According to Kenya’s Tourism Sector Performance Report 2019(KTSPR 2019), Uganda and Tanzania continue to be major tourist sources for Kenya after the USA. The country received 245,437 tourists from America last year, the highest from one country, while Uganda was second with 223,010 followed by Tanzania at 193,740.
Growth in aviation sector
The increase in arrivals from Uganda was driven by the introduction of Uganda Airline’s direct flight from Entebbe to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi and Moi International Airport (MIA) in Mombasa in 2019.Arrivals from Uganda are expected to increase further this year.
Rwandan visitors to Kenya recorded the highest increase by 24.6 per cent, from 34,758 visitors in 2018 to 43,321 in 2019. That is according to international tourist arrivals data from Kenya’s department of immigration and border management. South Sudan was a close second in increase in visitors at 20.9 per cent, from 20,383 arrivals in 2018 to 24,646 arrivals in 2019.
Overall, MIA registered the highest number of tourist arrivals with 8.6 per cent growth while JKIA recorded a 6.1 per cent increase compared with the overall growth of 1.2 per cent. This is attributed to a rising number of direct flights such as Air France starting March 2019 from three to five weekly. Ethiopian Airlines also increased flights to Mombasa from one to two daily in 2019 boosting arrivals through MIA.
Land border entry points registered a decline most significantly at -12.7 per cent. This is an indication that air connectivity will continue to be a major driver for growth of international arrivals.
Security situation
The KTSPR 2019 details: “the security situation remained stable in the year 2019 with sustained investment in the same by the government. Only one terrorist attack, the Dusit2 early in the year directly affected tourism.”
The Dusit2 in January 2019 saw the reinstatement of some travel alerts through advisories which had been lifted in 2018.
Closely related to security is political stability. “The country experienced continued political stability throughout the year. The tourism environment has enjoyed the stability and consequently contributed to the recorded growth,” reads the report. Continued political stability is bound to stir further growth in 2020.
Ease of doing business and investor confidence
The latest World Bank Ease of Doing Business report shows that in 2019, Kenya improved five positions to 56 globally on attractiveness to investors up from 61 in 2018.
An increase in tourists to Kenya has been pegged on among others, automation of systems that have made starting businesses in Kenya easy and a commitment by the government to continue adopting a robust regulatory framework and improve the business environment,” reads the report.
Mombasa doubles as a business and holiday destination for Uganda and the new air link is a boost to both.
According to KTSPR 2019, business ranked second reason for tourists visiting Kenya at 13.5 per cent, thefirst being for holiday at 63.2 per cent. 10.6 per cent of all tourists to Kenya in 2019 were visiting family and friends, while 12.75 per cent came for other reasons like medical, shopping and education.
Marketing campaigns
With security and political stability, the government made an effort to woo tourists through a number of campaigns, and their efforts paid off.
Among the domestic campaigns held was one themed “TembeaKenya NaMimi” through TV, digital platforms and radio.
The report also points to global online consumer campaigns on Google, online travel agencies such as Travel Zoo, Aljazeera and CNN Online and Continuous Digital consumer advertising campaigns on Expedia and Tripadvisor and on social media and Google search. That together with joint marketing campaigns with travel trade associations such as APTA, SATOA, and ATTA, in key markets helped create awareness and boost arrivals. With more targeted campaigns, 2020 is set to experience more arrivals.
Offer more attractive packages
The report showed that free independent travel accounts for 36.1 percent of international visitors to Kenya.
This means that tourists now prefer personal freedom of solo travels as opposed to being ‘’tied down’’ to a group of friends, family or partners. This is in an effort to maximize ‘me-time’ or get an opportunity to meet new people and often make friends. This is because some are young singles looking for social activities or to find a partner while others are widowed seniors using long-term hotel stays or cruises as a luxurious alternative to conventional elderly care facilities.
Tourism service providers should maximise this potential by offering packages like professional, personalized one-on-one tours and ensuring safety, trustworthiness and destination reliability.
Accessibility
Accessible tourism looks beyond the number of people with physical and intellectual disabilities, to encompass all those with mobility needs — including seniors and babies across the human lifecycle.
For instance the Tune Hotel has accessible rooms in compliance with the Persons with Disabilities Act, which requires buildings to provide a barrier-free and disability-friendly environment.
The accessible rooms also have “call-for-help” accessory that involves the simple act of pulling a string for assistance. “The accessible bathrooms have a string, which when pulled, alerts the reception that the occupant of a certain room needs help,” says Andrew Olepa, an assistant manager at the hotel.
Food as an experience
Gastronomy is increasingly becoming a central part of the tourist’s experience as opposed to being a supporting experience. “There is need for innovation in gastronomy, offer organic and special diets and observe high levels of hygiene,” reads the report.
Authentic experiences
Tourists want flexibility where they can book products while at the destination rather than have to adhere to rigid predetermined packages. From enjoying local cuisine to celebrating regional festivals and holidays, local experiences are set to become some of the top tourist trends to watch. The more closely an experience can be tailored to a client’s desires and expectations, the more likely they are to return and to use the same service again.
Short booking window
One of the trends that hotels can take advantage of to attract more tourists is to shorten the booking window.
The drive towards an Omni channel presence is directing influencers from social media into the tour operator space, leveraging their communities to launch tours that are curated and more personalised. An example is the Instagram only app called Six Travel, where you can book hotels directly on Instagram from influencers’ stories or via a link in their bio.
