The UK has issued a travel advisory this week to citizens who will be travelling to Kenya.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advisory said: “There is a heightened threat of terrorism, including terrorist kidnappings, across Kenya. Attacks, including terrorist kidnappings, could target Westerners, including British nationals.”
The advisory lists areas near the Kenya-Somali border, Garissa County, Lamu County and areas north of Tana River County as places British travellers should not visit unless it was essential to do so.
Head of Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Kenya Tourism Board, Wausi Walya, told Tourism Update that it was too early for the Ministry of Tourism to comment on the travel advisory.
“We have left the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Travel advisories are normal and the ones we’ve received are not alarming. We haven’t noticed a massively negative effect on tourism numbers that we can link to these travel advisories.”
The FCO said around 190 000 UK residents visited Kenya every year and that most visits were trouble-free. In the latest tourism report by Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, the UK came fourth in the Top 20 Source Markets for 2019, with more than 181 000 arrivals.
