Assessment of Kenya’s Tourist Source Markets

ABSTRACT

In recent years, Kenya’s tourism has not kept pace with competition. This study attempts to empirically evaluate Kenya’s tourist source markets in the light of growing competition for tourists. The paper uses a Constant Market Share (CMS) analysis to decompose growth of tourist arrivals from key generating regions to Kenya and a few selected benchmark countries. The analysis indicates that while Kenya had a considerable competitive edge during the period 2000–2003, the situation reversed within the subsequent five years. This cost the country about 362,000 tourists who choose the benchmark countries rather than Kenya as their destination. The study thus provides useful insights for Kenya’s tourism policy makers.

KEYWORDS:

• Competitive advantage
• constant market share
• benchmark

Notes

1. Kenya has developed only 1/3 of its coastline compared with countries like Morocco that have developed their entire coastline for tourism.

2. Italy has been among the top five tourist source markets before dropping to position seven in recent years.

3. Al-Shabab or “the Youth” is a Somali-based insurgent group that is alleged to be affiliated to the Al-Qaeda terrorist group (Blanchard, 2013: link in-text citation)

4. Aggregation of countries into regions overcomes the odd expenditure patterns.

5. “Others” include the Middle East and South Asian countries.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Peter Njiraini

Peter Njiraini is a Policy Analyst, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, P.O. Box 56445 00100 Nairobi, Kenya (E-mail: [email protected]).

Nahashon Mwongera

Nahashon Mwongera is a Policy Analyst, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, P.O. Box 56445 00100 Nairobi, Kenya (E-mail: [email protected]).

Simon W. Kiarie

Simon W. Kiarie is Chief Tourism Officer, Ministry of East African Affairs Commerce and Tourism, P.O. Box 30027 Nairobi, Kenya (E-mail: [email protected]).

Hannah Wang’ombe

Hannah Wangombe is a Policy Analyst, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis. P.O. Box 56445 00100 Nairobi, Kenya (E-mail: [email protected]).