Skip to main content

The countries that have seen the greatest growth in flight bookings from travellers in Kenya in the last 12 months are the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Spain, according to an analysis conducted by Travelport , a leading Travel Commerce Platform.  

From 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018, bookings made in Kenya through all global distribution systems (GDS) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) increased by 675 on the previous 12 months. Due to the large volume of flights that leave Kenya for the UAE, this represented an overall growth of 2%.  The greatest spike in bookings to the UAE was registered in June 2018, up 33% on June 2017. 

Bookings to Pakistan from Kenya over the last 12 months rose by 631, up 47%, and to Spain by 564, up 26%. Volume growth to Pakistan was largely driven by a 551% jump in bookings in September 2017 compared to September 2016. Bookings to Spain enjoyed a peak in July 2018, with volume up 109% on July 2017.   

Global distribution systems (GDS) are vast hi-tech reservation networks that allow travel agents, travel management companies and large corporations, among others, to search and book airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items. Globally in 2017, Travelport alone processed 1 trillion transactions through its platform.

Guido Verweij, Travelport’s Regional Managing Director for Africa, said: “The data suggests the volume of overall bookings made in Kenya to international destinations has largely remained steady over the last     12 months. What’s interesting, however, is that the countries that have experienced growth, have not been those with large booking volumes like India (1st), Uganda (3rd) and China (7th). Instead, it’s come from trips to countries like Pakistan and Spain, which have lower volumes. This highlights the power of analytics tools as they enable travel agents and airlines to identify trends like this in real-time and respond accordingly. While the growth volumes seen here aren’t high, collectively they offer an opportunity for travel companies.”  

Verweij added: “We believe bookings to the UAE rose primarily due to the recently established Dubai Visa Processing Centre in Nairobi, opened to meet the increasing number of visa applicants heading to Dubai. The increase in bookings to Pakistan may have been linked to a spike in people traveling home of Eid Al Adha, which fell in September last year. The rise in bookings to Spain is likely to have come from growing demand for cruises that leave from the country. These have been heavily promoted in Kenya over the last year.”

Egypt and Nigeria completed the top five positions in the table compiled by Travelport. Egypt saw an increase of 492 (+15%) in bookings made from Kenya through all GDS, while Nigeria recorded a rise of 462 (+8%). The greatest spike in bookings to Egypt was registered in February 2017, with volume up 70% on last year. In Nigeria, the peak month was June 2018, with bookings up 46% on June 2017.   

Later this week, Travelport will participate in The Kenya Association of Travel Agents’ (KATA) inaugural Annual Convention. The convention will combine a Travel Agents Innovation Forum, sponsored by Travelport, and KATA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). At the event, Mr Verweij will conduct a presentation on technologies transforming the travel experience, one of which is big data. Brent Mclaren, Travelport’s Regional Product Manager for Africa, will also discuss the evolution of the travel distribution landscape, with a focus on what IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard means for travel agents in the region. Nita Nagi, Travelport’s Country Head for Kenya, will deliver welcoming remarks.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

British Airways launches new reward app for executive club members

British Airways has launched a brand new app for members of its Executive Club. Members can use the app to discover new ways to collect and spend Avios, find new offers and see personalised ways to spend Avios based on the member’s Avios balance. The Executive Club Reward app will complement the current British Airways app, which is designed to help all British Airways customers book and service pre- and post-travel needs. The app has a simple, intuitive design, to help members navigate its different features. These features include the ability to access and make purchases through the British Airways Avios eStore – an important way many members collect Avios. Customers can also see different ways they can spend their Avios including a helpful tool which says how many more Avios are needed until a member can book reward flights to different destinations. As well as this, customers can see the latest Avios deals, view their last five transactions, and buy Avios, view accou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Narok School benefits from a Dormitory Courtesy of Procter and Gamble

STUDENTS OF OLOIGERO PRIMARY SCHOOL POSE FOR A PHOTO WITH THE P&G TEAM AND PARTNERS OUTSIDE THE NEWLY BUILT DOMITORY Pupils of Oloigero Primary School in Narok County have a reason to smile after Procter and Gamble funded the construction of a girl’s dormitory in the school. The facility, which will accommodate 80 girls, will help support and improve the access to quality education in the area. “Access to quality education is affected by a myriad of challenges in this country. Inadequate infrastructure is one of them.  The situation is even more dire for our girls thus the reason we are here today to commission this dormitory. We believe that this facility will be a critical resource to help keep our girls in school and together with other partners we will work to ensure that we change the narrative about girls missing school due to menstruation,” said Anthony Ng’ang’a,  Associate Brand Director -Commercial Leader - East Africa at Procter & Gamble (P&G)...
Post a Comment
Read more

Column: Caleb Otieno: Make empathy a reflex

‘Empathy is about standing in someone else 's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Reflection is the means of processing thoughts and feelings about an activity, incident, or day. It gives us a chance to come to terms with our thoughts and feelings surrounding it”  People who understand how to watch, listen and observe the actions and emotions of those around them are often perceived as the most successful in life. A conscious alignment of one’s self with others starts with the development of empathy in the early years.  In the early years of life from age two to seven, young children are naturally ego-centric and are very much inclined to think mostly about themselves and their immediate needs. They are not yet ready to consider the needs and feelings of others. Developing a sense of empathy is an important developmental process for young children. It is at the heart of good relationships, and it begins with valuing others and their perspectives....
Post a Comment
Read more