KWS
Records High Park Visitation and Revenue
By Gichuki Kabukuru
Kenya
Wildlife Service has recorded an all time high gate revenue
collection and park visitation between January and June this
year.
According
to a report titled: January June 2006 visitor and Revenue
Trend Update: “Total visitors to KWS Parks and Reserves
have been on an upward trend this financial year as compared
to the year 2003 –2004.
“Between
January and June 2005, KWS Parks and Reserves hosted a total
of 597,315 visitors, while in the same period in 2006, KWS
recorded 730,171 visitors, showing an increase of visitors
to its facilities recording an upward trend of 22%, the report
added.
This
increase translates to revenue amounting to Ksh. 694 million
or a 30% increase for the same period last year.
Explaining
the rapid increase, the report noted, “We are convinced
that the KWS Branding exercise, coupled with the extensive
marketing both locally and abroad, and the political stability
seen in the country have in one way or the other contributed
to this impressive increase in both revenue collection and
park visitation.”
Covering
a seven-year period, the report indicates that in 1998 KWS
hosted 131,836 visitors in its facilities, a figure that shot
up in 1999, when 206,104 tourists visited KWS facilities across
the country.
Between
2000 and 2004, visitation to KWS Parks and Reserves fluctuated
between 248,374, to 308,452 in 2003; the figures then recorded
a downward trend in 2004 when only 260,315 tourists visited
KWS facilities. Last year 597,315 visitors were hosted in
KWS Parks and Reserves across the country as compared to 730,171
visitors this year.
Commenting
on the report, KWS Director Julius Kipngetich noted, “We
are optimistic that by the close of this calendar year, KWS
will have hosted over 1 million tourists in all our 23 terrestrial
National Parks and 10 Marine Parks and Reserves.”
According
to the Director, “Our revenues are also projected to
increase owing to our continued fight against the SmartCard
Fraud and our intensive marketing of our World Class Facilities
which will soon be ISO Certified.
Ends
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