The Kenyan government has decried the planned imposition of Air Passenger Duty tax on travellers by Britain as a measure to offset carbon emissions.
Tourism Minister Najib Balala said if effected, the tax which is set to start on Nov. 1 will definitely burden the tourists and reduce tourism demand especially for developing countries.
According to a statement from the tourism minister issued here Thursday Balala said the new British tax will negate the stimulus measures devised by some destinations such as the recent visa reduction by 50 percent and waiver for children under 16 years by Kenya.
The minister who addressed the ongoing 18th Session of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly in Astana, Kazakhstan said Britain is the leading tourism source market for Kenya.
"We should bear in mind that tourism remains the hope for a majority of developing countries given that agriculture has been seriously affected by the adverse effects of climate change," he said.
The minister said that measures of dealing with carbon emissions should be innovative and appropriate but not punitive to developing nations. He urged the UNWTO to intervene in cases where taxes are imposed on travelers.
"There is need for this Assembly to come up with a strong resolution and message against such impositions," the minister said.
"This will go a long way in guarding the interests of tourism destinations and in developing tourism worldwide."
In regard to travel advisories, the minister called on the UNWTO General Assembly to lobby against issuance of indiscriminate travel advisories especially on developing countries.
"Travel advisories should be specific and targeting only affected areas and not entire destinations," Balala said.
In his report to the General Assembly, the newly elected Secretary General of the UNWTO Taleb Rifai presented the organization's Roadmap for Recovery report which proposed a raft on support services to the tourism sector.
They include reviewing tax and visa barriers to growth, advancing innovation and technology, and strengthening regional and interregional support.
Other recommendations in the report include mainstreaming tourism in stimulus and infrastructure programs, including tourism in aid for trade and development support and creating new jobs particularly in the Small and Medium Enterprises among others.
Commenting on the report, Balala said it was imperative that credit facilities are established for tourism firms to facilitate job creation.
He asked UNWTO to provide a mechanism of negotiating with the development partners such as World Bank and IMF to support developing countries in establishing the credit facilities for SMEs and tourism infrastructure.
"We appreciate the direction provided by the UNWTO through the Roadmap for Recovery. Kenya's tourism is on a recovery path following one of the hardest times and will therefore benefit from the recommendations and lessons from other destinations," he said.