Friday, February 14, 2025

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Customer arrivals in Kenya hit decade excessive on visa-free coverage



Customer arrivals by the nation’s two principal airports within the first three months of the 12 months hit their highest degree in not less than a decade, coinciding with a visa-free coverage that got here into impact earlier this 12 months.

Official figures present that 409,164 guests arrived within the nation by Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport (JKIA) and Moi Worldwide Airport in Mombasa, a ten per cent bounce from the 370,570 guests recorded final 12 months.

The rise got here at a time when Kenya launched a visa-free coverage for all guests from the start of this 12 months in a bid to extend tourism and enhance income to the economic system.

However the coverage, introduced by President William Ruto, has come underneath criticism because of hectic clearance processes and the requirement to pay a $30 (Sh3,920 at present alternate charges) processing payment to be cleared underneath the Digital Journey Authorisation (eTA).

An evaluation of official knowledge from the Kenya Nationwide Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reveals that the variety of guests within the first three months of this 12 months crossed the 400,000 mark for the primary time.

In February this 12 months, 146,442 guests handed by the 2 airports, however the determine dropped to 128,057 the next month.

The bottom variety of guests within the first three months of a 12 months in a decade was 121,739 in 2021, when coronavirus journey restrictions had been nonetheless in place.

The visa-free coverage is predicated on the expectation that the excessive variety of guests will result in elevated spending and thus enhance the economic system.

However it’s the eTA that has sparked complaints, particularly from frequent guests from non-African international locations, due to the charges and the quick validity of the allow.

Tourism specialists have additionally warned that the eTA is more likely to negate the anticipated advantages of the visa-free coverage.

In March this 12 months, the Kenya Affiliation of Journey Brokers criticised the brand new prices and elevated paperwork related to the eTA, which additionally requires travellers to offer proof of air tickets and resort bookings.

When making use of for an eTA, guests to Kenya should present their arrival and departure dates a couple of days upfront.

The eTA is for single entry and is legitimate for 90 days, a shorter interval than visas, which is a big inconvenience for frequent guests who historically keep within the nation for lengthy intervals.

Nevertheless, Kenya has exempted not less than six African international locations from the eTA. As well as, expatriates working for the United Nations, the World Financial institution and the Worldwide Financial Fund prime the checklist of these exempted from paying eTA charges.

The elevated variety of guests is anticipated to additional enhance the nation’s tourism earnings, which reached a report excessive of Sh352.54 billion final 12 months.

About 2.08 million vacationers visited the nation final 12 months, up from 1.54 million the earlier 12 months. Nevertheless, customer numbers from June this 12 months are more likely to have been affected by the anti-government protests that rocked Kenya.

The protests prompted a number of international locations, together with the UK, Canada and Eire, to concern journey advisories to their residents visiting Kenya.

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