Tourism suffers setback after terrorist attack

A student who was seriously injured during a terrorist attack at Garissa University College on April 2, 2015 is helped onto a military plane in Garissa. 147 people were reported dead and scores injured. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE  

By CHARLES MWANIKI, cmwaniki@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• At least 147 people were killed in the gun attack that was immediately followed by an Al-Shabaab statement claiming responsibility.
• The attack, which happened after two months of relative calm, is expected to delay recovery of the tourism sector, one of Kenya’s key foreign exchange earners.
• Tourism sector operators had hoped that the prevailing calm would offer a strong foundation for the recovery after a lean 2014.

Somalia-based terrorist group Al- Shabaab’s attack on Garissa University College only days after the UK issued a fresh warning to its citizens against travelling to certain regions was the clearest indication of how low Kenya’s relations with its traditional allies have dipped.

The advisories, which were issued early this week amid protests from the Kenyan government, warned of looming terrorist attacks at the Coast or in areas close to the Somalia border.

“The UK has updated its travel advice for Kenya, adding advice against all but essential travel to the Coast from Tiwi (just south of Mombasa) all the way up to the border with Somalia,” said the advisory.

President Uhuru Kenyatta angrily responded to the alerts, insisting they were based on false information about Kenya’s security.

Hostile reaction by authorities and the coming to pass of the attacks have signalled that very little intelligence sharing is happening between Kenya and foreign governments.

At least 147 people were killed in the gun attack that was immediately followed by an Al-Shabaab statement claiming responsibility.

The attack, which happened after two months of relative calm, is expected to delay recovery of the tourism sector, one of Kenya’s key foreign exchange earners.

Tourism sector operators had hoped that the prevailing calm would offer a strong foundation for the recovery after a lean 2014 that saw arrivals drop drastically in the wake of travel advisories issued by governments of key source markets like the UK and US.

Terrorism threats saw bed occupancy in the coastal tourism hub fall below 20 per cent during the 2014 high-season—which starts in July.

The hotels normally operate at more 90 per cent during the period. The hotels need bed occupancy of between 60 and 70 per cent to break even.

In the third quarter of last year, occupancy fell to 14.6 per cent, and hoteliers yesterday said they expect to record low business over Easter.

Tens of hotels have closed shop while others have shed jobs, reflecting the poor state of affairs in a sector that also supports auxiliary sectors such as handicraft makers, taxi drivers, fishermen and farmers.

The attack came only a days after Mr Kenyatta directed Kenyan envoys in a biannual conference held last week to market Kenya as a safe tourist destination.

READ: Kenya-UK in talks to lift travel alerts as hotels shut down

At a diaspora conference held on Wednesday, the President also urged Kenyans living abroad to help woo tourists back despite the wave of militant violence.