The Ministry of Tourism has projected that the full revival of the Tourism sector to the 2019 figures is set for 2024.
According to the Ministry, the first half of this year has seen Kenya receive over 300,000 foreigners, the majority visiting friends and family while 100,000 being tourists as the sector gears towards recovery.
With international businesses now starting to kick off in the country due to the opening of foreign economies, Kenya’s tourism sector continues to witness activities for both international and local tourism subsectors.
“2022 will be a positive year we hope nothing erratic can come like the delta variant and the vaccine supply will be much better 2023, will be a recovery year are full recovery and back to bouncing to new targets will be 2024” said Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.
The recovery of the sector, however, still depends on the country’s ability to contain the virus. To boost the inoculation drive in the country, the ministry has allocated 50,000 COVID-19 vaccines for its stakeholders.
The government is now targeting countries that have vaccinated the majority of their population including the United Kingdom (U.K), United States of America (U.S.A) and China.
“2021 is almost ending and the crisis of quarantine and the delta variant has complicated it. We believe tourism will trickle in and we’ve seen now during the month of July and August and peculiarly those who have vaccinated their people are the ones going to move faster to come in.” added CS Balala.
CS Balala who was speaking during the launch of the Magical Kenya health protocol 202, however, warned that both registered and non-registered establishments in the industry found guilty of not following the COVID-19 protocols will have their licenses withdrawn for a year.
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“We’ve agreed particularly with pubs and restaurants who break the law. We will shame them. We’ll have a list of shame so that people don’t destroy the sector because of a few greedy people. And we will take actions on those individuals.”
Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers & Caterers Chief Executive Officer Mike Wacharia who was also present at the launch said compliance is key in ensuring their businesses remain operational.
“We would like to urge our members to please continue observing these protocols and when it is time to observe the curfew rules, we’re telling our members please observe and let’s not have anyone breaking this curfew,” said Mike Wacharia
To cushion the hotel industry, the government allocated Ksh.3 billion in the economic stimulus package for the financial year 2021/22 but the Ministry only received Ksh.2 billion.
The Balala-led Ministry has issued the full amount of Ksh.2 billion to the private sector awaiting compliance before disbursements of the funds.
An additional Ksh.2 billion was given to the wildlife sub-sector with Ksh.1 billion allocated to scouts that saw 5,500 of them recruited.
