Why the new Doha to Mombasa direct flight is a big deal for Kenyan tourism

 

Kenya’s tourism industry has received a major boost after Qatar Airways today launched direct flights from Doha to Mombasa. This new direct flight will be a game changer that will open up the country’s beautiful coasts to international holiday-makers.

 

 

The new four-times weekly service will be Qatar Airways’ second Kenyan destination, in addition to existing flights to Nairobi.

The airline, which will be operating an Airbus A320 aircraft to Mombasa features 12 Business Class seats and 120 seats in Economy Class. The Airbus A320 will be making four flights to the region every week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday,  with a flight time of just over six hours.

 

 

In a Press release, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said:

“Qatar Airways sees Kenya as an important market for our passengers, so we are delighted to offer this new service to a second Kenyan destination. We are sure our new direct daily service to Mombasa will prove very popular with tourists interested in exploring Kenya’s beautiful tropical beaches and coastline, as well as immersing themselves in the city’s fascinating diverse cultural mix.”

The new Qatar Airways direct Inaugural Flight to Mombasa City from the City of Doha heralds a new chapter for the leisure and business sector in Mombasa as it has opened new possibilities in the tourism sector.

 

 

In a tweet, Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho said that the county’s resolve to transform itself into a vibrant regional economic hub got a big boost today when Qatar Airways inaugural scheduled direct flight from Doha landed at the Moi International Airport this morning.

With the inaugural Doha to Mombasa flight, Kenya is set to receive visitors mainly from key European tourist source markets such as Italy, Germany, UK, and France. Additionally, visitors from US, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria are also expected to visit the country as they are considered key to Qatar Airways.

 

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Speaking during the arrival of Qatar Airways direct inaugural flight to Moi International Airport Mombasa, Kenya Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Betty Radier said the direct flight was an endorsement of the destination Mombasa adding that the Board will look into ways of partnering with Qatar Airways and other aircrafts to increase the number of passengers on the route.

According to data from Kenya Airports Authority, Mombasa receives about 300,000 visitors against the capacity of over two million passengers. Jimmy Kibati, the General Manager Marketing at Kenya Airports Authority, said the Mombasa Airport used to receive only three scheduled flights; Rwanda Air, Turkish Airline and Ethiopia Airline.

 

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However, with coming of the Qatar Airways and additional charter flights, they are hopeful the number of arrivals will increase gradually.

According to KTB, 2018 has been good for the sector, compared to last year during the general election. For the past nine months, the tourism sector has recorded 7.8 per cent growth in arrivals of by air and sea for the period indicating 777,791 arrivals up from 723,174 visitors the same period in 2017.

 

Do you think the Doha to Mombasa direct flight will bring a significant increase in Kenyan tourism?

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