The African destination and, above all, Kenya have become increasingly popular with Russian tourists over the past year and a half. According to experts in the direction, places in Kenyan lodges for the high season — the period of the Great Migration of animals in July and June — are already being sold out. Closer to the summer, there will be no places in popular accommodation facilities, and the best rangers and Russian-speaking guides will also be sorted out.
PCT expert, CEO of Art-Tour Dmitry Arutyunov believes that Africa is the future of tourism.
“The first thing we recommend to people who want to see wild animals in their natural habitat is Kenya. By the way, it is geographically closer to us than South Africa, and it has been developing the safari-related tourism industry for the longest time in all African countries, hotels and roads are being actively built there, and new reserves are emerging. There is a better and larger selection of lodges in the country, the best rangers, you are guaranteed to see the Big Five of Africa there,” he explained.
The sales volumes of tours to Kenya from the Art Tour tour operator have doubled compared to the same period last year, now this is the fastest growing direction for the operator.
“If earlier it was believed that a tourist went on safari once in his life — and that’s enough, now we see a repeat demand, because people want to visit different reserves, someone combines a trip with Tanzania. There are also beautiful beaches in Kenya, but only advanced tourists who have already mastered the chic Diani Beach, a large beach on the coast of the Indian Ocean, located 30 km south of Mombasa, the second most important city in the country after Nairobi, know about this. For almost 10 years, it has been recognized as the best beach in Africa,” Arutyunov noted.
The peak season in Kenya falls on June—July, this is the time of the Great Migration of animals. According to the expert, tourists are now sorting out the last places in the lodges, and there are also a few good rangers. Both group tours and individual trips are booked. The cost of a week-long tour starts from 200 thousand rubles per person, including flights. If we take the program directly for the period of the Great Migration, the price increases by 40-50%.
The Russian Express company noted an increase in the number of requests in Kenya by 15-20% compared to last year’s figures. Now the tour operator is also actively sorting out places for the high summer season. As Anna Filatovskaya, Director of the Public Relations Department, said, VIP tours with comfortable accommodation in 5* lodges have become more in demand. Among the most popular, she named the “Rhino Trail + Ocean Vacation” tour for 6 days worth 279 thousand rubles for two. A three-day tour “Diamonds of Kenya” with a visit to the Masai Mara Reserve will cost from 248 thousand for two. Both options are without a flight. Also, tourists in Kenya are interested in the safari parks Amboseli, Naivasha, Nakuru, Samburu.
Most often, regular Ethiopian Airlines flights fly to Kenya via Addis Ababa. A ticket costs an average of $700. Sometimes they order only accommodation, for example, there are options from 4.8 thousand rubles for two for 2 nights with breakfast,” she added.
Yulia Sokolova, Head of Sales and Product Development at ITM group, noted a 15% increase in sales of tours to Kenya compared to the same period last year. The depth of sales is 4-5 months. According to her, safari tours are most interested in people who have already been on combined tours in Africa. Such routes are very popular: for example, Kenya is part of a tour visiting South Africa and Tanzania. A very popular product, while there are only a few Russian—speaking guides, there is a shortage in high season. Most of the tickets are bought from an Ethiopian carrier, but they often fly with Arab airlines. Ethiopian Airlines has discounts until the end of this month: a ticket to Nairobi with a comfortable connection costs from 71 thousand rubles. But the most affordable tariff is now provided by Air Arabia — from 65 thousand rubles,” Sokolova said.
As the Russian Ambassador to Russia told TASS Nairobi Dmitry Maksimychev, tourist flow from Russia’s travel to Kenya is growing, mainly due to individual travelers. In the first half of 2023, 3,539 tourists from Russia, which is 40.8% more than in the same period of 2022.
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