Kenya’s tourism sector has received a major boost after the first chartered flight from Bulgaria landed at the Moi International Airport (MIA) in Mombasa.

The charter flight which flew in over 160 Bulgaria tourists for a 10-day holiday is an indication of the continued recovery for the ailing international tourism market source that has slumped since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking in Mombasa after receiving the aircraft, operated by European Air, landed yesterday morning, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Marketing director Fred Okeyo said the flight arrival signalled hope for Kenyan tourism, which has suffered heavily due to the pandemic.

“The new charter from Bulgaria has shown confidence with Kenya at a time that this sector is recovering, for us we want to assure our tourists that we are ready for attracting many guests,” he said.
Foreign nationals

The arrival happened even as French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs issued a security advisory January 27, warning of a terror threat facing Western nationals in Kenya. He stated that public spaces frequented by foreign nationals are notably at risk, including restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, and shopping centers, particularly in Nairobi.

The alert also advised individuals in Kenya to remain extremely vigilant and avoid the public areas in the coming days, including over the January 29 to 30 weekend. Bulgaria is the latest European market following a significant growing interest in Kenyans tourism products. The second charter flight will come in on February 26, 2022 in the new rotational charter programme.

“We trust that they are going to be very good ambassadors in their country, and we are happy as a destination that we will continue to get more tourists from Bulgaria,” added Okeyo. Pollmans Tours and Safaris Group operations director Mohamed Hersi said Kenya is now looking to tap onto the Bulgarian market that has proven to be a potential market source that has remained untapped.

“We are asking the government to really support the chartered flights that are landing in Mombasa, owing to infrastructure investment the government has put into refurbishing the airport,” he said.

Hersi said fears the sector may experience a slow down owing to political heat in the country ahead of the upcoming elections. The tourists will enjoy safari at various National parks and beaches. 
Source markets

He said Kenya is still in negotiations with other source markets like Russia, Turkey among other European countries.

“We urge our politicians to conduct themselves appropriately so that we don’t suffer as a sector, the sector has been on an upward trajectory in the year 2021 until April this year, we are looking forward to another rebound in the second quarter of the year,” said Hersi.