NAIROBI – The authorities in Kenya welcomed the first batch of foreigners on visa-free entry days after a delay postponed the visa relaxation.
Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok confirmed the development and said the country expects to double tourist arrival numbers by the end of 2024.
He opined that the authorities had made sure that traveling to Kenya was going to be an easy and pleasant experience.
The official highlighted that the country has been receiving about 2 million tourists per year, adding that the visa relaxation would increase that number to over 5 million.
The comments come as Kenya launched the latest electronic travel authorization (ETA) system, replacing traditional visas with a simple online application process with a minimal $30 processing fee.
The introduction of the system provides a hassle-free entry experience for global travelers for a 90-day stay.
The pandemic has affected the economies dependent on tourism across the world and the latest visa regime aims at recovering the tourist numbers to pre-pandemic levels and ultimately boosting them further.
The government claims to have earned $1.8 billion from tourism revenue in 2023 and with the latest change, Kenya aims to earn $9.5 billion from tourism revenue annually.
Earlier last month, President William Ruto had declared the nation’s decision to abolish visa requirements for international visitors, effective Jan. 1 though the decision was postponed a few days ago.
“Following the presidential directive that Kenya will be a visa-free country from January 2024, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system is in the process of development and implementation,” Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) had said at that time as a reason for the delay.
