Browsing: Tourism

• Kenya’s economic resurgence in 2024 proving a reality following a notable upturn in recent months, marked by positive indicators across sectors.
• According to CBK, leading indicators point to the continued strong performance of the Kenyan economy in the first quarter of 2024.
• According to the World Bank, Kenya’s economic growth is projected to be 5.2 per cent, boosted by increased investment in the private sector as the government reduces its activities in the domestic credit market.

A strong rebound

Kenya’s economic prospects are looking brighter, attributed to the interventions by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which have played a massive role in easing volatility witnessed less than three months ago.

Major economic indicators in the country show that confidence is slowly creeping back after the government secured the International Monetary Fund’s facility to pay back the Eurobond.

The repayments had triggered volatility in financial markets, including the …

• Following a slow recovery from the debilitating impact of COVID-19, Africa’s economic growth declined to an estimated 3.8 per cent in 2022 and later deteriorated to 3.3 per cent in 2023.
• Africa is not immune to economic shocks and has recently faced a multi-crisis situation.
• African countries have posted more than 5 per cent output expansions in 2024.

Africas economic outlook

Before COVID-19, Africa experienced 20 years of solid growth and made tangible economic and social progress. However, the COVID crisis brought this progress to an abrupt halt, and many countries, which are under increasingly tight budget constraints, struggled to invest in essential sectors amidst recovering from the aftermath of the health crisis.

Following a slow recovery from the debilitating impact of COVID-19, Africa’s economic growth declined to an estimated 3.8 per cent in 2022 and later deteriorated to 3.3 per cent in 2023.

However, according to a recent UN …

• Tourism in Kenya is the third-biggest foreign exchange earner after remittances and agricultural exports.
• The tourism sector’s performance has been impressive, with earnings reaching $ 2.7 billion in 2023, a 32 per cent growth from $1.8 billion recorded in 2022.
• In 2024, the sector is projected to recover to pre-pandemic levels per the strategy for tourism in Kenya 2021-2025.

Tourism in Kenya

Tourism is Kenya’s third-highest foreign exchange earner after remittances and agricultural exports.

According to the Tourism Research Institute, the industry accounts for about 10 per cent of Kenya’s gross domestic product and about 5 per cent of its formal employment.

Kenya has been a significant tourist destination in East Africa, attracting visitors worldwide to its wildlife parks, sandy beaches at the coast, diverse flora and fauna, cultural heritage, and scenic landscapes, to name a few.

However, the outbreak of COVID-19 sent shockwaves to the tourism sector, bringing it …

• In 2023, Kenya’s economy experienced real GDP growth, surging from 4.8% in 2022 to an estimated 5 per cent.
• Kenya’s agriculture, which had grappled with severe drought, recovered with critical crops, such as tea and coffee, displaying remarkable resilience.
• High cost of living, exchange rate pressures, and global economic uncertainties remain persistent risks to growth this year.

In 2023, Kenya’s economy strengthened, defying persistent challenges as highlighted in the World Bank’s 28th edition of the Kenya Economic Update (KEU). Despite facing continued hurdles, East Africa’s biggest economy experienced an acceleration in real GDP growth, surging from 4.8 per cent in 2022 to an estimated 5 per cent in 2023.

This economic performance is a testament to Kenya’s ability to navigate adversities and build a foundation for sustainable economic growth.

Agriculture helped revive Kenya’s economy in 2023

A key factor contributing to Kenya’s revival of economic performance in 2023 was the …

When the first-ever, state-of-the-art tourism documentary featuring Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and narrated by Peter Greenberg, the world’s best travel journalist, and award-winning investigative reporter, “The Royal Tour,” premiered in the US, it was only a matter of time before tourist numbers soared in Tanzania.
Whether it is the most beautiful places to visit in Tanzania or exotic landscapes found nowhere else, Tanzania offers one of the most unique tourism experiences in Africa and the world.…

A recent meeting between the President of Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi and  Qatar’s First Vice-Chairman, Mohamed bin Twar Al Kuwari highlighted these figures. The two high-ranking officials met in Qatar. The Zanzibar president called on investors from the rich United Arab Emirates to invest in the island.…

• A new $273,716 Growth for Jobs Tourism Challenge Fund seeks to grow South Africa’s tourism numbers by engaging SMEs.
• The fund will support regional and local tourism organisations, industry associations, and district and local authorities
• The target SMEs are expected to grow and expand their tourism product offerings.

South Africa has lined up a $273,716 fund to empower small businesses in the tourism sector to enhance their offerings. The $273,716 Growth for Jobs Tourism Challenge Fund will grow South Africa’s tourism numbers through local small businesses. 

Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities Mireille Wenger said the fund will power the sector’s future growth by removing barriers. 

“Our tourism and hospitality sector was hit hard by the COVID pandemic. But, it has seen a remarkable recovery with international arrivals reaching 100 percent of their 2019 figures in February this year,” she noted. 

Wenger added that this would be achieved by helping …

• Hard work pays – at least for strategic tourism markets such as Tanzania, which stands to become one of the world’s top destinations. Tanzania’s tourism industry emerged strong from a slump triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Over the past years, a number of top-rated tour firms and sites such as Trip Advisor, Safari Bookings, Visa First, and Craft Travel – have painted Tanzania as one of the most favorable tourist destinations in Africa.

Tanzania is now placed in the same league as South Africa, Africa’s most desired destination by tourists belonging to the Luxe Traveller Club. With iconic Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater are some of the leading tourist attractions across the world among its offerings, you don’t have to look far to understand why.

“I was fortunate to stay at the Ngorongoro crater lodge, a stunning five-star hotel, probably one of the best in Tanzania …

• For over a decade, the East Africa single tourist visa programme has been discussed and proposed by EAC governments.
• Rwanda maintains that the East Africa single tourist visa will help market the entire region as a single tourist destination.
• The response from Tanzania is promising compared to the non-committal stance in previous engagements.

Buy a visa to Rwanda and get to visit all of Tanzania’s and Kenya’s tourist attractions. In fact, with that single visa you can tour all the 7 countries of East Africa. This is what the East Africa single tourist visa programme proposes.

Tanzania is home to some of the World’s most revered tourist attractions; the likes of the highest mountain in Africa, The Kilimanjaro; the Serengeti, home to the world’s largest wildebeest migration and the Ngorongoro crater, where visitors can see the world’s only known tree climbing lions and deemed the 8^th wonder of the …