International Arrivals Through JKIA and Moi Up By 72,113 To June 2018

International Arrivals to Kenya through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Moi International Airport spiked by 72,113 in six months to June in 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

According to stats from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the number of international visitors through the two major airports stood at 443,950 to June this year compared to 371,837 to June 2017.

JKIA leads with the highest number of international arrivals through it. In a period to June this year, 384,788 visitors used the airport. The number was, however, slightly lower than 2017 to June where 400,232 visitors arrived through the airport.

Between the month of January and June this year, June recorded the highest number of international arrivals at 76,608, but lower than June 2017 where the number stood at 80,121.

The lowest number between January and June 2018 was recorded in April at 56,041, lower than April 2017 where the number stood at 67,970.

The image below shows the number of international arrivals through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Moi International Airport:

In 2017, Kenya earned 120 billion shillings from the tourism sector with the big share of it having been contributed by foreign tourists.

Despite the long electioneering period that almost led the economy to a standstill, the tourism sector grew by 20.3 percent. The amount collected grew from 99.69 billion shillings in 2016 to 120 billion shillings last year.

For the whole of 2017, international arrivals increased by 9.8 percent to 1.4 million from 1.3 million recorded in 2016. The number is expected to be even higher in 2018.

In 2017, the United States of America remained Kenya’s leading market, growing by 17 percent with 114,507 visitors arriving in the country.

Kenya Airways is set to start direct flights between Kenya and the United States in what has been seen by the economic analyst as one major way that will boost trade relations between Kenya and the US with the tourism sector set to benefit.