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Lobby says tourists are cancelling bookings due to demos

 

Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) has called for dialogue between the government and the opposition, saying the country is losing billions of shillings due to cancellations of bookings by international visitors.

The lobby said leaders must prevent the collapse of the fragile tourism sector that is slowly recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

KTF said the current crisis has created “a bad and devastating environment for the tourism sector which could bring it down to its knees.”

“Recent demonstrations and civil disobedience has caused massive cancellations of bookings by international tourists who were scheduled to visit the country during the high season,” KTF said in a statement.

In 2020, the hospitality industry faced a massive downturn after the government imposed strict measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) data reveals that global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020, with international arrivals dropping by 74 per cent.

In 2021, the industry started to recover significantly across the globe.

The annual Tourism Sector Performance Report-2022 registered 1,483,752 international tourist arrivals in 2022 which represented a 70.45 per cent increase as compared to 2021 arrivals of 870,465.

The inbound receipts grew to Sh268.09 billion compared to Sh146.51 billion in 2021, an increase of 83 per cent.

According to the KTF, Kenya has registered a 72.4 per cent recovery against 2019 numbers which is above the global average.

Meanwhile, the country's economic trajectory has been aided by a number of important economic sectors, including the tourism industry.

“Being a major economic sector, tourism accounts for 10.4 per cent of the country’s GDP, 5.5 per cent of formal employment, and 4.2 percent of the country’s National Gross Fixed Capital Formation”, stated KTF.

KTF represents the seven key tourism trade associations; Kenya Association of Tour Operators, Kenya Association of Air Operators, Pubs Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya, Kenya Association of Travel Agents, Kenya Coast Tourism Association, Ecotourism Kenya, Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) and Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association.    BY THE STAR    

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