FCO relaxes travel restrictions to Mombasa
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has relaxed travel restrictions to parts of Kenya.
It has removed a travel advisory which advised against all but essential travel to Mombasa and the stretch of the Kenya coast from Watamu to the border with Tanzania, including Mombasa Island.
The Kenya Tourism Board welcomed the decision.
"While our operators have continued to send their guests to the southern areas of the coast including Diani, Wasini and Msambweni we look forward to welcoming guests back to Mombasa and the beautiful coastline of Watamu and Kilifi," said Muriithi Ndegwa, MD Kenya Tourism Board.
Phyllis Kandie, Cabinet Secretary East African Affairs Commerce and Tourism, said the decision was timely.
"This is a huge endorsement to our recovery efforts and we look forward to working together with our stakeholders to turn the sector around," she said.
She appealed to other countries to follow suit.
The FCO has advised against all but essential travel to Mombasa Island since May 2014 following two deadly explosions in Mombasa.
The area north of Mombasa, including Watamu and Kilifi, was added to the advisory zone in March of this year due to a continued terrorist threat.
The coastal stretch south of Mombasa to the Tanzanian border, including Ukunda airport, Diani, Msambweni and Wasini Island, has remained open.
Kenya received 117,201 visitors from the UK market in 2014.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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