Kenya: Visa applications surge as global travel nears pre-Covid levels

By Steve UMIDHA

Visa applications are experiencing a significant surge, signaling a promising return to pre-pandemic levels of global travel.

The surge, according to a new industry data by VFS Global – visa outsourcing and technology services firm, reflects the pent-up wanderlust of travelers who have been confined by restrictions for an extended period.

It revealed that visa application volumes from Kenya processed until July 2023 more than doubled the 2021 volumes, and had reached an impressive 80 percent of last year’s volumes.

This, according to the firm, is being driven by travel demand following the reopening of international borders and easing travel restrictions in destinations like China – one of the last markets to re-open since the pandemic erupted in the Asian country in late 2019.

“Due to the high pent-up travel demand, we expect the increase in international travel from last year to continue this year as well.

The industry is witnessing peak ‘revenge’ travel with tourism, family visits, and educational as well as business trips being the common reasons for outbound travel from Kenya,” noted Hariprasad Viswanathan, Head – Sub Saharan Africa, VFS Global during the report’s release last week.

This flow in visa applications serves as a promising indicator of the travel industry’s recovery, offering hope for economies heavily reliant on tourism, with Canada, Australia and China emerging as the top locations for outbound travel in terms of visa application volumes along with Schengen locations like Italy and The Netherlands.

In 2022, international departures from Kenya grew by 43 percent.

While challenges still exist, the report noted that the resurgence of visa applications underscores the resilience of the human spirit and the universal yearning for connection and adventure.

Visa requirements can vary depending on your nationality, the purpose of your visit, and the specific type of visa you’re applying for. Typically, you’ll need to submit a visa application form, a valid passport, passport-sized photographs, a copy of your itinerary or travel plans, proof of sufficient funds, and any additional documents specific to your visa type.

VFS Global’s survey is backed by recent remarks projections by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) which expects the international arrivals to match the pre-pandemic levels – meaning as more travelers apply for visas to leave the country, a growing number of reverse tourists are doing the same in seeking local entry.

KTB’s acting Chief executive John Chirchir expressed confidence that international tourist visits could surpass the 2019 numbers – when the sector reported its best performance in as many years, with 2.05million arrivals and contributed US$ 1.76billion in revenues.

Looking at last year and this year’s tourism performance we are happy as a destination that will be closing the year at par with the 2019 period. We are looking at closing the year at over 2million international arrivals and improving the uptake of domestic tourism by over 6 million bed nights,” said Chirchir in an interview last week.

Passport delays

The latest findings come even as passport delays are expected to persist until November this year, according to a June notice by Immigration and Citizen services office, with the delay – at the time faulted in the pending Bill of Sh 580 Million for the purchase of passport booklets from a Pakistan firm.

The controversial delay in passport issuance, had led to Parliament opening investigations into the alleged massive graft and backlog of passport applications at the Directorate of Immigration Services. The Ombudsman office had revealed several injustices and malpractices, including over-charging of applicants, at the immigration offices.