Off the beaten path: Firm's ecofriendly safaris on northern circuit

The anti-Finance Bill demonstrations in June and July this year, coupled with other frequent protests in Nairobi and other major cities in Kenya have dealt a major blow to international and domestic tourism bookings.

Hotel owners and tour operators say the worst hit by the riots were Nairobi City hotels. “Unfortunately, the demonstrations earlier this year have had an effect on bookings during the fourth quarter,” said Nigel Archer, founder and director of Nigel Archer Safaris.

In an earlier media interview, Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers chief executive Mike Macharia said the violence meted out during the demonstration worried the visitors, leading to cancellations of bookings. 

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According to Mr Archer, the massive increase in park and community levy fees in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve earlier this year has also affected big group bookings. 

The Narok County Government increased the Maasai Mara National Park fees for 2024 to $100 (Sh13,000) per non-resident adult per day from January 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024, and $200 (Sh26,000) per non-resident adult per day, from July 1 2024 onwards.

Foreign children aged between nine and 17 years are now paying Sh6,625 ($50) for entry. Kids aged eight and below enter the park for free.  

Notwithstanding such challenges, international arrivals are currently on the rise in Kenya since the pandemic. 

“However, we are yet to reach the levels of 2019 which is the year just before the pandemic,” says Archer, whose firm operates mobile safaris across all of Kenya’s national parks and game reserves.

He was speaking during the recently concluded Magical Kenya Travel Expo 2024 in Nairobi which attracted hundreds of visitors. He advised tourists who find Maasai Mara and the Coast destinations pricey to consider the Northern Kenya Tourism Circuit. 

 For instance, the park entry fees to Meru National Park are very competitive at $52 (Sh6,760) per adult per night and $35 (Sh4,500) per child per night. A 6-12 seat vehicle costs Sh1,050 per day.  

“Apart from Meru National Park, the other parks up North that we send clients to are Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba Game Reserves,” he said, adding that while there have been security concerns in the past, this has been addressed and there is improvement.

Remote locations

Archer started his safari company in 2000, following in the footsteps of his father who first started mobile safaris in 1957. The camp’s remote locations ensure an intimate connection with nature. 

Archer’s favoured destination for mobile safaris in Kenya is Meru National Park, a wilderness area rich in unique wildlife, bird life flora and fauna, a varied landscape with 13 rivers flowing through the park.

It is one of the least visited national parks in Kenya located east of Meru County. With Meru town as the nearest urban centre and about 350km from Nairobi, the park features luxuriant jungle, coursing rivers, verdant swamps, khaki grasslands and gaunt termite cathedrals all under the sky’s great blue bowl.

To boost tourism arrivals as a country, Mr Archer notes that the national government, Kenya Wildlife Service, and the Kenyan Tourism Board should up their efforts in marketing the country abroad. 

“My advice would be marketing, marketing and more marketing. Kenya is beautiful and we have everything that someone on safari could ever want, the State just needs to help the private sector market Kenya as a first-class tourist destination,” he said.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) released on June 26, 2024, last year saw a record-breaking season for the sector in Kenya, contributing Sh1 trillion to the national economy.

Sector jobs grew six per cent to reach a record 1.55 million, accounting for one in 13 jobs across the country.

While domestic visitor spending reached more than Sh466 billion last year, almost 15 per cent over the previous peak and setting a new record, spending by overseas visitors continued to trail the highpoint of 1999 to reach Sh266 billion.

WTTC President and Chief Executive Julia Simpson said: “The recovery of Kenya’s travel and tourism sector is a testament to its resilience. Achieving record-breaking growth across economic contribution, jobs, and domestic visitor spending highlights the sector’s vital role in the nation’s economy.”

According to the global tourism body’s latest research, travel and tourism’s contribution to Kenya’s economy is forecast to grow nine per cent year-on-year to reach almost Sh1.15 trillion.

Jobs supported by the sector are projected to reach more than 1.6 million, representing almost eight per cent of jobs in Kenya. Domestic visitor spending is expected to continue driving the sector to reach Sh521 billion.