The number of tourists coming to Kenya is expected to reduce by about 40 per cent in the year ending 2014 and a similar percentage in the first half of 2015 compared with 2013 and the first half of 2014 respectively.

Industry players blamed insecurity for the high number of cancellations. International arrivals in the country have fallen in the first six months of 2014 to 428,585 from 495,978 in the same period last year.

“For Kenya, the year is ending on a low note. It has been a tough year for investors, employees and suppliers in the tourism sector,” said Agatha Juma, the Kenya Tourist Federation chief executive officer, in an e-mail.

“The first half of the year is expected to witness subdued tourist numbers, but it is hoped that with the implementation of activities to spur tourism arrivals in early 2015, the second half of the year will record increased tourist arrivals.”

The tourism industry now banks on regional tourists to help fill the revenue gap.

“We have noted an increase in tourists from the EAC. This is encouraging but it cannot make up for the decline in international tourist numbers and revenues,” said Ms Juma.

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The biggest beneficiary of the slump in Kenya is Tanzania. “Kenya tour operators also sell Tanzania tours because the two countries share similar ecosystems and products,” said Fred Kaigua, Kenya Association of Tour Operators (Kato) chief executive.

Uganda Tourist Board officials said the country’s tourist arrivals are expected to surpass the 1.2 million registered in 2013. Uganda and Rwanda are banking on gorilla trekking to attract more tourists in 2015. Tanzania expects the industry to double to 2 million by 2017 from 1.095 million in 2013, according to the Tanzania Tourist Board.

Burundi is also hoping to attract more tourists. Carmen Nigibira, the director-general of the Burundi Tourism Office, said the country has rebranded.

“Our commitment is to work with both the public and private sector to brand our country as a favourable tourism and investment destination,” Ms Nigibira said.

The latest surge of insecurity in Kenya come on the heels of travel advisories issued by the US State Department and UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the second half of 2014.

The FCO in May advised against all but essential travel to the Kenya Coast and also to “low-income areas of Nairobi” while making it clear this warning did not include or affect transit through Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi.

The US State Department announced in June that it was evacuating some of its Nairobi embassy staff as it continues to receive information about potential terrorist threats.