The performance of the tourism sector in the year 2022 was impressive as compared to the year 2021. This growth was recorded in domestic airports such as Kisumu, Malindi, and Ukunda indicating a recovery in the aviation sector in both international and domestic travel.
The number of visitors to Kenya was higher than in 2021 but still lower than those in the year 2019.
From Europe, visitors from the United Kingdom were leading while in the Middle East, Israel was leading. Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Denmark were the countries registering the highest growth rate between 2021 and 2022.
From all source markets, the main reasons visitors gave for visiting Kenya were holidays, visiting friends and relatives as well as business. The recovery and performance in the sectors may be attributed to visitors’ change in travel behavior and perceived risks associated with travel, relaxation of travel restrictions, and vaccination against Covid-19.
If the growth is sustained, most tourism sectors will recover faster than earlier projected while others will surpass the 2019 arrivals, revenues generated, and bed occupancies.
This is from the Annual Tourism Sector Performance Report – 2022 by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Heritage, which recommended:
- The promotion of domestic and regional tourism
- Development and promotion of niche products such as cruise tourism, sports, or adventure tourism
- Promotion of Meetings Incentives Convention & Exhibitions (MICE) events and festivals among others including modernizing and expanding JKIA and digitizing all tourism operations
International tourism rebounded to 63% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022, supported by pent-up demand and the easing of travel restrictions.
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In terms of employment, the Travel & Tourism sector was one of the world’s largest employers, accounting for 1 in 4 of all new jobs created in the world, which was equivalent to 10.3% of all jobs.
While 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for the global Travel & Tourism sector, this was slower than expected in 2022, due to the impact of the Omicron variant, stringent and inconsistent border restrictions, and the lack of coordination among governments on how to tackle the pandemic
Most destinations have seen noticeable increases in their international tourist receipts, often even higher than their growth in visitor numbers.
This has been backed by a rise in average expenditure per trip brought on by longer stays, travelers’ desire to spend more money while traveling, and increased travel prices partially brought on by inflation.
Europe is anticipated to lead outcomes in 2023. The Middle East may also reach 2019 levels in 2023 after a strong revival in 2022.
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The recent re-opening of a number of Asian source markets and destinations will help to strengthen the recovery in 2023. A key and much-welcomed step towards the rehabilitation of the tourist sector in Asia and the Pacific and globally is the lifting of COVID-19-related travel restrictions in China, which was the largest outbound market in 2019.
Tourism recovery will be aided by improved performance of air travel and increased demand for outdoor activities, nature-inspired goods, rural tourism, and nearby destinations.
However, the headwinds in the economy, health sector, and international politics could hinder 2023’s steady growth in international tourism.
Additional downside risks include the persistence of uncertainty caused by the Russian attack against Ukraine and other escalating geopolitical tensions, COVID-19-related health issues, and labour shortages.
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