International tourist arrivals to Kenya dropped 13% to 752 073 last year compared with 861 758 in 2014, according to statistics released by the Kenya Tourism Board.

The Kenyan tourism sector recorded a drop in earnings from $870 million in 2014 to $840 million in 2015 as reported in the latest economic survey.

Kenya’s tourism has been on the decline as a result of security fears triggered by attacks from Somali terrorist group, Al Shabaab, in 2014. The attacks prompted the US, UK, France and Australia to issue travel advisories against Kenya which dealt a major blow to the sector, the worst hit being the Kenyan coast.

However, between last year and this year, the four countries revised their travel advice against Mombasa and other coastal towns following improved security.

Since last year to date, Kenya has been enjoying calm and arrivals are expected to recover.

Tourist arrivals from the UK, Kenya’s leading tourist source market, dropped 16% to 98 523 last year from 117 201 the previous year. Other top markets, including the US, Germany, Italy, Canada and Switzerland, also experienced declines.

In March, Kenyan Tourism Minister, Najib Balala, said he expected the tourism sector to grow by 20% this year compared with 2015 due to security improvement and the lifting of travel advisories by the US, UK, France and Australia.

Next month, international tourist arrivals to Kenya are expected to soar when some chartered airlines from Europe resume flights to Mombasa.

The surge in international tourist arrivals will be bolstered by the wildebeest migration spectacle which is expected to begin next month in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

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