Kenya raises park entrance fees

New prices for entrance fees to national parks, submitted by the Kenya Wildlife Service, have not yet been approved by Parliament. According to the Southern and Eastern Africa Working Group, the decision should take effect from January 1, 2024. For example, visitors to Lake Nakuru National Park will need to pay double what they pay now.

Cost increases have already been approved for parks such as the Masai Mara National Reserve. Next year this will become the most expensive safari park in the world. The reason for this is excessive tourism and the associated threat of animals leaving the reserve. In addition, more and more tourists are not respecting the ban on off-road driving during antelope migration.

Kenyan tourism professionals are outraged. They reject the steep price hikes and fear that tourists will start refusing to travel to the national parks. This is despite the fact that tourism represents an important economic factor for the East African country. About 1.5 million vacationers came to Kenya last year. By 2026, the government plans to welcome at least 2.5 million visitors.

Kenyan travel agents see the planned massive increase in visa fees as another hurdle. They are also expected to double. The plan is currently on hold, but tourism experts fear that the government has not postponed it permanently.

Also, every tourist will soon have to take out health insurance. Vacationers have already repeatedly reported technical problems when applying for an e-visa to Kenya, and visa conditions sometimes change every minute.