Since January 1, all travelers can enter Kenyan soil without this precious sesame. Instead, they must obtain the electronic travel authorization (ETA), the formalities of which must be completed online 72 hours before arrival. This measure was announced at the end of the year by President William Ruto. The objective is in particular to boost tourism.
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With our correspondent in Nairobi, Gaëlle Laleix
According to Kenyan authorities, nearly 10,000 people have applied for an ETA. And more than 4,000 files have already been processed. With this measure, the country hopes to multiply the number of tourists by 200, to reach 4.5 million visitors by 2027.
But on social networks, many travelers denounce the hypocrisy of a system which exchanges a visa for 50 dollars for an electronic authorization for 30. Above all, nationals of around fifty countries, particularly African ones such as Ghana, South Africa or Zimbabwe, which already enjoyed visa exemption, now find themselves paying the ETA.
“ When you see the myriad of questions online that visitors have to answer, I worry that the ETA will make things even more complicated » laments Mohamed Hersi, former spokesperson for the Kenya Tourism Federation.
On the other hand, the authorities have also decided to double from January 1 access fees to national parks, the country’s main tourist attractions. “ Tourists are not fooled and the $20 visa savings are little consolation », concludes a Kenyan hotelier.