As you put on hold your much-desired visit to Kenya’s wilderness, local tourists visiting Kenyan parks from July will have to pay more in park fees in a new directive by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala signed the special gazette notice set to take effect on July 1.
KWS has increased the entry fees by up to 300 percent meaning it will cost a Kenyan Sh1,500 to enter Nakuru National Park from Sh1,000 there before.
This will also be the case with Amboseli National Park and Nairobi National Parks. However, this will only be during the peak season.
During off-peak seasons, the charges will be Sh800.
In other national parks across the country; Meru, Tsavo, Aberdare and Mt Kenya, the entry fee will be Sh1,000 from Sh350. During the off-peak, it will be Sh400.
Foreigners will pay, as usual, Sh7, 400 ($70) to enter the main national parks – Nakuru, Nairobi and Amboseli while Tsavo, Aberdares, Mt Kenya and Meru National Parks charge them Sh6,365 ($60).
This move is geared towards aiding KWS and other game parks to generate revenue on their own and reduce their reliance on the National Treasury for funding.
Revenue collected from tourism hit Sh163.56 billion in 2019 further cementing it as a key source of foreign exchange earner for Kenya.
Tourism is among Kenya’s leading foreign exchange earners, bringing in Sh163.56 billion last year.
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