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Kenya plans to boost tourist arrivals with entry of charter firm

Xinhua, March 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kenya plans to boost its tourist arrivals following an announcement by a European charter company to commence operations in Kenya during the summer period.

The deal was reached after consultations between Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and representatives of TUI, one of the world's largest tour operating company and Kenya's leading international tour operator.

Balala said Thursday the charters will benefit from the recently announced charter incentive program that include waiver of landing fee and a 30 U.S. dollar subsidy to every passenger on the charters terminating in Mombasa and Malindi in the country's tourist resort region.

"This is a big boost to the tourism industry; we welcome these charters and many others willing to come. The action by TUI is a strong indicator that we are on the right path to tourism recovery," Balala said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

TUI Poland charter will for the first time be flying tourists to the Kenyan coast during the European summer season from July to October with a capacity of 180 passengers.

It will be operating to Mombasa weekly with a possibility of continuing through the winter period to April 2017.

TUI Europe and TUI UK also announced start of operations in Kenya in November and December.

Tourism in Kenya's coastal region has been on the decline in the recent past owing to insecurity that has led to cancellation of charters.

However, the East African nation hopes the revision of travel advisories by Western nations will send a positive message on the destination, adding that the recent incentives on charters to the coast was another major boost to the revival of tourism in the region. Enditem