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Mr. Willem Hondius, the CEO of Jambojet attends to Joyce Ouna.

Mr. Willem Hondius, the CEO of Jambojet attends to Joyce Ouna.

 

Jambojet has kicked off an aggressive campaign to capitalize on the Government’s new policy to stimulate domestic tourism industry through tax rebates for the private sector.

The awareness drive targets bus termini used by passengers travelling to Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu. “A 50-minute flight to Mombasa is much better than a laborious eight-hour drive,” said Willem Hondius, the Jambojet Chief Executive Officer.

Jambojet is offering a return ticket from Nairobi to Mombasa at about Kshs. 6,000. This is 60% cheaper than other rival airlines and convenient seeing as “luxury” buses can charge fares of upto Kshs. 4,000.

Jambojet’s campaign comes against the backdrop of the Government’s new measures to rejuvenate the tourism industry, the key one being a directive that will see all private companies get a tax rebate, from June 12, if they cater for vacation trip expenses for their employees in Kenya during their annual leave.

The Government expects at least 25,000 Kenyans will get an opportunity to travel for a week’s holiday every month creating over 300,000 additional Kenyan guests in local hotels countrywide.

The tourism industry has also recently received a lease of life after tourists started flocking Maasai

Mr. Hondius estimates that 30 to 40 per cent of their new customers are people who have not travelled by air before. “With fares of as low as Ksh2,850 one-way from Nairobi to Mombasa, Jambojet has definitely brought air travel within the reach of many Kenyans,” he added.

Mr Hondius said the airline is relying on increased regional integration which is rapidly blurring the borders and laying a foundation for a more interconnected Africa. The budget airline eventually plans to venture into Bujumbura, Kigali, Juba, Goma, Mwanza, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro and Addis Ababa in less than a year.