Britain's EU exit will not affect tourism at Coast, hoteliers say

The United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union will not affect tourism in Kenya, a section of hoteliers said yesterday.

They said most European tourists to the Kenyan Coast are from Germany and Italy.

Swahili Beach Resort General Manager Jeff Mukolwe said the British market collapsed three years ago due to insecurity challenges.

"We will not feel any impact of the Brexit because we lost that market a long time ago. You only find two or three British tourists here compared to Germans and Italians who come in their numbers. But every effort should be made to protect German and Italian markets because if they collapse, we will be forced to forget tourism altogether," he said.

Leopards Beach Resort General Manager Mohammed Omar said the Government is still trying to woo back the British tourists.

He said they hope incentives by the ministry of Tourism and the Kenya Tourism Board will help Kenya recover all markets. "We are expecting charters from Poland, which will help the industry bounce back," he said.