The Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) has issued a public advisory urging tourists, travel industry players, and the general public to only engage with tourism enterprises holding a valid TRA licence, as Kenya enters its peak tourism season.
TRA reminded all tourism enterprises, including accommodation facilities, tour operators, travel agents, online travel platforms, destination management companies, and tourist transport operators, to verify the licensing status of their business partners before making payments, referrals, or entering into any commercial arrangements.
The authority specifically warned that no licensed tourism enterprise should pay commissions, referral fees, incentives, or any other form of remuneration to an unlicensed person or entity required to hold a TRA licence under the Tourism Act, 2011.
Members of the public and licensed tourism businesses are advised to insist on seeing a valid TRA licence before making any commission or referral payment, verify that the licence is current and matches the enterprise presenting it, avoid entering into commercial arrangements with unlicensed operators.
The authority also asked Kenyans to report any suspected unlicensed tourism operators.
The TRA warned that dealing with unlicensed enterprises violates tourism laws and could attract regulatory action.
Such operations, the authority noted, undermine compliant businesses, expose visitors and industry players to fraud and substandard services, and damage Kenya’s reputation as a safe and high-quality tourism destination.
