Kenya expects tourist boom despite campaign fever

Kenya's tourism sector is expected to record improved performance in the festive season and the first quarter of 2017 despite uncertainties linked to next year's general election, officials said Thursday.

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) chairman Jimi Kariuki told journalists in Nairobi that the tourism sector will withstand external shocks like political campaigns and global economic slowdown to register stellar growth.

"The tourism sector is on a recovery path and the number of visitors to the country continues to increase. In the last nine months, the number of visitors to the country grew by 18.3 percent," said Kariuki.

He revealed that Kenya received 1.3 million tourists in 2016 while aggressive marketing and a stable economic environment could attract 2 million visitors next year.

"We are communicating the positive attributes of this tourist destination and next year's elections should not be a cause for alarm," Kariuki remarked, adding that Kenya is rated highly by global research agencies as a resilient tourist destination

State incentives have accelerated recovery of Kenya's tourism sector that had previously experienced a slump occasioned by insecurity and global recession.

Kariuki said 10 million U.S. dollars capital injection from the treasury alongside reduced visa fees for foreign tourists and subsidized parks entry fees have boosted recovery of a sector that contributes about 14 percent to Kenya's GDP.

He disclosed that Kenya has recorded a high number of tourists from African countries, China and India in the last nine months. Endit