows, underlining a rebound in the sector.
Data from Kenya Tourism Board indicates the country received 983,876 guests between January and September compared with 874,544 a year ago.
Arrivals by air and sea climbed by 18.28 per cent to 657,438 from 555,855 in September 2015. Guests through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport grew 17.36 per cent to 589,958 from 502,711, while those via the Moi International Airport Mombasa increased 23.4 per cent to 65,600. About 1,880 cruise ship arrivals were recorded between January and September 2016.
The KTB data shows bed occupancy for the period was 4.4 million, with domestic tourists taking up about 60 per cent or 2.7 million of the beds.
The tourism marketing agency last week said recovery will not be slowed down by August 2017’s general election.
“The election is not our narrative as the Kenya Tourism Board rather our narrative is about the destination, the product and continuing to carry out our consumer marketing activities in our key source markets and trade activities in these markets,” KTB board chair Jimi Kariuki said during an interview.
The leading foreign exchange earner sector has recovered from a five-year slump following travel advisories linked to unrelenting terror threats linked to al Shabaab militia.
“The challenge is that the travel advisories give a perception of what we are reporting has happened. If a Kenyan is able to give the perception that they are enjoying the destination despite the election, then the conversation and the focus changes,” KTB chief executive Betty Radier said. “There’s an opportunity for Kenyans to own their country and market it through the various social media platforms.”
Under a Sh5.2 billion recovery campaign issued by the government in the third quarter of 2014, the parastatal has engaged in new digital initiatives aimed at attracting more than two million international arrivals from next year.