Tour operators have welcomed the entry of technology platforms into Kenya’s safari business, saying it will create new market segments without threatening the established companies that organise longer, more complex trips.
According to industry executives, technology has made it easier for short-stay visitors and residents looking for convenient one-day experiences, while leaving the core safari market for multi-day trips still untouched.
Nicanor Sabula, the chief executive officer of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (Kata), said that digital offerings such as Uber’s safari service are broadening the market.
On Tuesday, the ride-hailing company unveiled the new service that allows tourists, both foreign and local, to book game drives to the Nairobi National Park directly through the Uber app.
Dubbed Uber Safaris, the service is only available in Nairobi and costs Sh25,000 for a daytime safari for up to seven passengers and Sh40,000 for a night safari for up to five passengers.
Although the product has been integrated into the regular Uber app, it relies on extended-wheelbase Land Cruisers operated by licensed safari companies.
Mr Sabula said that Uber Safaris doesn’t pose a threat as long as everyone is properly regulated to create a level playing field.
“It is another alternative way of selling safaris, which is going to create another segment of clients, especially those who used to find the complexities of booking a normal tour safari tiresome. Their pricing does not target the traditional clients. For us, it is an extended market base that brings people who ordinarily would not take this safari,” he said.
“We have always looked at technology as an enabler, and as long as regulators keep a fair ground, we are ready for a new niche,” he added.
Technology has been integrated into the tourism sector through online booking platforms, cashless and mobile payments, customer reviews and digital marketing. These innovations have made it easier for travellers to make instant decisions and avoid the lengthy booking processes that once characterised safari planning.
However, Caroline Malinda, the managing director of Uniglobe Silverbird Travel Plus, believes that tour operators will continue to dominate the main safari market, even in the face of disruption.
“In any industry, there are disruptions. However, we should reinvent ourselves to meet them. They can’t do the work that tour operators do because we curate itineraries for complex travel of three to ten days. This is just a one-day safari,” she said.
“Tourism is a complex industry that connects different experiences, this is value addition for a certain niche,” she adds.
Patrick Kamanga of Deans Travel notes that technology will change aspects of the business and expand access to safaris for residents and shorter-stay visitors.
“There will be a disruption to business because their system is collective. It is a welcome product, especially for residents to visit the park. It is like when airlines came up with online booking and people said travel agencies would die, but we are still in business. Everyone has their share in the market,” he said.
Industry players argue that rather than fragmenting the sector, technology-enabled safari products are adding new layers of demand. For Kenya, where the tourism sector is a key foreign exchange earner, this fusion of tradition and technology could deepen the market and diversify its clientele, which will ensure resilience in a highly competitive global industry.
