Direct Flights to US Will Boost Economy and Tourism – Rose Evans

Luxury hotel brand Hemingways Collection has welcomed the scheduled Kenya Airways daily flights between Nairobi and New York, saying they herald huge opportunities for local business and leisure tourism.

Group Operations Director Mr. Ross Evans said the development is a welcome boost for Hemingways Collection as the majority of the hotel’s leisure guests are from the USA.

“We expect this to boost the corporate market with Nairobi strengthening its position as a regional hub for corporate travel. Along with the direct routes, the actual flight times have been well thought out with both legs being overnight flights,” he said.

Figures from the Kenya Tourism Board indicate that tourists from the USA grew 16.3 percent to 95,771 between January and October last year up from 82,363 visitors recorded in the same period in 2016.

These numbers are expected to go up this year on the back of increased confidence from foreign visitors, growth in domestic tourism and largely with the planned daily flights to New York later in the year.

Reduction in flight times, Mr. Evans added, means US leisure travelers will have more time to spend experiencing all that Kenya has to offer.

“Currently many visitors from the US spend very little time in Nairobi and miss out on some of our country’s fantastic attractions and culture,” he added.

Nairobi was recently ranked number three (3) in the Top Travel Destinations for 2018 by users of travel website Trip Advisor under its annual Travellers’ Choice awards.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts business and leisure spending in Kenya to grow at an average rate of five percent annually; business tourism spending is projected to reach KSh252bn ($2.8bn) by 2025 while Leisure spending is expected to reach KSh400.6bn ($4.4bn) over the same period.

These developments will accelerate Hemingways Collection’s philosophy to twin boutique luxury properties with unrivaled service and guest experiences while helping Kenya to build a more respected Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE) market portfolio.

Already the hotel is working with key not-for-profit partners to benefit the environment and communities for a sustainable future including Naboisho Conservancy, One Horizon, and Watamu Marine Association.