logo
ADVERTISEMENT

Coast tourism stakeholders root for open sky policy to bring in more tourists

In 2024, Kenya welcomed 2.4 million international tourists, representing a 15 per cent increase from 2023.

image
by BRIAN OTIENO

Coast29 June 2025 - 11:33
ADVERTISEMENT

In Summary


  • Mombasa county tourism executive Mohamed Osman said there is need for more charter flights into Mombasa.
  • He said it is discouraging that only eight per cent of the over 2.4 million international tourists that Kenya received came through Mombasa, which is a tourism hub in the country.
KAHC chair Chris Musau in Mombasa on Thursday /BRIAN OTIENO

Tourism stakeholders on the Kenyan Coast are urging the government to increase flight frequencies into Mombasa to help achieve its target of attracting five million tourists to Kenya.

On Thursday, the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers advocated for the government to license more charter flights into Mombasa, citing significant demand for such licences.

"But with the slow pace of implementation, then it becomes a challenge. That is why a small island like Zanzibar is getting three times more than what we are getting," said Chris Musau, KAHC chair. 

At KAHC’s 21st annual symposium in Mombasa, highlighted this disparity despite Kenya and Zanzibar being in the same region with similar weather patterns.

"There is no reason why we should not be doing even better than Zanzibar because we are older in this business than them," Musau said. 

He urged the government to avoid over-protecting the national carrier, Kenya Airways, at the expense of national tourism growth. 

This, he argued, makes the country an uncompetitive tourism hub and positions KQ as a monopoly, leading to increased ticket prices.

In 2024, Kenya welcomed 2.4 million international tourists, marking a 15 per cent increase from the 2.09 million visitors in 2023.

"However, we need to do more to grow our sector. First, we need to increase our air capacity into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Nairobi) and Moi International Airport (Mombasa). Secondly, we need to build a convention centre in Nairobi and in Mombasa and at the same time enhance our promotion efforts," Musau said.

County Tourism executive, Mohamed Osman, echoed the call for more charter flights into Mombasa. 

Only eight per cent of the 2.4 million international tourists arrived through Mombasa, despite it being a significant tourism hub, Osman noted. 

Kenya ranks sixth in Africa for tourism numbers, with Morocco leading with 17 million visitors. "Even we in Kenya can achieve these numbers if we put our house in order," he said. 

"The government knows where the problem is and that is why we need to speak out."

He drew comparisons with Zanzibar, which, despite similar demographics and culture to Mombasa, received over 800,000 tourists last year, with 74 per cent  being international visitors arriving directly from Europe. 

Tourists at the Moi International Airport, Mombasa /FILE

Forty per cent of Kenya’s tourists in 2024 were from Africa and 23 per cent from Europe.

"We need to discuss this with the national government. The open sky policy has worked in Zanzibar. Why won’t it work in Mombasa?" Osman posed.

Gladys Wanga, Homa Bay Governor, highlighted her county's efforts to develop its Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (Mice) potential. 

Homa Bay can significantly contribute to Kenya's foreign exchange earnings through tourism and with the county hosting 80 per cent of Lake Victoria, plans are underway to boost leisure tourism and supporting infrastructure. 

“We are giving incentives including land to investors who we are looking to partner with,” Wanga said.

Mike Macharia, KAHC CEO, identified Mice as a key driver for achieving the five million international tourist target. 

He noted the high number of ongoing meetings in Mombasa, attracting many visitors. 

"What we need to do now is to encourage international meetings to come to Kenya. We have the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) which has been the traditional host of meetings."

Macharia urged the government to provide another convention centre, suggesting that Public-Private Partnerships could facilitate this, especially with large land parcels available at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi.

Both Macharia and Musau stressed that these tourism goals cannot be achieved without peace and stability. 

They called on the country’s leadership to address the current political unrest, particularly the Gen Z anti-government protests, which are harming Kenya's reputation and disrupting business.

"The government should sit with these young boys and girls and talk to them. You cannot use force in such matters. It will never work," Musau advised. 

"Even at home, when your child grows, you have to sit down and talk to them and you reason out with them. But don’t use force. It won’t work."

Musau warned that prolonged stand-offs between the government and the youth would severely impact tourism, leading to a lack of business. 

He cited recent events: "Look at Wednesday. There was no business. Zero."

Despite the challenges, Musau acknowledged the Sh13 billion injected into the tourism industry by the government for the 2025/2026 financial year, with Sh8.2 billion allocated to the Tourism Fund and Sh4.8 billion for the Tourism Promotion Fund.

ADVERTISEMENT