Tourism agency (KTB) bets on adventure travel to grow numbers.

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is banking on public-private partnerships to grow Kenya’s adventure tourism opportunities. KTB Chief Executive June Chepkemei says adventure tourism has demonstrated resilience and potential to attract more visitors to the country due to its adaptability and broad economic benefits that support local communities.

“Recent statistics point to the growth of adventure travel with its resilience and ability to support local economies, especially as countries rebuild following the global travel rebound from Covid-19,” she noted.

She highlighted multi-faceted adventure experiences that include eco-friendly safaris, birding, hiking, and water sports among others. “Besides other attractions, the country is long known for such as beach and wildlife, there are hidden gems that we can creatively promote through off-the-beaten-track locations during off-peak seasons. This would go a long way in spreading out visitors and revenues for broader benefits to our economy and communities,” she explained.

Chepkemei made the remarks during the inaugural meeting of the Kenya Adventure Tourism Product Club which was established by the board as a platform for collaboration in packaging and promoting Kenya’s adventure tourism offering.

Through the Kenya Adventure Tourism Product Club, KTB has identified various tourism leaders who will work closely with the board in showcasing Kenya’s adventure tourism experiences to Kenyans and the world. The club members are drawn from private and public sectors cutting across diverse experiences from running and kite surfing, mountain climbing, trekking, canyoning and abseiling.

The global adventure tourism market, valued at over $450 billion (Sh58 trillion), offers tremendous potential for destinations, especially as the tourism sector fully rebounds globally.

Source: Standard Media

Discover the Beauty and Potential of Eldoret with Kenya Airways

Renowned as the home of champions with beautiful lush highlands, natural beauty, and cultural heritage, Eldoret is now the 44th Kenya Airways destination. Kenya Airways recently relaunched its flight services to and from Eldoret effective March 25th, 2024.

Driven by its mission “To propel Africa’s prosperity by connecting its people, cultures, and markets.” Kenya Airways reintroduced its flights to connect Eldoret to the world and the world to Eldoret for tourism, trade, sports and culture. With 6 weekly flights, the schedule is perfect for sportsmen and sportswomen coming to train from abroad who want a seamless connection, for the business community who want to travel to explore opportunities, for students traveling to study, for family and friends traveling as well as tourists who want to explore the regions hidden wonders.

The service was first introduced with 5 weekly flights and in June, Kenya Airways responded to market demand and increased the flights to 6 weekly flights to provide customers with flexible travel options. The flights also offer seamless connectivity for international travel to and from other KQ destinations across the world. Guests travelling to and from Eldoret will also be eligible to earn Asante Reward points every time they fly with Kenya Airways.

New Schedule:

How Corporate Travel Managers Can Meet the Challenges of Continuous Disruption

Digital transformation has forced a litany of changes on both the buyer and seller sides of the travel industry. As Web 2.0 and cloud computing emerged, virtually all industries began to digitize, and corporate travel management was not immune. Then a global health crisis leveled its own brand of disturbance.

At the same time, travelers heightened expectations for customer service, and personalized experiences were going through their own step change.

Now travel distribution models themselves are shifting. Caught in the middle, travel managers have found themselves in an ecosystem of continuous disruption, the latest being new distribution capability (NDC) driven by airlines. How are corporate travel managers navigating the current wave of change and how can they best adapt and remain relevant, while keeping their travelers moving?

Are we using NDC?

In the past year or so since the airlines began to shift their distribution strategies via NDC in earnest, players at every link of the value chain have been adopting, piloting, adapting and connecting. The U.S. Travel Association has reported that 24% have experienced challenges with the rollout; and half of North American travel buyers (55%) say their programs have not even started to implement NDC. Just as hotels did a few years ago with dynamic rates, airlines are on a journey to take control of their content strategies to maximize their product merchandising and minimize distribution costs. Major players like American Airlines are shaking up the game, targeting business travelers directly, offering the best rates and tailored offers on their brand websites. And corporate travelers are responding, motivating travel management companies (TMC) to change their operational practices. The disruptions are not only a procedural headache but also require serious adaptations in servicing and technology.

APIs for direct connections

For brand carriers, the travel industry is all about creating and nurturing connections. This innovative new distribution technology connects airline brands directly with corporate travelers. It is basically an API (application programming interface) connection, many of which are already widely employed for online travel agencies and metasearch distribution and booking in the hospitality industries. However, when business travelers book rooms, cars and flights directly with suppliers, corporate travel managers encounter problems that go well beyond mere frustration.

Governance issues

Naturally, business travelers don’t care about acronyms, nor whether they get an NDC airfare, global distribution system (GDS) fare, OTA or direct rate. However, travel managers need their travelers to draw within the lines because if the company can no longer track purchases or authorize bookings, they lose visibility and control over supplier spend. If managers only get purchasing information once they have been submitted as expenses, they lose all ability to direct spend to preferred suppliers or optimize travel budget.

The whole process of off-channel bookings is fraught with problems of governance as managers need to know that employees are staying in the right hotels and importantly staying within the spending boundaries. Managers need to bring travelers back into the managed travel program for completeness of the approvals process, visibility, the payment of the trip, traveler tracking and enforcing policy controls.

Disruption management

In business travel, at least a third or more of all trips change. Travelers who make direct bookings for all or part of their trips still expect their company to be able to help with disruption or credit management. Travelers just want good fares within their budget and to maximize loyalty points; oblivious to the logistical complexity that comes with trying to get service or support from their TMC if they have no visibility over the booking.

The challenges in transitioning from legacy GDSs and EDIFACT to a fragmented technology ecosystem that connects to NDC is causing a disruption management problem for corporate travel departments. For now, at least, that generally spells operational friction for everybody involved.

Frictions and emissions

Travel managers must regain the ability to service and support travelers from door to door. And they must do so while simultaneously matching the frictionless, personalized customer experiences that hotels and airline brands are striving to provide. In today’s atmosphere of sharp regulatory scrutiny, compliance leaders must mitigate any corporate travel risks. Especially in large enterprises, business travel is a significant part of Scope 3 carbon footprints. GBTA’s Business Travel Industry Outlook Poll reported that 49% of travel buyers say they are either the lead decision maker or one of the decision makers when it comes to travel risk management. Travel managers must ensure that employees are making smart and sustainable travel choices.

The connected journey

To solve their pain points in 2024, travel managers need technology platforms that unify the entire travel experience in a single source of truth, no matter the content source. The right travel technology pulls together all travel channels in alignment with corporate policies. A unified platform keeps managers in the loop, ensuring they can keep their travelers safe and help in the event of changes, problems or emergencies. But the technology must preserve the all-important customer experience, giving them ease, choice and flexibility, so employees have no need to book any parts of their journeys outside the lines.

Moreover, AI tools now can automate and elevate the connected journey by efficiently offering personalized booking options for the traveler serving up a handful (instead of hundreds) of options that align with the traveler’s personal preferences, company policy and travel patterns. And travel managers get to see the entire picture, both at the individual traveler’s level and at the corporate level.

Technology has proven that it sometimes causes problems and sometimes solves them for corporate travel managers. Historically, about 30-50% of all hotel accommodations have gone outside of the travel program, direct to suppliers or OTAs, aka leakage.

Corporate travel managers have had to tolerate leakage, and they’ve really struggled to do anything about it because they haven’t been able to offer the choice and convenience travelers can get through other channels. Now with the advancement of platforms that can seamlessly integrate all of these diverse booking offerings, managers have the capability to make their jobs easier while keeping their travelers coloring within the lines.

Source: PhocusWire.  

With 14 Weekly Flights to Choose From, You Can Fly To Dubai At Your Convenience With Kenya Airways

Shopping. Beaches. Food. Dessert drives. Water Adventures. Culture. Architecture. Business…the allure of Dubai is unending, and Kenya Airways has made travel to Dubai convenient for customers by providing 14 weekly flights.

Whether you are traveling for business or leisure, the Kenya Airways flight schedule is conveniently crafted to get you there on time. If you prefer a night flight to get you there on time to start your activities early morning or if you prefer a morning flight to ensure you settle and catch up with your appointments in the afternoon, KQ has a wide variety of flights for you to choose at competitive fares.

In response to demand from guests, Kenya Airways has flights to Dubai from two cities in Kenya i.e. Nairobi and Mombasa providing guests with the option to depart from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi or Moi International Airport, Mombasa. With 11 weekly flights from Nairobi to Dubai and 3 weekly flights from Mombasa to Dubai, Kenya Airways offers direct flights to ensure guests' needs are catered to.

That’s not it. KQ ensures an elevated customer experience and satisfaction by using the Airbus A332 & Boeing B737 on this route which are renowned for space and increased passenger comfort. The choice of aircraft also ensures that guests traveling for business or trade have enough baggage capacity.

Why choose Kenya Airways as your travel partner of choice? Kenya Airways promises unmatched professional hospitality with an African touch from friendly crew and gives guests a chance to earn redeemable Asante Reward points every time they choose Kenya Airways.

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Air Seychelles, Air Austral launch interline agreement for Seychelles-Reunion travel

Air Seychelles and Air Austral have established an interline agreement, specifically a Special Prorate Agreement (SPA), allowing customers to travel between Seychelles and Reunion via Mauritius on a single ticket. This agreement follows Air Austral’s decision to cancel their nonstop route between the two islands, prompting discussions with Air Seychelles to maintain service continuity.

Air Seychelles currently operates between Seychelles and Mauritius three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays offering passengers a range of dates to plan their holidays and connections.

Example of a one-way trip from Seychelles to Reunion via Mauritius

• Departure from Seychelles at 9.30am hrs arriving into Mauritius at 12.05pm

• Departure from Mauritius at 2.45pm hrs arriving into Reunion at 3.30pm

Example of a one-way trip from Reunion to Seychelles via Mauritius

• Departure from Reunion at 1.15pm hrs arriving into Mauritius at 2pm

• Departure from Mauritius at 5.05pm hrs arriving into Seychelles at 7.40pm

“Air Austral is pleased with this partnership with Air Seychelles. It was important for us to be able to offer an alternative travel to the Seychelles to our passengers. It’s a destination we know is particularly appreciated by the Reunion islanders and which we hope to be able to resume, as soon as the financial and operational situation will allow it, in agreement with our authorities.” Said Joseph Brema, Chairman of the Management Board of Air Austral.

“It is a pleasure for Air Seychelles to be able to intervene and offer an alternative bridge between Seychelles and Reunion at a time when it was most needed. We look forward to a long and fruitful cooperation,” shares Sandy Benoiton, chief executive of Air Seychelles.

Customers’ baggage will also be checked in to their final destination.

Source: Zawya.  

AirAsia X expands with new route to Nairobi, Kenya

AirAsia X (AAX) has announced a new route to Africa, connecting Singaporean travellers to Nairobi, Kenya, via Kuala Lumpur. The inaugural flight is scheduled for 15 November 2024, making AAX the only low-cost carrier in Malaysia to offer direct flights to Nairobi. This expansion follows a strong start to the year for AAX, with impressive financial results, high load factors, and regained market leadership.

Earlier in March, AAX also launched new flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan, marking its first entry into Central Asia.

Connecting Asia to Africa

The Nairobi route is a crucial link in connecting Asia to Africa, fostering stronger trade, tourism and business ties within the region. AAX will also offer a seamless Fly-Thru connection, creating a vital link between Kenya and 130 destinations across Southeast Asia, Northern and Central Asia, and Australia providing affordable and convenient travel options for all while reinforcing its commitment to global connectivity.

Nairobi, Kenya, is renowned for its lush greenery, expansive grass plains, and abundant wildlife, attracting tourists eager to see the near-extinct Northern White Rhino and the Great Migration in Masai Mara. The city offers breathtaking skylines, thrilling safari experiences, vibrant nightlife, rich cultural heritage, and diverse culinary delights, making it a captivating destination for travellers.

Strategic vision for global connectivity

Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A says: “We are thrilled to announce a direct new route, bridging Asia and Africa. This milestone, coming on the heels of our 15th consecutive win as Skytrax’s World’s Best Low-Cost Airline, embodies our mission to connect the world affordably. This new route not only opens up Asia to Africa but also has the potential to strengthen ties in tourism, business and trade between the two continents.

“It marks the beginning of a new journey into Africa, and while our roots are in Asia and Asean, our dream has always been to make Kuala Lumpur a global low-cost carrier hub. This expansion brings us closer to that vision, giving us a solid footing to build global connections and opportunities.”

Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X adds: “Embarking on this new adventure into Africa is truly exhilarating, particularly in light of our significant growth trajectory earlier this year. This route presents excellent connectivity opportunities to other key markets we serve, especially in the Asean region.

“Travellers from Singapore can now journey more affordably to Kenya, with a convenient and smooth stopover in Kuala Lumpur. Kenya is a vibrant nation, home to millions of people and a rich tapestry of beautiful heritages and extraordinary sceneries. We look forward to further enriching the cultural and economic exchanges between these dynamic regions.”

Source:   Biz Community.

Jambojet Starts 4 Weekly Flights Between Zanzibar And Mombasa

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 2 – Jambojet yesterday began its first of four weekly flights between Zanzibar and Mombasa with an eye on tourists flying into the Tanzanian island.

The flights will depart from Mombasa to Zanzibar on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

“Our new route starts at 24,420 Kenyan shillings, (495,000 Tanzanian shillings) for a round trip,” Jambojet CEO Karanja Ndegwa said yesterday during the inaugural flight from Moi International Airport in Mombasa to Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA).

“As a leader in low-cost aviation, we pride ourselves on our competitive fares and extensive network, enabling more people to travel across East Africa This route  reflects our goal of making air travel accessible to everyone,” Ndegwa added.

The route will be served by a De Havilland Dash 8 400 aircraft capable of carrying 78 to 82 passengers.

The subsidiary added that the route also offers connections to Nairobi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Milan, and other destinations.

“On behalf of the Kenyan government, I am delighted to be part of today’s launch of this new route operated by our airline, Jambojet, from Zanzibar to Mombasa,” said Issac Njenga, Kenya’s Ambassador to Tanzania.

“This step is crucial not only in facilitating quick and affordable air travel but also in strengthening commercial, tourist, and cultural ties between Tanzania and Kenya,” Njenga added.

“By enhancing connectivity, we are fostering development along the East African coast.”

 Since it was started in 2014, Jambojet has served over 7.5 million passengers, accounting for more than 54 percent of the domestic air travel market share in Kenya.

The airline also flies to Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Lamu, Malindi, Diani, and Goma in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

“Mombasa is a key city for tourism in Kenya. “Jambojet is opening up many socio-economic opportunities for Zanzibar and Mombasa. We expect more tourists and traders to benefit from this affordable and fast direct flight,” said Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, Mombasa Governor.

 Source: Capital Fm

Kenya’s tourism sector gears up for MKTE 2024

Investors in Kenya’s tourism sector are urged to leverage the upcoming Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) to forge global partnerships and enhance business opportunities.

Tourism PS John Ololtuaa emphasized that MKTE plays a crucial role in facilitating local enterprises and start-ups to access international markets, particularly benefiting those unable to participate in overseas expos due to cost constraints.

“This expo has consistently fostered linkages and collaborations between local tourism businesses and global markets, leading to significant growth within Kenya’s tourism sector and the diversification of our tourism products,” stated PS Ololtuaa.

Speaking at an MKTE partners’ event, gearing up for its 14th edition from October 2nd-4th, 2024 at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, stakeholders explored collaboration opportunities to enhance the premier travel show in East Africa.

Last year, MKTE attracted over 3,000 delegates from 25 countries, showcasing Kenya’s diverse tourism offerings.

The 2024 edition aims to host 5,000 delegates, including 160 hosted buyers and over 100 buyers’ clubs.

PS Ololtuaa reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment through public-private sector engagements, aimed at supporting tourism businesses, especially at the grassroots level.

“As we focus on attracting international visitors, we must also promote domestic tourism, which presents untapped potential. Encouraging Kenyans to explore their own country will capitalize on high-quality local experiences and facilities,” added Ololtuaa.

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) CEO June Chepkemei expressed optimism for MKTE 2024, highlighting its role in providing affordable access to international suppliers and markets for Kenyan travel trade, county governments, and affiliated brands.

“This year, our strategy includes targeting new source markets such as Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and Australia, alongside traditional markets in Europe and Africa, in line with our destination diversification efforts,” Chepkemei noted.

KTB aims to achieve a target of 3 million visitors by the end of 2024, building on MKTE’s reputation as a pivotal event in Kenya’s tourism calendar.

Source: KBC  

How Gen Z is transforming tourism: 4 key travel trends

The travel industry is taking notice of a rising demographic: Generation Z. As this tech-savvy generation comes of age, their unique travel preferences are poised to reshape the tourism landscape. Defined by social consciousness and a thirst for authentic experiences, Gen Z travellers are demanding a different approach from travel companies. Understanding their motivations and expectations will be crucial for crafting experiences that resonate with this influential generation.

Talking to this is Chaiwat Tamthai, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Dubai for the Middle East and Africa. As he asserts: “the tourism industry is markedly different to what it was just a few years ago. Each generation of travellers puts their distinct stamp on the industry.

Generation Z is particularly distinctive in that they’ve grown up in a time of unparalleled change – they are digital natives who have lived through economic recessions, pivotal social movements, technological innovation and most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic.

These experiences have shaped their worldview and by extension, their take on many aspects of life, including social interactions, work and travel. As tourism industry leaders, getting to grips with some of these formative trends is the key to building a sector that is positioned to welcome these travellers to new and exciting experiences.”

Travel – but make it green

An increasing number of young travellers are going in search of tourism opportunities that have a relatively low carbon impact and show reverence and respect for the environment and local communities. This is especially true of South Africans.

According to a survey conducted by Flywire, 87% of local travel providers have seen a rise in the number of clients seeking sustainable travel options. A further 49% of travellers have expressed interest in sustainable options when booking accommodation.

Amongst these are Gen Z-ers who are more environmentally and socially conscious than their older counterparts. Their demand for more ‘responsible’ travel experiences also extends to how they choose modes of transport, their leisure plans and their food choices.

This trend has become particularly prevalent in destinations known for their green status, including Thailand, which offers travellers a range of eco-friendly options. As Tamthai explains, Thailand has a STAR programme that categorises tourism operators according to 12 sustainable travel criteria which include economic, social, environmental and good governance factors.

“The system is incredibly useful for responsible travellers who can easily review each operator’s sustainability status and make informed decisions, knowing that a quality standard has been set,” he says.

The search for authenticity

Even in a hyper-connected, high-tech world, young travellers go in search of authentic experiences that allow them to become immersed in local culture and lifestyle. Gen Z-ers are less likely to be drawn to popular tourist destinations and are more inclined to seek out opportunities that can take them off the beaten track. This quest for authenticity often leads them to prefer homestays, boutique hotels, and experiences like cooking classes and cultural festivals.

This trend has been picked up in locations like Thailand, which now offers a wide variety of authentic travel experiences. “Some of these include joining local farmers in rice plantations, hand-weaving crafts like baskets and cotton goods, embarking on a cultural exchange with a local host family or getting involved with a community-based tourism project.

“These kinds of opportunities can be richly rewarding and memorable and allow visitors to take a piece of authentic Thai magic home with them,” says Tamthai.

Digital-driven travel choices

As digital natives, Gen Z-ers are also the first generation to grow up with smartphones and social media. Naturally therefore, digital technology is an integral part of their travel experiences and choices. They rely heavily on apps and online platforms for everything from booking flights and accommodations to finding local attractions and restaurants.

Social media also plays a prominent role in how young people choose the destinations they visit. As much as 60% of South Africans find travel inspiration on social media channels such as Instagram and TikTok according to the Expedia Group.

Another study by Booking.com found that almost 40% rely heavily on peer reviews from social media influencers and celebrities when deciding where to go, what to do and what to eat. Going forward, social media will become an increasingly important touchpoint by which to engage these tech-savvy travellers.

Holistic health takes priority

Gen Z-ers are known to be more focused on holistic wellbeing and factors such as personal fitness, mental health and social awareness. This trend went into overdrive after the pandemic, with many young people seeking travel experiences that could assist them in their journey towards general wellness.

Destinations such as wellness spas cater to these kinds of travellers. In Thailand, many spas go beyond traditional offerings such as massages and offer programmes and retreats that are designed to restore and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. As Tamthai predicts, wellness tourism will continue to draw the interest of young people as this trend moves from being a niche to being a more mainstream pursuit.

Source: Bizcommunity.

New study highlights unserved air routes to boost African connectivity.

Airbus has released a new study highlighting several unserved air routes within Africa. These routes, the study suggests, could significantly improve travel connections for passengers, stimulate economic growth in local regions, and generate substantial revenue for airlines. The study builds on data from Airbus’s latest Global Market Forecast (GMF).

Several of the top unserved routes identified in the analysis are concentrated in cities such as Lagos, Cape Town, Nairobi, Dakar, and Douala. Airbus also touched on strategic recommendations to capitalise on the opportunities of a more connected continent as well as Airbus’ capabilities to help realise this potential.

Identifying critical routes

“Despite significant traffic between certain city pairs, some identified routes still lack regularly scheduled non-stop flights. Factors such as restrictive bilateral air service agreements, economic variables, and challenges with capacity, frequency and operating cost efficiency contribute to these routes remaining unserved,” said Geert Lemaire, market intelligence and consulting director, Airbus.

“With our capacity to make analyses about route and network development potential in-house, Airbus remains committed to partnering with airlines across Africa to identify optimised fleet solutions in line with network development requirements that further stimulate the continent’s air transport industry growth and improve connectivity for travellers.”

Growth and forecast

The forecast, meanwhile, predicts a 4.1% growth overall in air traffic over the next 20 years, resulting in an anticipated need for 1,180 new aircraft by 2043. Meanwhile, the continued growth of the aviation sector in Africa is expected to result in 3.3% real GDP growth on the continent, well above the 2.6% global average.

This growth is ratified by data from Airbus’ Global Services Forecast, which estimates that Africa will need to introduce 15,000 more pilots, 20,000 technicians and 24,000 cabin crew to meet the surge in air travel demand.

Source: Nile Post.