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No Cancellations Over Terrorism

The Nation (Nairobi)
NEWS
December 10, 2002
Posted to the web December 10, 2002

By PAUL REDFERN
London
80,000 Britons holiday in Kenya yearly
British tourists have so far not been cancelling their holidays to Kenya as a
result of the bomb attacks at the coast and the closure of the British high
commission in Nairobi last week.
According to a telephone survey in Britain conducted by the Kenya Tourist
Board, there have been very few cancellations since the November 28 attacks.
Kuoni, one of the biggest Kenya tourism operators in the UK, said it had had
four customers deferring their holidays until the New Year, but that most
people were still planning to travel as planned. Some tourists were, however,
said to need "reassurance" about the safety of their holiday.
Somak, which has 9,000 passengers booked to come to Kenya next year, says that
just six people have cancelled or deferred their trips since the bombing.
Thomson and Tropical Places also reported no cancellations, but said they had
reduced their prices and that "new bookings have gone dead". It added that no
visitors had asked to return to the UK early.
The belief at the Association of British Travel Agents and Tour Operators is
that the attacks should not have a long-term effect on visitors to Kenya as
they are seen as an Israeli/terrorist issue.
An estimated 80,000 Britons travel to Kenya each year, the largest number of
tourists from any country. Late December and early January are the most
critical periods for the hotel industry.
Most tour operators at present consider it too soon to say how the terrorist
attacks will affect future bookings.
Over the next few months, Kenyan hoteliers and travel companies will be waiting
anxiously to see if any future trend can be confirmed.
The Foreign Office in London said the British high commission in Nairobi was
re-opened yesterday after last week's threat to the building.
International terrorist group Al Qaida admitted responsibility for the Paradise
Hotel bombing. in a tape broadcast over the weekend., and threatened further
attacks against the United States and Israel in the coming months.
Kenya's chief investigator, Mr William Langat, is expected to release computer
images of two of the three suicide bombers, based on descriptions given by
local people who saw them during this week.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said in a BBC interview at the weekend
that he had received information that Al-Itihad, the group linked to AlQaida,
was responsible.
He said it was believed the perpetrators had travelled to Kenya by boat from to
carry out their attack.

   

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