Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala at a past function. [Photo/nation.co.ke]
The tourism sector is set to receive a major boost after the national government unveiled its plans to lower parking and visa fees.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, who spoke during the Tourism Innovation and Change forum in Nairobi, said the government is committed to ensuring more tourists visit Mombasa and other parts of the nation during the low season.The new plans will also cushion the industry, which has witnessed low tourist turn out during low seasons. Balala also said the national government is considering the idea of lowering visa as well as game entry fees during the low season to ensure tourists continue to flock into the country.The CS noted that some players in the tourism sector have been forced to shut down their business because of the low turnout, adding that this is going to be a thing of the past once the new measures are putting in place.“We are looking into how we can reduce visa and park entry fees during the low season. By appreciating and differentiating the high and low seasons, we can be able to further grow the number of tourists coming to Kenya as well as industry earnings,” said Balala as quoted by Standard. Balala also revealed that there are plans to provide tourists who have been experiencing long layovers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with temporary visas.