Outrage as Kenya tax officials accused of harassing tourists at airport

Lawmakers have joined Kenyans in protesting a directive by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) seeking to tax personal or household items worth $500 (Ksh75,000) and above, whether new or used by tourists visiting the country.

The National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations said some KRA officials have been taking advantage of the directive to harass tourists, hence giving the country bad publicity. The committee chairman Nelson Koech said Kenya instead be working on how to grow the number of tourists visiting the country.

“We are entering the peak tourism season and His Majesty’s visit to Kenya is poised to give our tourism a very big boost. The KRA’s passenger Terminal Guidelines could not have come at a worse time. This is not the time to be threatening those coming to Kenya,” Mr. Koech said.

“We agree, the laws around the world impose limitations on the amount of goods but that should not be an excuse to threaten passengers, harass travellers or infringe on the privacy of tourists. KRA should make it easy for passengers and travellers coming to Kenya to declare their luggage and where necessary pay duty before landing,” he added.

The Belgut MP pointed out that there is a need to clarify which goods are affected and ensure personal effects and electronics are left out.

“There appears to be mischievous characters at Times Tower who are bent on sustaining negative publicity on taxes. We appreciate that the only way we are going to achieve sustainable development as a country is by paying taxes and becoming dependent on our own resources as a country,” Mr. Koech said.

“But even then, there is a need for all agencies of government to go easy on Kenyans and as far as possible avoid coming across as insensitive in making their public announcements,” he said.

“Why would KRA choose when we are preparing for the Royal Visit to remind Kenyans of these new Passenger Rules? Where have they been all along?”

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua termed the KRA move as one of the reasons the number of tourists visiting the country has been declining.

“You go to Rwanda; they don’t harass you. Does Rwanda not collect taxes? You go to South Africa, and they don’t harass you. In Dubai, they don’t harass you. So, why do our visitors face such challenges in Kenya? And we wonder why people are not coming to Kenya,” Mutua asked.

Senate majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot said on his X account that “the National Assembly finance committee holds the key to alleviating national shame that is the KRA searches at JKIA. By providing the necessary clarity needed to distinguish goods for a commercial venture and personal items”.

Source: The East African

Kenya targets 5.5m international tourists by 2028

Kenya plans to more than double international tourist arrival in the next five years, as the industry moves towards full recovery in post- pandemic era.

Kenya Tourism Board is seeking to grow arrivals into the country to 5.5 million by 2028, in an ambitious plan that involves the private sector.

It is reaching out to industry players for collaborative efforts to market the country.

According to KTB chairperson Francis Gichaba, the sector is back on full recovery with arrivals by end of the current financial year expected to close at slightly over 1.9 million visitors.

“We are very optimistic that with the support from the private sector and other key players in the industry, our performance will even surpass the 2019 arrivals to over 2 million and progressively beyond,” said Gichaba.

He was speaking at Bomas of Kenya yesterday during a tourism stakeholder meeting that brought together hoteliers, tour operators, travel agents, tourism associations and government agencies.

The session sought to validate KTB’s five-year strategic plan for 2023-2028.

In the strategy, KTB is targeting to achieve 5.5 million international tourist arrivals and grow the tourism sector contribution to Kenya’s economy to Sh 1 trillion annually by June 2028.

The Tourism Research Institute has projected this year’s arrivals at 1.9 million with the number expected to grow to 2.2 million in 2024.

In 2022, arrivals were 1,483,752 which was a 70.5 per cent increase compared to 2021 arrivals of 870,465.

The country’s best year remains 2019 when arrivals hit a high of 2.04 million visitors with earnings of Sh296.2 billion.

Earnings are expected to hit Sh359.1 billion next year, and then Sh396.1 billion the year after.

“The projections were informed by global economic factors and Covid recovery patterns. The effects of the Russia invasion of Ukraine on some key markets and on global tourism supply channels was also taken on board,” TRI acting Chief Executive Officer David Gitonga told the Star.

Its based on economically tested tourism prediction models that TRI has acquired, contracted, he added.

Yesterday, Gichaba said destination marketing was a collaborative exercise, noting that the involvement of the private sector in the strategy development was one of the ways of incorporating invaluable ideas that would shape the sector’s performance within the review period.

Kenya Hotel Keepers Association and Caterers CEO Mike Macharia on his part, called on the private players to tailor their product and experiences to the needs of the market.

“We talk of Africa as the low hanging fruit in terms of numbers and market share into the country and therefore, the product owners should package their products and experience and sell to Africa, “Macharia said.

This move, he said, would also open opportunities for Africans to invest in Kenya’s hospitality sector.

While lauding KTB for consolidating industry’s input in its strategy, the KAHC chief challenged the marketing agency not to downsize on in-market promotional activities.

These includes participating in tourism fairs such as World Travel Market and International Tourism Bourse among others, which he noted as ways of increasing brand visibility.

“We have to go where the market is, and this is what our competitors such as South Africa have beaten us on. They have invested heavily on market presence not only to build brand awareness but to sign marketing deals,” Macharia said.

In the KTB strategy, the sector is looking to grow Kenya’s market share in Africa to six per cent from the current 2.26 per cent and increase employment contribution from 7.9 per cent in 2022, to an annual growth 10 per cent.

On the Gross Domestic Product, the tourism marketing agency is targeting to move from 6.4 per cent recorded last year to 10 per cent by 2027.

The performance of the domestic market is also expected to grow from the current bed nights of five million to about 7.4 million in 2028.  

Source: The Star

Global tourism sector recovering faster than expected this year, WTTC says

The global tourism sector is rebounding at a faster pace than expected this year, despite macroeconomic and geopolitical tensions, but environmental sustainability must be central to its recovery.

That is according to the latest global tourism outlook revealed by the World Travel and Tourism Council on Wednesday at its annual global summit, held for the first time in Africa, in the Rwandan capital Kigali.

Total tourism arrivals worldwide are expected to grow 5 per cent in 2023, compared to 2019, according to WTTC’s latest forecast in partnership with Oxford Economics. That is an improvement on the 2 per cent the organisation predicted in March.

“Despite economic and geopolitical turmoil in 2023, we’re seeing that this year so far is showing a faster recovery than our initial expectations,” Julia Simpson, the WTTC’s president and chief executive, said at the summit’s opening press briefing.

“Our previous predictions in March have now been exceeded by travel and tourism’s current performance … every single region is growing faster than we had originally predicted.

“Once again, our sector has shown its true resilience and grit in the reopening after the pandemic.”

Tourism arrivals into the Middle East are set to rise 28 per cent this year, from their pre-Covid levels, the October forecast showed. The organisation in March had predicted 22 per cent growth.

Asked specifically about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza wars on the recovery of global tourism, Ms Simpson said: “All I can say is that the WTTC, as an organisation that represents travel and tourism, we stand for peace, we stand for building bridges and we stand for connecting people.”

Airlines in the Middle East have said that the Israel-Gaza war has led to a drop in air travel to the region, as the conflict rages on amid international calls to halt the fighting to ease the humanitarian disaster in the enclave.

Challenges include costly flight diversions for security reasons, steep fuel bills and a drop in international visitors.

The global travel and tourism sector contributed to more than 10 per cent of the global gross domestic product in 2019, with the industry worth $10 trillion.

It lost about 50 per cent of its value during the Covid-19 pandemic, making it one of the hardest hit sectors.

So far this year, the sector has nearly recovered to its pre-Covid levels, according to the WTTC.

Travel and tourism is expected to contribute 9.2 per cent to the global GDP at a value of $9.5 trillion in 2023, just 5 per cent below its 2019 levels. That is a 23.3 per cent year-on-year increase from the $7.7 trillion recorded in 2022.

“We are very resilient, we come back. It’s deep in our DNA to travel and to connect,” Ms. Simpson said.

The industry has not fully rebounded to 2019 levels yet partly because China’s full recovery potential has yet to be realised, Ms. Simpson said.

“The reason we’re not quite there is that China, which is one of the biggest travel and tourism economies, only opened this year and is still going through those opening processes of making sure people can travel and get visas,” she said.

“We’ve also had some issues around labour shortages, which were short-term, but hampered a little bit the recovery. But we’re practically there.”

In the next 10 years, the value of the travel and tourism industry is going to increase to reach about $15.5 trillion, according to Ms. Simpson.

But rebuilding the sector following the pandemic-induced turmoil must also take into account its impact on the environment, she said.

Travel and tourism was responsible for 8.1 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, 10.6 per cent of total global energy and 0.9 per cent of freshwater use, according to a study revealed last year by the WTTC and Sustainable Tourism Global Centre, part of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism.

“Travel and tourism is recovering but as we know, sustainability needs to be at its centre,” Ms Simpson said. “Growing back better means growing sustainably.”

Source: The National News

Etihad Abu Dhabi to Kenya flights to take off in 2024

Etihad Airways is resuming flights to East Africa with daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Nairobi set to start on May 1, 2024.

The new route connects Kenya’s capital with Etihad’s growing global network, and will help foster important cultural and economic ties between the UAE and the East African powerhouse.

Etihad will operate daily flights to Nairobi, utilising the Airbus A320, featuring both Business and Economy cabins.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are thrilled to be re-starting flights to Nairobi, a dynamic and exciting city in itself and also the gateway to a Kenyan safari, a dream adventure for many travellers, offering a view of the diverse and magnificent wildlife of Africa.

“Equally, we will be delighted to welcome guests from Kenya to our extraordinary home as well as offering them access to our growing global network.”

The relaunched flights will restore commercial non-stop passenger connections between the two cities, and guests traveling from Kenya will be able to connect with Etihad flights to the GCC, the US, Europe, India and South-East Asia.

The link will further stimulate cross-business and trade opportunities between the UAE and the growing Kenyan economy.

Source: Arabian Business

Not Just Dubai – UAE Focuses on All 7 Emirates for Tourism

The UAE’s minister of economy has said the country’s tourism advisory board is working on new packages that promote travel in all seven emirates. For years, tourism in the UAE has been centered in Dubai, home to Emirates Airline, the world’s biggest mall and a string of ultra-luxury hotels.

Capital city Abu Dhabi attracts tourism largely with its cultural offerings, such as the Louvre Museum, while Ras Al Khaimah focuses on nature tourism and corporate events. The other emirates, however, do not get as much attention.

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri is now looking to change that. The minister revealed to state news agency WAM, that the Emirates Tourism Council has formulated a “tourist route” within the UAE that connects its seven emirates. This, according to the minister, is part of an even grander vision to promote cross-GCC travel as you would see with travelers hopping across Europe.

“This initiative is an integral part of the GCC 2030 tourism strategy, designed to elevate the tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP through increased inter-GCC travel and elevated hotel occupancy rates, transforming the GCC into a pre-eminent global destination for both regional and international tourists,” the UAE minister said.

Al Marri revealed that the unified GCC visa will roll out either next year or in 2025. When it does, it will introduce a “new flow of international tourists” to the region.

Last September, Al Marri gave updates on this development during a conference in Abu Dhabi. “What’s good for Saudi is good for the GCC,” he said at the conference. “If the tide comes up, it pulls up all the boats.”

This new visa comes under the banner of the “Gulf Strategy for Tourism 2023-2030,” which ministers also said is in the works. The meeting also looked into the establishment of a GCC Tourism Statistics Platform.

Source: Skift

Swissport joins IATA Africa initiative

Cargo handler Swissport International has announced its participation in the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) “Focus Africa” initiative.

The initiative is a major commitment to support the transformation and growth of aviation in Africa.

As a partner of the IATA “Focus Africa” initiative, Swissport will aim to improve connectivity, safety, and sustainability in African aviation.

“Swissport recognizes the immense potential of the aviation industry in Africa and is committed to creating a positive impact”, says Dirk Goovaerts, chief executive Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa, and global cargo chair of Swissport International.

“Together with IATA, we aim to support passengers and cargo customers and ultimately promote the continent’s economic development.”

Africa’s aviation sector holds vast economic opportunities. However, it also faces significant challenges such as limited infrastructure, high operational costs, regulatory issues, and the urgent need for sustainable practices.

“Africa’s aviation industry has the potential to transform lives and economies. Through collaboration with partners like Swissport, across the aviation industry we aim to confront these challenges head-on, building a more sustainable and prosperous aviation ecosystem together,” added Kamil Al-Awadi, regional vice president, Africa, and Middle East of IATA.

“Swissport’s commitment to support the Focus Africa demonstrates a shared vision for the future of African aviation.”

IATA’s Focus Africa initiative has outlined six key focus areas:

Safety: Improve operational safety through a data driven, collaborative program to reduce incidents and accidents.

Infrastructure: Facilitate the growth of efficient, secure, and cost-effective aviation infrastructure.

Connectivity: Promote the liberalization of intra-African market access through the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).

Finance and Distribution: Accelerate the implementation of secure, effective, and cost-efficient financial services and adoption of modern retailing standards.

Sustainability: Assist the African aviation industry in achieving Net Zero by 2050.

Future Skills: Promote careers in aviation for a steady supply of diverse talent to meet future industry needs.

Swissport has been actively expanding its presence and services across the African continent to 31 airports in six countries in areas including cargo handling.

Source: Aircargo News

Kenya’s Tourism Industry Set for Major Boost Ahead of UK’s Royal Family Visit

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 24 – The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) expects a major boost in Kenya’s tourism sector ahead of Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s visit to Kenya.

KTB, in a statement, said that the impending visit will create a buzz for the country, attracting attention from tourists and investors in the UK and beyond.

“This visit will undoubtedly increase the number of UK tourists coming to Kenya and will allow us to show the best of Kenya to people in the Commonwealth and around the world,” said KTB acting CEO John Chirchir.

The UK royalties will, among other places, visit the coastal city of Mombasa, a move that will boost the area’s economy that is reliant on tourism.

“At the coast we are delighted to be hosting Their Majesties, it is a fantastic opportunity to show what the Coast has to offer, from marine conservations to luxury hotels, the region’s largest port to unparalleled sandy beaches and demonstrates the importance of coastal tourism to the broader sector,” said Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA) chairperson Victor Shitakha.

According to KTB, Kenya received 101,167 visitors from the UK this year, up from 83,126 arrivals in the same period last year, an increase of 21.7 percent.

The British High Commission in Nairobi said the King and Queen will visit Kenya from October 31 to November 3, 2023.

Source: Capitalfm.

Uganda Airlines direct flight to Nigeria deepens competition on international route.

Uganda Airlines has commenced direct connectivity to Lagos from Entebbe International Airport with three weekly flights to Lagos, thereby deepening competition on international route.

Flights from Nigeria to other African countries have continued to take several hours as a result of poor connectivity.

When the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) was launched in January 2018, it was enthusiastically embraced as the key that would unlock air travel in Africa.

Although 33 countries in the continent are signatories to the project, many countries in Africa have not open their airspace for a single air market in the continent.

Uganda airlines is however changing this narrative with direct flight from Africa’s most populated country.

Abuja and Kano, have been approved as entry points for the airline by the federal government under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA, between both nations in line with the Single Africa Air Transport Market, SAATM.

The launch of flight services to Lagos by Uganda’s flag carrier, Uganda Airlines would help to close the gap in the travel needs of travelers from West Africa and East Africa.

The flights will be taking place on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays and the flight will take under 5 hours. A return ticket for Economy class will be US$ 510 Economy and Business class at $1800.

Speaking shortly after the inaugural flight, Nelson Ocherger, Uganda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, stated that the approval by the Nigerian government would open a landscape of business opportunities to both nations. He noted that Ugandans await when Nigerian carriers would commence services to the country.

According to him: “The importance of air transport underscores the promotion of trade and investment and it allows Africa to leverage on all African Union, AU, agenda. We thank the Nigerian government for the necessary approval to do this operation.” “Uganda through the Uganda Civil Aviation Academy has partnered with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria to train Ugandan pilots, engineers, and other aviation professionals.”

Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador who Director of Airport Protocol represented in the Ministry, Ambassador Oludare Folowosele said Ugandan Airline’s operation was an opportunity to bridge West Africa and East Africa air transport hiccups, lamenting air connectivity as a major challenge in Africa wondering why Africans would travel to Europe first before connecting another African city while wasting over 12 hours on a trip that is normally three or four hours.

He said, “It is ridiculous to go to Europe before connecting two African neighboring countries. What we are doing today would lead to wealth creation, shortening travel time from one country to another rather than depend on Europe all the time for flight connections.”

Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, who was represented by Hassan Ejibunu, Director of Air Transport Management in the Ministry, stated that aviation remains the best way for Africa to connect her people and promote inter-Africa business in line with Africa’s 2063 Agenda, as championed by the continent’s leaders.

“Aviation has a huge market that should be explored by indigenous African Airlines, as no other Nations can develop the aviation sector for us, except us Africans. We need to do this in the interest of our over 1.37 billion people, which is 17.4 per cent of the world’s population. I wish to, therefore, challenge Nigeria’s local airlines to seize the opportunity to start operating regional and continental flights to make SAATM and YD achieve their aims, as envisioned by African leaders.”

Source: Business Day

KQ increases weekly New York flights to five from October 29

Passengers travelling to New York have a reason to smile after the national airline Kenya Airways announced plans to increase flights between the two destinations.

Kenya Airways on Monday announced that it will be increasing its weekly flights from the current four to five from Sunday next week (October 29) and have daily flights from December 4.

“Celebrating five years milestones of 1,700 flights and 72,000 Kilometres to John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport,” the statement read.

“Starting October 29, 2023, we offer you additional flights from four times to five times weekly from Nairobi to New York and daily flights starting December 4, 2023.”

Kenya Airways has been operating flights to London since its inception as a gateway to the United Kingdom for business travel, leisure travel, trade, and educational purposes.

A flight from JKIA to JFK lasts for about 15 hours eastbound and 14 hours westbound on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The launch of the inaugural direct flights in 2018 saw Kenya become the first East African country and the eighth in Africa to operate direct flights to the US.

In Africa, only South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Senegal and Morocco were the only countries that were allowed to make direct flights to the US then.

Kenya was allowed to fly directly to the US following its approval for Category One status by the US Federal Aviation Administration in April 2017, and JKIA’s elevation to the status of a Last Point of Departure.

Category one rating means an airport complies with standards set out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

It means that a country’s civil aviation authority has been assessed by FAA inspectors and has been found to license and oversee air carriers in accordance with ICAO aviation safety standards.

In September, KQ announced the introduction of two daily flights to London, effective October 29.

“Starting October 29, 2023, fly 2x daily to London from Nairobi with Kenya Airways for all your corporate, business, leisure, or academic travel needs. Book Now, ” KQ said.

The airline’s customers will have the option of choosing between a morning flight, KQ 100, and an evening flight, KQ 102, allowing for more travel options, convenience, and flexibility.

This comes barely a week after Kenya’s national carrier, was crowned Africa’s leading airline for the fifth time.

The award went to its economy class service and inflight magazine (msafiri) at the World Travel Awards 2023.

The airline was feted at the Africa and Indian Ocean World Travel Awards Gala held on October 15 in Dubai.

Allan Kilavuka, Kenya Airways group chief executive officer and MD said the award was a recognition of listening to their clients.

“It is about listening to the customers and understanding their needs. Our goal is to be the preferred Africa carrier and we are constantly innovating to improve our guest’s customer experience,” said Kilavuka.

KQ renovated the economy-class inflight service in 2023. This included a rollout of tray service in economy class to replace the existing box service and an extra hot meal starter and yoghurt for breakfast on specific mid to long-haul flights across the network.

Source: The-star

Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism hosts networking event to highlight export and manufacturing opportunities

Dubai, UAE: The Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), a subsidiary of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), held a successful ‘Exporters’ Gathering’ last week, under the banner ‘From Dubai to the World: Global Market Mastery’. The event provided a dynamic networking platform for key stakeholders and partners to gain a deeper understanding of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33 and the city’s pro-business environment. It also emphasized the numerous opportunities available for exporters and manufacturers to tap into global markets.

The exclusive networking event outlined the visionary D33 Agenda, launched in January by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy within 10 years and further consolidate the emirate’s status as one of the top three global cities. The event outlined Dubai’s position as a leading destination for business and investment, raising awareness of the emirate’s thriving business environment, export systems, processes and services.

Mohammed Ali Al Kamali, COO of Manufacturing & Export Development at DEDC, said: “The Exporters’ Gathering seamlessly aligns with the goals of the D33 Agenda, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of Dubai’s manufacturing and export sectors, transforming the city into a vibrant hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. A key priority within the D33 Agenda is to scale manufacturing value addition and exports by promoting advanced modes of production within a world-leading, business-friendly and sustainable environment. This networking event provides a platform for exporters and manufacturers to connect, learn and explore new horizons. Whether you are an exporter seeking new markets or a manufacturer looking for strategic partnerships, our city has much to offer. We are consistently striving to establish an ecosystem that not only supports your business aspirations but also nurtures them.”

In addition to emphasising the importance of the D33 Agenda, the ‘Exporters Gathering’ focused on providing significant updates, including the initiatives led by the Ministry of Economy regarding Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA), the Etihad Rail project and its potential contribution to the logistics sector, and the ‘Make it in the Emirates’ mark, further emphasising the nation’s commitment to promoting homegrown products. The event also featured a presentation titled ‘Alibaba Dubai: Capitalising on E-commerce B2B Opportunities’ with representatives from the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC) and Alibaba speaking about their collaboration in establishing the Dubai Pavilion on Alibaba.com, offering promising opportunities for cross-border trade.

A highlight of the forum was a panel discussion on ‘Innovative Trade Finance Solutions’.  The panel provided valuable insights and solutions for exporters seeking financial support to expand their businesses. These discussions underscored Dubai’s dedication to facilitating a conducive environment for exporters and entrepreneurs.

About Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)

With the ultimate vision of making Dubai the world’s leading commercial centre, investment hub and tourism destination, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is mandated to support the Government in positioning the emirate as a major hub for global economy and tourism, and in boosting the city’s economic and tourism competitiveness indicators, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aims to double the size of the emirate’s economy and consolidate its position among the top three global cities over the next decade.

Under this remit, DET is driving efforts to further enhance Dubai’s diversified, innovative service-based economy to attract top global talent, deliver a world-class business environment and accelerate productivity growth. Additionally, DET is supporting Dubai’s vision to become the world’s best city to live and work in by promoting its diverse destination proposition, unique lifestyle and outstanding quality of life, overall.

DET is the principal authority for planning, supervising, developing and marketing Dubai’s business and tourism sectors. It is also responsible for licensing and classifying all types of businesses, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. The DET portfolio includes Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), Dubai Business Licence Corporation (DBLC), Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade (DCCPFT), Dubai SME, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) and Dubai College of Tourism (DCT).

Source: Zawya