IEBC Protests Bad for Tourism Sector -CS Balala

The total international arrivals in the country between the month of January and April this year was 263,284 compared to 231,038 in the same period in 2015.

This is an indication that the number of tourists visiting the country increased by 32,246 this year as compared to last year. This is a 14 percent increase within the first four months of this year, thus a sign of recovery to the tourism sector that has been facing some challenges that resulted from insecurity in the country.

Speaking yesterday during the Tourism Media Brief, the Cabinet Secretary of Tourism Najib Balala said that in the stated four months, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport recorded 13.6 percent more visitors totaling 229,594, compared to 202,071 in 2015. Mombasa’s Moi International Airport had 31,810 visitors from 28,967, a 9.8 percent growth. Arrival by sea (cruise ship) were 1,880.

Read: Decline in the Tourism Sector -KNBS

The CS disclosed that Africa contributed to 26 percent of the total tourism arrivals in 2015, with South Africa and Nigeria showing positive growth. He added that International arrivals dropped last year to 1.18 million from 1.35 million in 2014, a 12.6 percent contraction.

Tourism earnings decreased to Sh84.6 million last year, from Sh87.1 billion in 2014, the Economic Survey 2016 shows while the number of visitors to Kenya was 1.5 million in 2013, 1.7 million in 2012, and 1.8 million in 2011.

“Months of Tourism Recovery efforts will go down the drain, if the IEBC protests continue,” said the CS, that the world is watching every event that takes place in the country, including the IEBC demonstrations, and such are the things that will keep them from visiting the country due to fear.

Balala said that despite the fact that he has tried putting a lot of effort into regaining the history of the Tourism sector back, whatever has been happening in the country in the past two weeks has sent fear to the market thus making his efforts of confirming to tourists that the country is safe go to waste.

“Political instability and lack of understanding is going to kill our industry,” Balala said.