•Kenya has recorded a 40.8 per cent growth in tourism numbers for the first 10 months of 2021
•This has seen the State Department of Tourism have its budget decrease from Sh9.63 billion in 2021 to sh.5billion in 2022.
The National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani has allocated Sh5 billion to Kenya’s Tourism Sector in the 2022/23 financial year.
The allocation is meant to promote the country’s tourism and wildlife industry.
Speaking on Thursday during the 2022/23 budget reading in parliament, Yatani said the tourism sector in Kenya is adapting well to the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to the support it received from the government.
In 2019, earnings from tourism increased by 74% from 94 billion in 2013 to Sh163 billion in 2019. The numbers, however, declined in 2020 due to the effects of the pandemic.
This saw the State Department of Wildlife increase its budget from Sh8.28 billion in 2020 to Sh9.63 billion in 2021.
Data from Magical Kenya says Kenya has recorded a 40.8% growth in tourism numbers for the first 10 months of 2021 (January to October).
It hosted 663,036 visitors over the period compared with 470,971 arrivals over the same period in 2020.
This year, only 3.2 billion was allocated to the tourism fund while 1.8 billion was allocated to the tourism promotion fund.
"Their continued faith in tourism and wildlife sector will open more doors to tourism and wildlife in the country,” he said.
In a bid to boost tourism recovery, Yatani also allocated 15.8 billion for sports and development activities.
This will oversee the development of local markets through sport by means of hosting local sports events, producing low-cost and affordable sporting goods, through athletes' remittances, building skills for employment through sport and through sports tourism.
This move also saw Sh125 million allocation for the refurbishment of the regional stadiums.
Allocation for Wildlife Research and Development was raised from Sh30 million in 2020 to Sh150 million in 2021.
Currently, no allocation of funds to the sector was mentioned.
Education, Energy, and infrastructure got the biggest of the budget share while agriculture got the least allocation, although it was the largest contributor to our GDP last year.
According to Yatani, this year's budget framework has focused on the “Big Four” Agenda, Post Covid-19 Economic Recovery Strategy and the strategic policy initiatives of the Government to accelerate growth, employment creation, and poverty reduction.