This archive report was first published on 23 August 2021.
Kenya's travel sector has been slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a slight improvement in both outbound and inbound search demand and booking volumes for 2021 YTD compared to the same period in 2020.
According to a new report by the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) and Amadeus East Africa, travel demand remains significantly below pre-COVID-19 levels due to international travel restrictions in key markets in Europe, North America, and Asia.
However, there has been growth in searches and bookings to East African Community (EAC) countries, with Tanzania leading as a leisure destination and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also experiencing an increase in demand.
Additionally, there has been a growing demand for inbound travel into Kenya from the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, as well as a high demand for domestic travel within the country.
Despite this growth, overall travel demand to and from Kenya stands at -69.9 percent in June 2021 compared to the same time in 2019.
According to the report, COVID-19-related restrictions remain a major concern for travelers, with 84 percent of respondents indicating that they would not travel if there was a chance of quarantine.
The United Nations' World Travel Organization (UNWTO) has called on countries to start lifting travel restrictions to improve traveler confidence.
Speaking during a webinar, Jamel Chandoul, Senior Vice President of MEA Amadeus, noted that recovery will be driven by rebuilding traveler confidence and trust, with 92 percent of global travelers still having concerns about traveling.
