Dubai is preparing to welcome the global travel and tourism industry for the 33rd Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, taking place from 14–17 September at Dubai World Trade Center.

The event is expected to bring together destinations, tourism authorities, airlines, hotels, travel companies, technology providers and other tourism stakeholders from across international markets as the industry looks to strengthen commercial relationships and respond to changing travel patterns.

Organized under the theme “Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology,” ATM 2026 will focus on developments shaping the next phase of global tourism, including artificial intelligence, digital transformation, smart mobility and changing traveler expectations.

The event comes as the international travel industry continues to navigate disruption and changing market conditions. Organizers say this year’s edition will provide an opportunity for destinations, businesses and industry stakeholders to reconnect, strengthen partnerships and maintain commercial activity across markets.

Strong focus on business and industry connections

ATM remains a major meeting point for the international travel trade, bringing together buyers and suppliers across tourism, aviation, hospitality and travel technology.

The 2026 exhibition will feature tourism destinations, tourism authorities, airlines, hotels, travel technology companies and tourism suppliers, creating opportunities for industry players to develop commercial relationships and explore new areas of cooperation.

The conference program will run across the Global Stage, Future Stage and Experience Hub, with discussions covering aviation, hospitality, business events, luxury travel, destination resilience, accessibility, sustainability, investment and technology.

A dedicated ATM Travel Tech exhibition will also debut this year alongside the Tech & Innovation Hub, with artificial intelligence, immersive technology, robotics, fintech and smart mobility among the areas being showcased.

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism is participating alongside partners and stakeholders, further positioning the event as a platform for strengthening international tourism relationships and supporting business opportunities across the visitor economy.

Relevance for African travel trade

For African travel agents and outbound travel businesses, ATM provides a significant B2B marketplace for engaging suppliers from Dubai, the wider UAE and the Middle East.

The event offers an opportunity for travel sellers to meet destination representatives, airlines, hotels, tour operators and technology companies while exploring products that can be incorporated into African outbound programs.

For agents selling the Middle East, this includes opportunities to identify new accommodation options, destination experiences, airline partnerships, ground-handling arrangements, and package offerings for leisure, business, and MICE travelers.

The event’s emphasis on commercial relationships is particularly relevant to travel businesses seeking to expand their supplier networks and develop new products for their markets.

ATM 2026 will also provide a platform for destinations and suppliers to present new tourism products and discuss changing traveler preferences, with the program highlighting the growing demand for more integrated experiences across culture, heritage, gastronomy, wellness and adventure.

Innovation takes center stage.

Technology is expected to be a major theme throughout this year’s event as the travel industry continues to explore artificial intelligence and digital tools across the customer journey.

The new ATM Travel Tech platform and Tech & Innovation Hub will showcase developments in areas including AI, immersive technologies, robotics, fintech and smart mobility. The conference program will similarly examine how technology is changing tourism businesses and traveler experiences.

The event will also showcase developments from major travel industry players. Emirates, for example, will present its new electrically powered Premium Economy seat with a full-height adjustable privacy divider at ATM 2026.

With the global travel community converging in Dubai from 14–17 September, ATM 2026 will provide a concentrated platform for business networking, supplier engagement, destination promotion and industry dialogue.

For African travel agents, the event presents an opportunity to strengthen links with Middle Eastern suppliers while identifying products, partnerships and commercial opportunities that can support the growth of outbound travel from African markets.

Source: Emirates News Agency – ATM 2026

Thailand has scrapped the extended 60-day visa-free stay it has offered international tourists since 2024, reverting to a standard 30-day exemption for nationals of 60 countries from September 15, in a move that will reshape long-stay holiday planning across several of Kenya’s key outbound source markets — but leaves Kenyan passport holders untouched.

The Thai Ministry of Interior published four regulations in the Royal Gazette on August 31, revoking the 60-day exemption that had applied to nationals of 93 countries and territories since July 2024. In its place, travellers from 60 countries — including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and most of the European Union — will now be permitted to enter visa-free for tourism purposes for a maximum of 30 days, extendable once by a further 30 days at a Thai immigration office for a fee of about 1,900 Baht (roughly Sh1,400).

South Africa is the only African country on the new list, meaning South African travellers retain visa-free access to Thailand but at half the previous stay length. Mauritius and Seychelles move onto a separate 15-day exemption, a new benefit for Mauritius and a retained one for Seychelles. Namibia and Ethiopia, by contrast, lose their previous visa-on-arrival privileges entirely, as Thailand has cut that facility from roughly 31 eligible nationalities to just three — Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.

Kenya sits outside all three categories, as it has since Thailand’s exemption regime was first introduced. Kenyan travellers heading to Thailand have always been required to secure a visa in advance, either through the Royal Thai Embassy in Nairobi or the Thai e-Visa portal, and that requirement is unchanged by this week’s reform.

Trade implications for Kenyan agents

For Kenya’s travel trade, the significance of the change lies less in outbound bookings for Kenyan nationals and more in the mixed-nationality client base that local agencies increasingly serve. Corporate and group bookings frequently include travellers on South African, European, American or British passports, and any itinerary built around a two-month Thailand stay for a client on one of the affected passports will need to be revisited before the new rule takes hold.

Agents packaging multi-country Southeast Asian circuits — combining Thailand with Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia or Indonesia — have also been advised to recheck the length of the Thailand leg for clients accustomed to the more generous 60-day allowance, particularly for bookings spanning the September 15 cut-off date.

Travellers who enter Thailand on or before September 14 will retain the full 60-day stay granted at the border, even if that period extends beyond the effective date. Those arriving from September 15 onward fall under the new rules regardless of when the booking was made.

Thailand has also confirmed that its Digital Arrival Card, mandatory for all foreign nationals regardless of visa status, remains in force and should be completed within 72 hours of arrival.

No change on the ground for Kenyan holidaymakers

Industry sources note that the reform, while significant for several of Thailand’s largest source markets, does not alter the practical process facing Kenyan holidaymakers or business travellers, who must continue to apply for a Thai Tourist Visa — typically valid for stays of up to 60 days — before departure, as has been the case for years.

Travel agents have been cautioned against applying the “60 days cut to 30” headline uniformly across their client books, given that Thailand’s entry rules now run across several parallel categories — the 30-day exemption list, the 15-day exemption list, a sharply reduced visa-on-arrival list, and a series of separate bilateral agreements covering countries such as China, Russia and Kazakhstan at different stay lengths. Confirming entry requirements against a traveller’s specific nationality, rather than assuming a blanket rule, remains the recommended practice heading into the new regime.

Kenya has enacted the Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Act, 2026, introducing changes to how the government administers, distributes, and remits revenue collected through the Air Passenger Service Charge.

The amendment is significant for the aviation and travel industry, but does not increase the statutory passenger service charge payable by travelers.

The legislation focuses on how the charge collected from passengers is distributed among agencies that benefit from the revenue. The revised framework provides for the collected funds to be remitted to designated beneficiaries, including the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Kenya Meteorological Services Authority and Tourism Fund.

The changes aim to establish a clearer framework for the flow of revenue collected through the passenger service charge, including remittance to the respective institutions.

No change to passenger charge rates

The enactment has attracted attention in the travel industry after reports said the amendment would increase charges paid by passengers departing from Kenya.

Some early reports indicated that the international passenger service charge would rise from USD 40 to USD 50, while the domestic charge would increase from KES 500 to KES 600.

However, examination of the enacted legislation indicates that the rates themselves have not been amended.

The amendment therefore should not be interpreted as introducing an immediate increase in the amount charged to passengers. The changes contained in the legislation relate primarily to the allocation and remittance of the revenue, rather than the statutory rates.

This distinction is particularly important for travel agents, airlines, and other businesses involved in selling and issuing air tickets, where any change in statutory charges can directly affect ticket pricing and customer communication.

Implications for travel agents

For travel agents, the amendment does not, by itself, require agents to apply higher Air Passenger Service Charge rates.

Agents should therefore exercise caution when communicating the development to clients or incorporating any new charge into ticket quotations. A reported change in the law should not automatically be treated as a change in the amount payable by passengers.

Any amendment to the applicable passenger service charge rates must be formally effected through the appropriate legal and regulatory process.

The distinction also matters when explaining ticket costs to travelers. Where passengers have seen reports of a possible increase, agents can clarify that the newly enacted amendment concerns the administration and distribution of the existing charge, and not an increase in the statutory rate.

Revised revenue distribution framework

Under the amended framework, revenue generated from the Air Passenger Service Charge will continue to support key institutions within Kenya’s aviation, tourism and related sectors. At the same time, the legislation provides for how the proceeds are to be remitted to the respective beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries include institutions responsible for airport infrastructure and operations, civil aviation regulation, meteorological services and tourism development.

The change therefore has implications beyond ticketing, particularly for the institutions that rely on passenger service charge revenues to support their respective mandates.

The amendment provides a revised mechanism for ensuring that the funds collected are distributed to the designated beneficiaries in accordance with the law.

Industry urged to distinguish between rate and administration

The development highlights the importance of distinguishing between a change to the passenger service charge rate and a change to the way the existing charge is administered or distributed.

While both may arise through amendments to the same legislation, they have different implications for passengers and the travel trade.

In this case, the enacted amendment changes the revenue framework without changing the statutory amount passengers must pay.

Travel agents and other industry stakeholders should therefore rely on formal regulatory communication when deciding whether to reflect any new passenger charge in fares, quotations, or customer invoices.

Africa’s tourism sector is posting some of its strongest numbers in years, with fresh data from East and Southern Africa this month pointing to a broad-based recovery that is reshaping economies, job markets and destination strategy across the region.

Zanzibar leads with an 18% August jump

Zanzibar recorded an 18 percent increase in tourist arrivals in August, welcoming 124,481 visitors, up from 105,506 a year earlier. According to tourism officials, Europe remained the dominant source market, accounting for 72,304 visitors or 58.1 percent of all arrivals, while Africa followed with 24.5 percent and Asia with 11.5 percent. Italy, the UK, Germany, France and Kenya rounded out the top five source countries. Visitors are also staying longer, with the average stay holding at eight days and more than 83 percent of visitors staying between one and nine days. A local economist attributed the growth to sustained infrastructure investment and continued peace and security on the islands.

Kenya’s arrivals climb 15.3%, tourism now worth 7% of GDP

Kenya’s tourism sector also had a standout year. The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife’s August 2026 report showed international arrivals rising 15.3 percent to 2.79 million in FY2025/26, up from 2.42 million the previous year, adding roughly 370,000 visitors. Domestic tourism grew in tandem, with resident bed-nights up 13.8 percent to 5.7 million, aided by the government’s “Tembea Kenya” campaign encouraging local travel. Officials say the sector now contributes approximately KSh1.2 trillion to the economy — about 7 percent of GDP — and supports an estimated 1.7 million jobs, more than 8 percent of national employment. The ministry credited stronger destination marketing, new airline routes and Kenya’s electronic travel authorization system for the gains, while noting that budget absorption for tourism projects fell to around 60 percent, a challenge officials say could slow further infrastructure gains.

South Africa: 5.58 million visitors in H1 2026, African arrivals outpacing overseas markets

South Africa’s numbers reinforce the continent-wide trend. Between January and June 2026, the country welcomed 5,584,473 international tourists, a 12.3 percent year-on-year increase. Notably, arrivals from other African countries grew even faster, at 14.3 percent, while overseas tourism expanded 5.6 percent. Analysts point to South Africa’s established airport, hotel and conference infrastructure across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban as a platform for growth beyond leisure travel, increasingly positioning the country to compete for business and incentive tourism as well.

Mauritius eyes the Gulf after a 10.5% jump in Middle East arrivals

Mauritius is banking on the Middle East to diversify its visitor base. Data from the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority showed Middle East arrivals rising about 10.5 percent between January and July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Following the increase, the authority plans to join the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai alongside roughly 20 Mauritian tourism sector partners, part of a push to build deeper Gulf connections. Air links are already substantial: more than 20 weekly flights currently connect the Gulf to Mauritius, largely via Dubai and Jeddah. Officials see the Middle East as a way to reduce reliance on Mauritius’s traditional European markets.

A regional pattern emerges

Taken together, the figures point to a consistent story: African destinations are not just recovering post-pandemic demand but actively diversifying their source markets — Zanzibar deepening its European base while gaining African visitors, Kenya balancing international growth with a domestic tourism boom, South Africa drawing more visitors from within the continent, and Mauritius pushing hard into the Gulf. With major trade events like the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai this month, and tourism ministries citing improved air connectivity, digital visa systems, and infrastructure investment as key drivers, the region appears positioned for continued growth into the final quarter of 2026 — though officials in Kenya and elsewhere caution that budget execution and infrastructure delivery remain the key risks to sustaining momentum.

East Africa is emerging as one of the strongest aviation-growth regions in Africa, with airline capacity expanding faster than the continental average and a series of new international connections strengthening links between the region, Asia, and the Middle East.

The shift is reflected in the latest WTM Africa industry data, which puts Eastern Africa’s aviation-capacity growth at 24.3%. That compares with a 13.7% increase across Africa, making Eastern Africa one of the clearest growth markets in the continent’s aviation network.

The expansion is being led by the region’s two largest aviation markets, Ethiopia and Kenya, while destinations such as Zanzibar are attracting additional international connectivity.

Eastern Africa Outpaces the Continent

Africa’s scheduled airline capacity reached 182.4 million departure seats in the first 10 months of 2026, up 13.7% from the comparable period in 2025.

International capacity accounted for 129.5 million seats, representing an 18.6% increase. Eastern Africa recorded approximately 46.5 million departure seats, with capacity growing by 24.3%.

The regional performance is particularly significant because growth is not evenly distributed across the continent. Central and Western Africa recorded no growth in aviation capacity over the period covered by the report.

The figures point to a concentration of aviation expansion in markets that already have established international gateways and growing tourism and business-travel demand.

Ethiopia and Kenya Drive the Expansion

Ethiopia recorded approximately 17 million departure seats, representing a 31.2% increase, while Kenya recorded 10.2 million seats, up 22.3%.

The two markets are important not only because of their domestic travel demand but because of the connecting traffic they handle.

Addis Ababa and Nairobi serve as major gateways into Eastern Africa and provide connections between African markets and long-haul destinations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

For airlines, that hub function provides a larger addressable market than traffic originating in a single country. For travel agencies, it creates additional routing options for passengers traveling between multiple African destinations.

Addis Ababa Expands Its Continental Role

Ethiopia’s particularly strong capacity growth is reinforcing Addis Ababa’s position as one of Africa’s principal aviation hubs.

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport handled about 2.29 million available seats in July 2026, making it the continent’s second-largest airport by scheduled airline capacity that month.

Its traffic mix also demonstrates the airport’s role beyond the Ethiopian market. Around 46% of its capacity was intra-African, while 44% was intercontinental.

That combination allows Addis Ababa to function simultaneously as an African regional gateway and as a bridge between the continent and overseas markets.

The strengthening of China–Addis Ababa connectivity adds another dimension to that network, particularly as African tourism and business markets seek stronger links with Asia.

Nairobi Remains a Key Regional Gateway

Kenya’s 22.3% capacity growth places the country among the major contributors to Africa’s aviation expansion.

Nairobi’s role is particularly important for East Africa because Jomo Kenyatta International Airport connects Kenya’s domestic and regional markets with a substantial long-haul network.

The combination of international airlines, regional carriers and connections into neighboring countries gives Nairobi a role in distributing passengers beyond Kenya itself.

For the travel trade, that connectivity supports itineraries that combine Kenya with Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and other destinations in the region rather than treating each market as a separate long-haul journey.

Zanzibar Attracts More International Capacity

The growth story is also visible at destination level.

Zanzibar has attracted increased attention from international airlines, with carriers including Qatar Airways and EgyptAir strengthening the island’s connections. The expansion adds to Zanzibar’s established links with major international aviation markets and increases the number of ways travelers can reach the destination.

The island’s position within the wider East African tourism circuit also gives the additional capacity significance beyond Zanzibar itself. International visitors can combine beach tourism with safaris and other experiences on mainland Tanzania and in neighboring East African markets.

For airlines and travel sellers, this creates opportunities to build more varied regional itineraries around the additional international access.

Asia Becomes More Accessible Through East Africa

The expansion is not confined to Europe and the Middle East.

China–Addis Ababa connectivity is strengthening the eastern side of Africa’s international aviation network, giving travelers from Asian markets another major African gateway.

Addis Ababa’s existing hub structure means additional long-haul connections can feed into a wider network of African destinations rather than serving Ethiopia alone.

That matters commercially for inbound tourism because connectivity is one of the practical constraints on selling multi-country African itineraries. A traveler arriving through one major gateway needs reliable onward connections if the journey is to extend beyond the first destination.

Capacity Growth Creates More Options for the Trade

For travel agencies, the significance of the numbers is ultimately in the additional combinations they make possible.

More seats, additional frequencies, and new international routes give agents more options when constructing itineraries, particularly for passengers combining several African destinations.

The expansion can also change how destinations are packaged. A market that previously required a less convenient connection may become easier to include when an airline adds a direct service or when a regional hub increases its connecting capacity.

That makes airline capacity a distribution issue as much as an aviation statistic.

East Africa’s Aviation Network Is Getting Denser

The 24.3% growth in Eastern Africa therefore sits within a broader change in the region’s aviation geography.

Ethiopia is expanding at more than 30%, Kenya at more than 20%, while Zanzibar is attracting additional international links. At the same time, Addis Ababa and Nairobi continue to provide the region’s strongest hub infrastructure.

The result is a denser network connecting East Africa internally and with major markets outside the continent.

With Eastern Africa growing almost twice as fast as Africa’s overall aviation-capacity rate, the region is increasingly standing out as one of the continent’s principal aviation-growth stories — not simply through more seats, but through the expansion of the routes, hubs and connections that determine how travelers move across Africa.

Artificial intelligence is moving deeper into the travel distribution chain, with a new WTM Africa industry report finding that 72% of Gen Z travelers surveyed now use AI to plan their trips.

The finding shifts the conversation beyond whether travel companies should use AI for marketing. It raises a more fundamental question: can their products, prices, and inventory be understood and surfaced by the systems travelers are increasingly using to make decisions?

The 2026 Africa Travel & Tourism: State of the Industry Report, released by Africa Travel Week and RX Africa, identifies AI-driven distribution as one of the structural forces reshaping the continent’s tourism industry. The report says operators without machine-readable inventory risk becoming invisible before the customer reaches the booking stage.

For travel agencies, that puts greater weight on the quality of the information sitting behind their digital presence. Website content, destination descriptions, product details, availability, pricing, reviews and other structured information can increasingly determine how easily digital planning tools understand what an agency actually sells.

That is different from traditional digital marketing, where the objective is largely to attract a traveler to a website, social-media page or campaign.

AI-assisted planning can instead act as an intermediary between the traveler and the travel supplier. A traveler may describe a destination, budget or type of experience and expect a digital tool to identify suitable options. The commercial question then becomes whether an agency’s products are sufficiently clear, current and accessible for those systems to interpret.

The development comes as Africa’s tourism market expands. The WTM Africa report says the continent received 81 million international visitors in 2025, an 8% increase and the fastest regional growth globally. Aviation capacity rose 13.7% to 182.4 million departure seats, although growth was uneven: Eastern Africa recorded a 24.3% increase in aviation capacity while Central and Western Africa recorded no growth.

The scale of the market makes digital discoverability increasingly relevant to distribution. As more travelers use AI during the research and planning stages, being present online may no longer be enough. Travel businesses also need to make the information they publish usable by the systems through which customers increasingly discover travel products.

Olivia Gradidge, Marketing Manager at WTM Africa and ILTM Africa, said the report examines themes including “trust, AI and travel tech, traveler psychology, sustainability and authenticity.”

The report was commissioned to Big Ambitions, RX Africa’s content, communications and marketing agency, and includes contributions from more than 25 industry leaders, academics and practitioners across the continent.

For travel agencies, the implication is relatively practical: maintaining accurate digital information is becoming part of distribution readiness. An itinerary that exists in an agency’s internal system but is poorly described online may be harder for an AI planning tool to identify than one with clear product information, current prices, destinations, inclusions and booking pathways.

That does not make conventional marketing obsolete. It adds another layer to it.

The WTM Africa report describes the broader shift as one from aspiration towards verification, with operators increasingly required to provide proof of access, trust, sustainability and welcome.

In that environment, AI is becoming less a question of whether a travel company has an AI strategy and more a question of whether its underlying product information is ready for the next generation of travel distribution.

Source: traveldailynews.com

African aviation stakeholders have renewed calls for faster implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and greater liberalization of the continent’s airspace as the 10th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition concluded in Nairobi.

The two-day summit, held on September 9–10 at the Sarit Expo Centre, brought together governments, aviation regulators, airlines, airports, industry associations and other aviation stakeholders to discuss the development of the continent’s air transport sector. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) was among the international industry organizations represented at the summit.

Discussions at the summit focused on SAATM, aviation infrastructure, connectivity, digital innovation, safety, skills development and the regulatory environment, with participants examining measures to strengthen the continent’s aviation sector.

Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi called for stronger regional cooperation and accelerated implementation of SAATM, saying aviation was central to Africa’s economic integration.

“Aviation is not just a means of transportation. It is an enabler of trade, tourism, investment, healthcare, education, humanitarian assistance and cultural exchange.”

Mudavadi said African countries needed to address the barriers that continue to limit connectivity between markets on the continent, including regulatory restrictions and infrastructure challenges.

The call was echoed by RwandAir Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Makolo, who urged African governments to move from commitments towards practical implementation of the continent’s open-skies agenda.

Makolo said African aviation needed stronger cooperation between governments and industry players to realise the objectives of SAATM and improve connectivity across the continent.

The discussions also highlighted the continued gap between Africa’s geographical proximity and the availability of direct air connections between its cities.

The summit brought together representatives from across the aviation value chain, including airlines, airports, regulators, manufacturers, aviation service providers and industry associations. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) hosted the 2026 edition in Nairobi.

The Kenya Association of Air Operators (KAAO) participated as an official supporting association, with the summit forming part of its industry engagements on the development of Kenya’s aviation sector.

The program also covered aviation safety and security, flight operations, air transport, air navigation services, maintenance, emerging aviation technologies, and digital innovation.

The summit is part of the Aviation Africa series, which brings together African and international aviation stakeholders for discussions on policy, investment, technology and the future development of the continent’s aviation industry.

Kenya has called for stronger regional integration and accelerated modernization of aviation infrastructure as it hosts the 10th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition in Nairobi.

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, officially opened the two-day summit at the Sarit Expo Centre, bringing together aviation leaders, policymakers, regulators and industry players from Africa and beyond.

Hosted by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the summit is being held under the theme, “Breaking the Mould: Finding Solutions to the Key Challenges Hindering Africa’s Aviation Industry.”

Mudavadi said aviation remains a critical driver of economic growth, trade, tourism, investment and regional integration, but warned that redundant regulatory and structural barriers continue to limit intra-African air connectivity.

He said the reliance on transit routes through destinations outside Africa increases the cost of air travel and restricts the movement of people and goods across the continent.

“Aviation is not just a means of transport. It is an enabler of trade, tourism, investment, healthcare, education, humanitarian assistance and cultural exchange,” Mudavadi said.

He urged African countries to accelerate implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), one of the flagship initiatives under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, to unlock the continent’s aviation potential.

Mudavadi also called for greater involvement of national parliaments in aviation reforms, particularly efforts to advance open-skies policies.

He said industry stakeholders should engage lawmakers more actively to build support for reforms aimed at liberalizing air transport and strengthening connectivity between African countries.

“In Kenya, for instance, our constitutional framework is such that the role of entities like Parliament has become extremely pivotal in opening up key policy direction,” he said.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary said Kenya remains committed to upgrading its aviation infrastructure and regulatory systems, highlighting investments in modern air traffic management systems, digital aviation technologies and safety capabilities.

He cited the planned upgrading of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to global standards as a priority, saying the project would help the country cope with growing passenger and air cargo volumes.

He added that improvements to regional airports and aerodromes would support domestic tourism, agricultural exports and enterprise development.

Principal Secretary for the State Department of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Teresia Mbaika, said the government was working to create an enabling environment for a safe, efficient, sustainable and competitive aviation industry.

“Our mandate is to create an enabling environment in which aviation can grow safely, efficiently, sustainably and competitively,” Mbaika said.

She said the government’s agenda includes infrastructure development, improved connectivity, increased investment, human capital development and innovation, alongside responsive regulatory and policy frameworks.

Mbaika said Kenya aims to retain its position as one of Africa’s leading aviation hubs while strengthening its role as a major air cargo centre.

She added that the establishment of a dedicated State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development reflects the government’s recognition of the sector’s growing importance amid rising cargo demand, emerging technologies and new air mobility solutions.

KCAA Board Chairman, Brown Ondego said Kenya’s long history in civil aviation provides a strong foundation for the country’s ambition to promote greater regional connectivity.

He said improved links between African cities and countries would create opportunities for trade, tourism, investment and the movement of people and goods.

Ondego said KCAA was proud to co-host the summit, which provides an opportunity for stakeholders to develop partnerships and translate discussions into practical actions for the continent’s aviation sector.

The summit, which runs through September 10, is expected to address some of the industry’s most pressing challenges, including the development of sustainable aviation fuels, digital transformation, the use of artificial intelligence in air traffic management, human capital development and innovative financing.

Stakeholders are also expected to explore measures for building a more resilient, competitive and sustainable African aviation industry capable of supporting the continent’s wider economic integration agenda.

Source: kenyanews.go.ke

Seated “Under the Mugumo Tree,” a panel titled “Still in the Game: Lessons from 30+ Years in Travel That No Strategy Book Can Teach” at the Kenya Association of Travel Agents’ 2026 Annual General Meeting in Mombasa, Mohamed Bafagih told a room of the industry’s next generation about the week his career fell apart.

When the planes stopped flying after September 11, 2001, Bafagih was working for Air France in Saudi Arabia, thousands of miles from home. The attacks triggered a sudden collapse in international air travel, as governments grounded flights, tightened security, and travelers stayed home. It was a shock that hit airlines’ revenues hard and forced many to cut back operations. Within weeks, Air France shut down its business in Saudi Arabia, and Bafagih was out of a job. His wife was expectant, his daughter was in school, and rent was due.

He sold what he owned and flew back to Kenya with nothing but his family.

“The biggest challenge was when I lost my job in Saudi Arabia during the Twin Towers attacks,” he told the gathering.

It was one of several such stories shared under the mugumo tree that day, a session built around a simple premise: that people who had spent three decades or more keeping the industry running had earned the right to be heard by the ones now taking it forward.

It was not the first time global events had reshaped his career, and it would not be the last. Today, 50 years after he entered the travel trade, Bafagih runs Vogue Tours and Travel Ltd, a travel agency in Mombasa, offering domestic and international ticketing, hotel bookings, customized holiday packages and other travel agency services.

Bafagih finished high school in 1973 with a distinction in geography, a subject he credits for shaping how far his ambitions reached, long before he’d ever left the country. “I knew the world when I was 20 years old,” he recalled.

He began his working life as a primary school mathematics teacher, a job he held for about three years before moving into travel. It was a different industry then: no internet, no booking software, just a phone and two well-thumbed reference guides that made up an agent’s entire toolkit.

“You had two books, ABC for the timetable of the flights, APT for the fares, and a phone,” he said. “And if you were good in geography, you were a travel agent.”

He had good timing, too. Kenya’s tourism sector was expanding fast: annual visitor arrivals had climbed from roughly 81,500 in 1965 to 343,500 in 1970, and by 1973, the year Bafagih left school, Nairobi alone was recording 418,000 landed air passengers a year, according to industry figures from the period.

Bafagih’s own path soon went international. He joined Air France and was posted to Dubai before moving on to Saudi Arabia. This trajectory placed him inside the airline industry just as Kenya’s tourism sector began absorbing a series of external shocks.

Arrivals had kept climbing through the 1980s, reaching about 614,000 in 1986 and 800,700 in 1990, as tourism became one of Kenya’s largest sources of foreign exchange. But the 1990-91 Gulf War knocked that momentum back, with arrivals dipping from 814,400 to 804,600 and coastal hotels disrupted before bookings recovered later that year. Later in the decade, political violence at the Coast in 1997 contributed to hotel closures and a 16 percent drop in occupancy, part of a broader slide in national arrivals from about 800,500 in 1996 to 672,000 in 1998.

Then came 2001. The September 11 attacks froze international aviation almost overnight. Kenya’s own arrivals fell 4.1 percent that year, with national statistics pointing to a collapse in confidence in air travel as a key factor; arrivals through Nairobi’s and Mombasa’s main airports dropped 11.6 percent. For Bafagih, the downturn wasn’t a statistic. It was the end of his job in Saudi Arabia, and the reason he came home with almost nothing.

Back in Kenya, he opened Vogue Travel. “I picked up very well,” he said of the business’s early years.

More than two decades on, he credits the company’s survival to a simple philosophy, one he says newcomers to the industry often overlook in the rush for fast commissions.

“You must build the business first. Offer great service. Have repeat clients. Build trust,” he said. “Avoid quick money: it is poison. Take your eligible commission. Be loyal to the customer.”

Bafagih is now thinking about what comes after him. He is candid that a family name on the door is not, by itself, a succession plan: anyone stepping in, including his own children, would need to earn it. “They need proper training,” he said.

It’s a philosophy that has outlasted more than one generation of the business itself. Vogue Travel has been a member of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) for the better part of its history, long enough to have watched the association build up a dedicated presence on the Coast, strengthening its work nationally by making sure agents outside Nairobi are represented too. Bafagih built the company slowly, on trust and repeat clients rather than quick commissions, and that kind of standing membership isn’t incidental. It’s the same patience applied at the institutional level.

Where there is no family member ready to take over, he’s floated another route entirely.

“My idea was to give shares to employees if there is no relative to pick up the company,” he said.

His advice to anyone starting in travel today is much the same as the philosophy that carried him through two career-ending shocks. “You have to be patient, teach them, be hardworking. Help is very important.”

The reference books are gone, replaced now by booking engines, smartphones and, increasingly, artificial intelligence. The telephone on the desk has changed beyond recognition. The industry has been knocked down twice in Bafagih’s own working life alone, by wars and by a single September morning half a world away.

Fifty years after two books and a telephone were enough to make him a travel agent, Mohamed Bafagih is still building something meant to survive him.