The Kenyan tourism sector, which is reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, over the weekend received a major boost.

This was after nearly 200 foreign tourists landed at Moi International Airport (MIA) in Mombasa on Saturday aboard a chartered flight.

The Boeing 737-800 plane arrived at MIA from Warsaw, Poland carrying 175 polish nationals who will have a 10-day holiday at the Kenyan Coast.

The aircraft operated by TUI Poland was the first international chartered flight to fly in tourists since March when COVID-19 broke out in Kenya.

The Enter Air plane on lease to TUI Poland received a water cannon salute from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Fire Brigade upon touching down at MIA. 

The tourists were welcomed by Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) chairman Mohamed Hersi and KAA Coast Regional Manager Peter Wafula.

“The arrival of this charter service that will be flying in every Saturday up to mid-March 2021 gives us hope that we are headed on the path to recovery albeit the ravaging effects of Covid- 19. We remain optimistic that with vaccines being found, there can be hope for at least a return to normalcy in all sectors of the economy,” Hersi said.

“The Polish market is a very resilient one. The Poles are outgoing and love adventure hence their visit includes beach stay and safari,” he added.

On his part, Wafula said KAA has put elaborate COVID-19 measures in place to ensure arriving passengers adhere to protocols as set out by the Health Ministry.

“We have everything working for our inbound and outbound passengers where the temperature is checked before being allowed to exit or board aircraft for the international flights. There are clear markings on the ground right from the time once disembarks to guide on social distancing, sanitizations including at the baggage bay,” he said.