The National Carrier Kenya Airways has backed the government’s efforts to introduce mandatory travel insurance for visitors, saying the policy will enhance consumer confidence and encourage more people to travel.
Kenya Airways Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Julius Thairu said travel insurance should be viewed as an investment in the travel experience rather than an additional cost, noting that tourists want assurance that they will be protected in case of unforeseen incidents while away from home.
“It is a good thing because insurance is so important for our consumer confidence,” Thairu told panellists from EAC countries during the third day of the 16th Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE2026) at Uhuru Gardens.
He confidently said Kenya Airways was supporting the government’s policy initiatives aimed at strengthening the tourism sector and ensuring travellers understand the value of insurance.
Thairu cited Zanzibar, which introduced mandatory travel insurance for visitors in 2024, saying the measure had not negatively affected tourist arrivals.
“Tourist numbers didn’t go down. They’ve actually gone up because when people have more confidence about a destination, they will travel more,” he said.
Responding to questions from the neighbouring countries about reducing the air travel tickets, he said lowering the cost of travel and improving connectivity remained critical to growing tourism and facilitating movement across East Africa.
Thairu said Kenya Airways was using its subsidiary, Jambojet, to stimulate demand for air travel within the region by offering more affordable options.
He noted that Jambojet had recently launched flights to Entebbe, Uganda, providing an alternative for travellers who traditionally use road transport.
“There are a lot of people who travel by road to Uganda. Currently, we have about 300,000 people who travel by air and about another 300,000 that travel by road,” he said.
Thairu said the airline saw an opportunity to convert some of the people travelling by road to air transport through competitive fares and convenient schedules.
Kenya Airways, he added, would continue increasing flight frequencies within East Africa to meet growing demand.
He said the national carrier currently operates four flights a day to Entebbe, providing convenience to business travellers and tourists seeking frequent connections between Kenya and Uganda.
On regional integration, Thairu said the airline supported policy changes and open-skies arrangements aimed at making it easier for people to travel across Africa.
He cited Kenya’s decision to remove visa requirements for travellers as an important policy change that had contributed to increased tourist arrivals.
“We’ve seen growth in tourist numbers in Kenya,” he said.
Thairu said Kenya Airways plays a strategic role in opening up the country to the rest of the world by providing air connectivity that supports tourism, investment and economic activity.
“Without Kenya Airways, as I said, Kenya would be a forgotten island,” he said.
He said the national carrier’s connectivity was helping position Kenya as a regional hub, facilitating the movement of visitors, investors and businesses.
Thairu said continued investment in connectivity and infrastructure would be essential to sustaining Kenya’s position as a regional economic and tourism hub.
By Aron Kinyamasyo
