• It is a result of a two-and-a-half-year Sh1.2 billion Charter Incentives Programme package launched by the state in 2016.
• Package was extended to 2020, will give the sector a boost as more tourists confirm arrivals.
Kenya's tourism sector got a boost over the weekend with the arrival of a Polish charter flight with 189 passengers on board.
Kenya Coast Tourism Association chairperson Victor Shitakha said the flight to Mombasa by Rainbow Tours will be weekly.
Shitakha, who is also the Flamingo by PrideInn general manager, said the Polish carrier will double the weekly flights from January next year.
He was speaking after receiving the tourists at Moi International Airport, Mombasa, on Saturday night.
Shitakha said the tourism players are optimistic the Coast region will perform better this year than last year.
“It is very exciting to see the number of international tourists increase by the day. This charter flight will be bringing in about 200 tourists to Mombasa every week. From January, the number will increase to two weekly flights bringing in about 400 tourists,” he said.
The guests were booked in different hotels in both the North and South coasts.
According to the Kenya Tourism Board, arrivals from Poland have been on an upward trend with 15,163 visitors last year up from 11,947 in 2017, a 26.9 per cent growth.
In 2016, the national government launched a Sh1.2 billion two-and-a-half-year Charter Incentives Programme (CIP) package, which led to a growth of tourism numbers.
With the extension of CIP to 2020 last November, more charter operators will resume flights to the Coast for the winter season 2019-20 (October 2019 to March 2020).
Rainbow Tours was the first to land in Mombasa for this season.
Other charter flights that have confirmed operations to Mombasa are Italy's Blue Panorama that will be coming once a week and Germany's Condor with four weekly flights.
Others are TUI Poland with a weekly flight and Neos Charter of Italy, coming three times a week.
Air Italy is also expected to resume flights to Mombasa from October 28.
As a result of joint marketing initiatives involving Destination Kenya – the partnering airline – and the tour operator or travel agents’ consortia, Kenya expects more proposals for more charter flights.
According to data from the government, the international arrivals from July to September closed at 591,996, compared to 587,385 (0.8 per cent growth) the same period last year.
Arrivals through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport were 420,770, a 4.8 per cent growth from 401,533 in 2018-19.
Moi International Airport Mombasa received 28,850 visitors, compared to 28,614 in 2018-19, representing a 1.1 per cent growth.
Cross-border arrivals closed at 127,862 which a decline of 13.4 per cent compared to 147,576 in the same period in the last financial year.
Edited by R.Wamochie