KENYA TOURISM PERFORMANCE DROPPED LAST YEAR

Last year the tourism industry saw a two per cent decline in visitor numbers and earnings, a situation attributed to insecurity, pre-election nausea and Economic crises in Europe. Tourist Numbers dropped from 1.26 million in 2011 to 1.23million last year a 2.3per cent drop. In earnings, it dropped from Sh.97billion year 2011 to Sh.96.02 last year.

Kenya’s traditional tourist source markets led by United stood at 123,905 which was a 3.6 per cent increase compared to drops from Germany at 65,199 a 5.1 per cent decline, United Kingdom at 185,976 an 8.5 per cent drop while Italy posted a decline at 14.6 percent to 82,330. Mureithi Ndegwa, the managing director of the Kenya Tourist Board attributed the significant decline from the Italian market to cancellation of direct flights to Rome by Kenya Airways as well as reduction of frequent charters to the Coast.

Elephants at Amboseli

Uganda was the largest and fastest growing African source market with a 30 per cent increase to 55,449. South Africa was second at 40,707 which is a 6 per cent growth while Tanzania was third. Emerging source markets such as Asia posted remarkable growth with Middle East, India and China  posting 92 per cent at 40, 485, 3.9 per cent at 61,275 and 10per cent at 41,303 respectively. Tourism Minister Dan Mwanzo said the growth had been boosted by established routes from key airlines namely Etihad, Emirates, Kenya airways.

CAROLINE MUTUKO AND CHURCHILL IN TOURISM APPOINTMENTS

Caroline Mutuko

Ndambuki a.k.a Churchill

Kiss 100 presenter Caroline Mutoko and Classic 105’s, Mwalimu King’ang’i alias Churchill, landed themselves big jobs in the tourism sector. The minister of Tourism, Hon.Danson Mwanzo appointed the two among others like athlete Paul Tergat and Martin Duford, who is Tamarind Group chairman and father to Olympian Jason Dunford to various parastatals boards. Caroline is now the new Chair at the Kenya Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), while Churchill was been appointed to board of Bomas of Kenya.

Mutuko said that the country is headed to a very tough period due to several factors, among them elections and terror threats, which bring with them travel advisories, thus the need for a sober approach during the course of her new job. She added that she felt honored to be considered for such a position.

BALALA’S REIGN AT THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM

Hon. Najib Balala took over the Kenya’s tourism docket when source markets had a very negative perception of Kenya as a destination. However he was able to salvage the industry from this den of uncertainties. 
Balala reign at the docket; Late 2007 brought what many of us had not anticipated. As a result of the Post Election Violence (PEV), the tourism industry literally went on its knees. Tourist arrivals registered earlier that year stood at 1,048,732. Notably, this is the year that had been the best in the history of Kenya’s tourism.

Hon. Balala

2008 in terms of arrivals had little to talk about. Plans were initiated to the counter effects of PEV to the industry. This is when adult visa fees had to be reduced by 50% from US$ 50 to US$ 25 and a waiver extended to children under 16 years. This yielded fruits with 2009 the year registering a tremendous improvement at 952,481 arrivals. That was 12% shy away from 2007 arrivals.

The tradition of over dependence in traditional markets was broken. Marketing campaigns were initiated in the Middle and Far East and this saw Asian markets contribute about 12% of Kenya’s International tourists by 2010.

As a way of promoting Kenya’s tourism, Kenya Tourism Board started advertising in international media as well as participating in major international trade fairs and undertaking road shows abroad.

Definitely this among other contributions of the former minister in the Ministry of Tourism should serve as a benchmarking ‘mwakenya’ to the incumbent Minister of Tourism, Hon. Danson Mwazo.