•Between March and June, the country lost 50 per cent of total annual tourism earnings which is about Sh81.8 billion.
•Tourism and Wildlife CS Najib Balala has projected international arrivals will fall by 90 per cent.
Tourism earnings for this year will be down by 80 per cent, Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has said, as global travel and local conferences remain restrained by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This translates to Sh130.9 billion based on 2019 total industry revenues where the sector generated a total of Sh163.6 billion.
Between March and June, the country lost 50 per cent of total annual tourism earnings which is about Sh81.8 billion.
Balala spoke at the Maasai Mara National Reserve over the weekend where he was joined by Marathon World record holder and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, Narok county governor Samuel Tunai and Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) director John Waweru in watching the Great Annual Wildebeest Migration.
Also present were tourism and wildlife Chief Administrative Secretary Joseph Boinnet, Principal Secretaries Safina Kwekwe (tourism) and Fred Segor (Wildlife) ,as well as Athletics Kenya Chairman Jackson Tuwei.
Balala has projected international arrivals will fall by 90 per cent.
Based on last year's 2, 048,833 total arrivals, the country is likely to miss out on about 1.8 million (1,843,949) international arrivals this year as a result of Covid-19, which has dampened the global travel and hospitality industry.
“We expected to earn almost Sh189 billion in 2020-21. That was our target. Unfortunately from February till June, we lost Sh80 billion and now July and August we are still calculating, but definitely we have no international tourism,” Balala said.
Numbers are expected to remain low despite both domestic and international flights resuming on July 15 and August 1, respectively.
“We are concerned but it is beyond us. It (Covid-19) is an international pandemic,” Balala said.
The government is counting on domestic tourism to jump-start the sector, with President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday calling on Kenyans to sample the country's tourism products.
"I want to take this opportunity to encourage every single Kenyan to take advantage and to travel...You can travel, you can move," the President said.
"And now as you know, we have also opened up our skies and flights are coming. We welcome all those who choose to come," he added.
The President spoke at State House, Nairobi,during a virtual meeting with the team in Maasai Mara.
The President has expressed satisfaction with the measures being taken by stakeholders in the hospitality sector to protect tourists from Covid-19.
Balala said the ministry continues to market destination Kenya on digital and online platforms.
It is also investing on sports tourism, an initiative that has begun with making Eliud Kipchoge the magical Kenya destination ambassador.
Kenya Tourism Board in July engaged Kipchoge on a six-month contract for the campaign.
Apart from athletics, the tourism ministry is also targeting golf, volley ball and rugby to market Kenya as a sports tourism destination and position the country in the global scene.
“Sports tourism will come in when we have mega events like the under 20 cross country and others which unfortunately for now have been canceled. We are working with the Ministry of Sports to make sure that Kenya becomes a destination for sports tourism,” Balala said.