Tourism News, Come Live The Magic With Magical Kenya From 13th to 20th July 2018
International Visitor Arrivals Up 6% In First Quarter
Tourist arrivals to Kenya increased by 6.1% during the first quarter of the year, signaling better tidings for the sector at the start of 2018. Total international arrivals for January to March 2018 by air and sea closed at 237,944 compared to 224,233 in 2017.
During the period under review, arrivals through JKIA dropped by 1.4% to 192,958 compared to 195,630 in 2017.
Moi International Airport Mombasa (MIAM) received 43,315 visitors, compared to 27,697 in 2017, reflecting a growth of 56.4%.
Arrivals by cruise ship for the period grew by 84.4% to 1,671 compared to 906 in February 2017.
Business and conferences stood at 27,561, contributing 11% of the total arrivals within the review period compared to 35,851 which contributed 16% in 2017. The marginal decline in the number of business travelers is attributed to the long electioneering period that led to the cancellation of business meetings due to uncertainty.
Kenya’s Profile As A Tourism Destination Rises
A top UK travel firm, Kuoni has named Kenya among the top 25 destinations in the world.
According to the Kuoni Worldwide Trends Report 2018, Kenya has risen from 23rd to 19th placed destination owing to growing interest by tourists in areas such as Samburu, Tsavo, and Amboseli. Kenya has surpassed Tanzania, Seychelles, Spain, and Australia in this latest ranking.
Kenya has surpassed Tanzania, Seychelles, Spain, and Australia in this latest ranking.
For more details on Kenya as a destination, download the Kuoni Worldwide Trends Report Here
Word Of Mouth Ranks Top On Source Of Domestic Travel Information
Word of mouth and internet have become most important sources of travel information. According to a study conducted by Consumer Options, 67.3% of respondents get their travel information from friends and family while 50.3% of respondents rely on the internet for travel information. The most common internet sources of information are Facebook and YouTube at 59.7% and 28.6% respectively.
The study further went on to reveal that most bookings are done by physical in-person at 40.6% and online at 32.5%. Common devices used for online booking being personal computers and mobile phones at 41.9% and 34.4% respectively. 73.6% of the respondents interviewed in the study book directly with service providers such as airlines, hotels and/or villas. Only 10.3% of the respondents book through home sharing or owners letting sites such as Airbnb.
