Tourism is one of the main economy earners in Kenya.

Discuss how you think

international travel advisories have affected the industry.

The Kenyan tourism sector normally grapples with multiple challenges and the
enforcement of the travel advisories normally worsen the situation. This is evidenced by a
reduction in the number of tourists visiting the country, closure of most hotels at the coast and
reduced flight numbers and frequency of flights into the country. Advisories from Britain, the
US, France, Australia often cripple the already incapacitated tourism industry. The citizens of
these countries are normally advised not to visit the beaches in the coastal region, Nairobi and
eastern parts of the country. These are some of the regions that form the backbone of the
industry. Banning visitors from visiting Nairobi which is the countrys capital, incapacitates
major economy activities related to the industry. There are evidenced reductions in the
number of flights that land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport that serves all tourist
destinations. This means, the rest of the country is virtually inaccessible to all tourists.
A reduction in the utilization of the airport results into several adverse impacts. Most
tourist companies have to stop operating. Their caravan vans, hotel suites, camp sites and
lodges all have to shut down or scale down their operations. No business establishment can
operate in full capacity at such times because they will be making total losses. The resulting
effect of the closures is the loss of monthly income to those employed in the sector. When
families lose their income, they get incapacitated to a greater extent. They can no longer carry
out the normal productive activities. Some may not be able to afford fees for their children,
nor be able to afford a decent meal. These effects impact the achievement of the millennium
development goal of poverty reduction and ensuring universal education. When a large

proportion of Kenyans are not able to contribute to the local economy, economic growth
dwindles and the GDP is equally affected. According to the Kenya \tourism Board (KTB),
over half a million Kenyans are employed in the industry, they contribute about 12.5% of the
countrys GDP. Kenyas tourism industry depends on external visitors. Cutting the supply of
external tourist, cripples the industry.