Kenyan tourism minister Najib Balala has revealed that discussions are being planned with low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet about launching flights to the East African nation.
According to The Irish Times, the Kenya Tourism Board reported earnings of 119.9 billion shillings (€1 billion) from tourism last year, making tourism one of the country's biggest sources of foreign exchange after remittances and agricultural exports.
In an interview on Tuesday September 4, Balada stated, "We are developing a strategy to encourage low-cost carriers from the UK to fly here. I will be looking to start discussions with Ryanair and easyJet."
Figures For 2018
Balala revealed that the UK has been Kenya's biggest source of tourism in 2018 so far, followed by India, China and Germany while as many as 16% of tourists have come to the country from other African nations. Kenya's visitor numbers are expected to increase by 18% this year, boosted by better security, improved infrastructure and global hotel brands expanding into the country.
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
