Kenya Airways targets flying to every African capital by 2016.This was revealed when the national carrier launched direct flights from Nairobi to Livingstone, the capital of Zambia’s Southern Province and a tourism hub in the region.
Intra-African flights are seen as a way to enhance connectivity between various destinations and encourage domestic travel. “The challenge in tourism has been the issue of connectivity. In Africa, it is difficult to move from one country to another, and this has been a barrier to enhancing Intra-African tourism,” Ms. Sylvia Masebo, Zambia’s tourism minister said during the launch on Friday.
Speaking during the event, Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of Kenya Airways, Titus Naikuni, said airlines have contributed towards creating and supporting sustainable development in Africa by facilitating travel on the continent. He said airlines should tap into the growth of the middle class in Africa to promote domestic tourism.
“Do not ignore Africa. It is a huge economy. The day we have free travel within Africa is the day that we will reap the benefits of domestic tourism,” Naikuni added. Also present at the event were; Felix Chaila, the Managing Director of Zambia Tourism Board and Muriithi Ndegwa, the Managing Director of the Kenya Tourism Board.
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