Kenya registered an increase in earnings from the tourism sector by 4% in 2019 to Sh163 billion compared to the Sh157. 4 billion, a year earlier.
“The tourism industry international arrivals grew from 2,03 million in 2018 to 2,05 million [in 2019] that led to the growth of the sector, at 1.2%,” Cabinet Secretary Tourism Najib Balala was quoted as saying by local media.
The tourists entered the East African country through various entry points with many of them using Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“Arrivals by air at JKIA grew by 8%, while in Mombasa there was a rise by 6%, however, other points of entry… registered a decline of 13%,” he said.
The majority of the tourists who visited the country were from the United States making 245,437 entries, followed by Uganda with 223,010 visitors.
However, the sector was hit by challenges that saw it experiencing minimal growth compared to its expectations.
“The year started in 2019 with a Dusit attack but again the perception has not gone that is why the growth and the fear was real, the second problem we had was the reduced budget by the Ministry of Treasury and finally the slowdown in the global economy, uncertainty of Brexit, and China woes with the U.S.,” Balala said.
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