The Kenya Tourist Board intends to promote Kenya as a niche market for sports tourism and viable investment location during the Olympics to be held in London starting tomorrow, writes PETER MUIRURI

The tourism body intends to present Kenya as the home of Safari, clean and secure beaches, rich culture, training facilities for the athletes and general adventure among others.

This will part of the activities scheduled in London after the official opening of Kenya House at Stratford on Friday, creating a window into the wealth and unique opportunities the country has to offer ranging from investment opportunities, rich cultural heritage as well as Kenya’s dominance in the tourism sector.

Kenya hopes to capitalise on the more than seven million visitors to the Olympics, being part of the 13 million people expected to tour London this summer. The event will also give top Government officials a chance to engage with the many Kenyans in the Diaspora.

UK plays host to over half a million Kenyans.

Collaborated efforts

Apart from the tourism sector, Kenya House has been put together by various arms of the Government including the ministries of Finance, Trade and Industry, Youth and Sports and Information and Communication.

According to the Managing Director of the Kenya Tourist Board Muriithi Ndegwa, there will be online campaigns as well as print adverts in the UK’s consumer media aimed at getting those attending the games visit Kenya House.

To ensure that they do not miss any sporting events, guests will be able to watch live coverage of the Olympics using the in-house big screens as they soak in the friendly Kenyan atmosphere.

Visitors will also learn about the country as a favourite destination from a permanent exhibition showcasing the country’s past, present and future. There will be  rare opportunities for guests to rub shoulders with record breaking Kenyan athletes, some of whom will also give some running tips.

“Among the speakers will be journalists who have been to the country on familiarisation tours and who have also trained with our athletes. We would like them to talk about their experiences while in Kenya since they are in a position to reach a big segment of external audiences.

Lined up too, will be opportunities to enjoy cultural performances, sample local foods and win some prizes.

Another highlight will be a high level investment meeting to be held at Mansion House to discuss the country’s investment opportunities not only in tourism but also in other mega projects earmarked for the country as part of the economic blueprint, Vision 2030.

“We hope to attract potential investors to partner with us in some of these projects that are ready for take-off. These include Konza City, which is’ Africa’s Silicon Valley’ and the Lapsset Project,” says Ndegwa.

The climax will be on Sunday, August 12 dubbed ‘Kenya Day’ in honour of the men’s marathon finals which is hoped to be Kenya’s strongest discipline.

“There will be themed days at Kenya House that will showcase not only our wildlife but also Kenya’s traditional cuisine, our dances and tourism opportunities in Kenya. Other agencies such as the National Museums of Kenya will also showcase the country’s rich culture,” said Ndegwa.

The  August 7 and 8 dates have been earmarked for the country’s heritage and culture hosted by the Kenya Film Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Presidential Music Commission, Kenya Tourist Board and National Museums of Kenya.

Ndegwa says stakeholders need to aggressively market the country as a top sports tourism destination owing to its high attitude training grounds that have recently become hotspots for great international athletes.

He also cites the fact that the country has 29 golf clubs offering international standards of golf that are known to host tournaments all year round. In addition to the world known athletes, Kenya’s rugby team has also had a particular following in many parts of the world and according to Muriithi, it is high time we go some of those followers to visit the country.

 “Kenya is one of the world’s leading sporting nations and the games present an opportunity to showcase a full range of the country’s assets including exports, investment potential and some of our strongest brands. The UK remains one of Kenya’s top export markets and source market for tourism,” says Mary Kimonye, CEO Brand Kenya.

Ndegwa hopes the event will help diversify Kenya’s tourism product to include more than the traditional wildlife and beach destination.