Kenya expects to earn 15% more this year from tourism

Published on : Saturday, October 6, 2018

Kenya’s tourism minister Najib Balala has said that the country is expected to earn 15 percent more this year from tourism, with the number of visitors increasing by 17 to 18 percent. Kenya relies on tourism as a major source of hard currency and jobs; it had 1.47 million tourists last year and earned Sh120 billion ($1.19 billion) from their visits. The forecast is based on a growing local market and new daily, direct flights to New York by Kenya Airways, which will attract more American tourists.

 
Balala said that Africa’s share of the annual global market, at about 3 percent of the total, is not impressive. Africa aims to increase its annual share of tourists to 150 million by 2030, from the current 62 million. Along with agricultural exports and cash sent home by Kenyans living abroad, tourism is one of the top foreign exchange earners for Kenya.

Tags: kenya