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Jan. 26, 2017, 3:30 am | By WEITERE MWITA @mwitamartin
The number of international tourists visiting Kenya is projected to fall by a fifth this year as political temperatures rise ahead of the August 8 general election, a survey done by online hotel search firm Jumia Travel suggests.
There is a decline in the number of inquiries from key market sources of Europe, the US and Asia, and low business is likely to hit hard the country’s foreign exchange earner.
“The number of international visitors will definitely be low,” Jumia country manager (Kenya) Cyrus Onyiego said. “Hoteliers should now adopt strategies to boost the sector through domestic tourism.”
Tourist arrivals at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Moi International Airport stood at 655,058 as of September 2016, the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics latest data shows.
The Jumia-Kenya Hospitality Industry report 2017, launched yesterday, notes the country’s hotel industry continues to suffer as a result of high hotel pricing, reliance on seasons and levies introduced by counties, which add to existing statutory taxes. These have pushed up the cost of tourism products.
They include the 16 per cent VAT and an extra two per cent catering levy per visitor to the tourism fund.
Visitors also pay for business permits, National Environment Management Authority permit, liquor licence at county level, health and advertising among other permits.
“Government waived Value Added Tax on bookings through travel agents but more needs to be done at the hotel level. We also need to stop depending on seasons. We should focus on the business travellers who travel throughout the year,” Onyiego said.
Meanwhile, Nairobi hotels were the most searched accommodation facilities in 2016, followed by Rift Valley Hotels in Naivasha and Nakuru. Mombasa was third, the survey shows.
Parking remains the most sought facility by customers. Others are WiFi, breakfast, ironing services and airport pickups respectively.
Kenyans prefer laptops when doing hotel searches, Jumia chief marketing officer Guido Mancassola said, accounting for 59 per cent of traffic to the website as compared to 37 per cent mobile sourced traffic. Tablets account for a meagre four per cent.
The government has been on a charm offensive to woo international visitors after a three-year slump as a result of insecurity, mainly blamed on the al Shabaab insurgents.
International arrivals dropped to 1.18 million in 2015 from 1.35 million in 2014. The number was 1.5 million in 2013, 1.7 million in 2012, and 1.8 million in 2011.
August election fever to push down international tourists by 20% – survey
The number of international tourists visiting Kenya is projected to fall by a fifth this year as political temperatures rise ahead of the August 8 general election, a survey done by online hotel search firm Jumia Travel suggests.
There is a decline in the number of inquiries from key market sources of Europe, the US and Asia, and low business is likely to hit hard the country’s foreign exchange earner.
“The number of international visitors will definitely be low,” Jumia country manager (Kenya) Cyrus Onyiego said. “Hoteliers should now adopt strategies to boost the sector through domestic tourism.”
Tourist arrivals at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Moi International Airport stood at 655,058 as of September 2016, the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics latest data shows.
The Jumia-Kenya Hospitality Industry report 2017, launched yesterday, notes the country’s hotel industry continues to suffer as a result of high hotel pricing, reliance on seasons and levies introduced by counties, which add to existing statutory taxes. These have pushed up the cost of tourism products.
They include the 16 per cent VAT and an extra two per cent catering levy per visitor to the tourism fund.
Visitors also pay for business permits, National Environment Management Authority permit, liquor licence at county level, health and advertising among other permits.
“Government waived Value Added Tax on bookings through travel agents but more needs to be done at the hotel level. We also need to stop depending on seasons. We should focus on the business travellers who travel throughout the year,” Onyiego said.
Meanwhile, Nairobi hotels were the most searched accommodation facilities in 2016, followed by Rift Valley Hotels in Naivasha and Nakuru. Mombasa was third, the survey shows.
Parking remains the most sought facility by customers. Others are WiFi, breakfast, ironing services and airport pickups respectively.
Kenyans prefer laptops when doing hotel searches, Jumia chief marketing officer Guido Mancassola said, accounting for 59 per cent of traffic to the website as compared to 37 per cent mobile sourced traffic. Tablets account for a meagre four per cent.
The government has been on a charm offensive to woo international visitors after a three-year slump as a result of insecurity, mainly blamed on the al Shabaab insurgents.
International arrivals dropped to 1.18 million in 2015 from 1.35 million in 2014. The number was 1.5 million in 2013, 1.7 million in 2012, and 1.8 million in 2011.
August election fever to push down international tourists by 20% – survey
