When Bill Haynes, an Ohio resident heard about the recent shooting at Westgate Mall by Islamic extremist gunmen, he considered canceling his upcoming 17-day safari to Kenya and Tanzania.
"You can't help but be concerned," said Haynes, 67. "Here's a place we're going to be in about five days and there are some terrorists shooting the place up. That would cause anybody to give some pause."
The risk to tourism was one of the first concerns officials expressed after the attack that left at least 67 including 18 foreigners, dead.
Tourism generates 14 percent of Kenya's GDP and employs 12 percent of its workforce, Moody's Investment Services and the World Travel and Tourism Council says.
It predicts the attack will cost Kenya's economy $200 million to $250 million in lost tourism revenue, estimating it would slow growth Kenya's GDP by 0.5 percent.
"Evidence would seem to indicate that 2013 could well be a very difficult year for the local tourism industry," according to a report released Tuesday by Business Monitor International, which revised its 2013 outlook for Kenya's tourism growth from 3 percent down to 1.5 percent.
Moody's and the World Travel and Tourism Council says Tourism is Kenya's largest earner of foreign exchange after tea and coffee exports, generating $4.7 billion in 2011.
Kenya, Africa's fifth largest tourist destination, welcomes approximately 1.8 million visitors each year. With nearly half coming from Britain and Europe, visitors from the United States has became an increasing share of the total in the last two years, according to Kenya's Ministry of Tourism.
"You can't help but be concerned," said Haynes, 67. "Here's a place we're going to be in about five days and there are some terrorists shooting the place up. That would cause anybody to give some pause."
The risk to tourism was one of the first concerns officials expressed after the attack that left at least 67 including 18 foreigners, dead.
Tourism generates 14 percent of Kenya's GDP and employs 12 percent of its workforce, Moody's Investment Services and the World Travel and Tourism Council says.
It predicts the attack will cost Kenya's economy $200 million to $250 million in lost tourism revenue, estimating it would slow growth Kenya's GDP by 0.5 percent.
"Evidence would seem to indicate that 2013 could well be a very difficult year for the local tourism industry," according to a report released Tuesday by Business Monitor International, which revised its 2013 outlook for Kenya's tourism growth from 3 percent down to 1.5 percent.
Moody's and the World Travel and Tourism Council says Tourism is Kenya's largest earner of foreign exchange after tea and coffee exports, generating $4.7 billion in 2011.
Kenya, Africa's fifth largest tourist destination, welcomes approximately 1.8 million visitors each year. With nearly half coming from Britain and Europe, visitors from the United States has became an increasing share of the total in the last two years, according to Kenya's Ministry of Tourism.
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