Kenya plans to court Ryanair, EasyJet to boost beach tourism

Kenya plans discussions with low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet to begin flying to the East African nation famous for its beaches and safaris, its tourism minister said. Tourism is one of the country’s biggest generators of foreign exchange after remittances and agricultural exports, and earned the nation US$1.2b last year, according to the Kenya Tourism secretary Najib Balala. If Balala’s talks are successful, the coastal city will be the first sub-Saharan African destination for both carriers. Mombasa’s airport is the country’s second-biggest after Nairobi’s. The UK, a hub for both carriers, is Kenya’s biggest source of tourists so far this year after the US, Balala said, followed by India, China and Germany. As many as 16% of arrivals are now from other African countries, he said. <br/>