KTB ups efforts to get a larger share of global tourism market

Tourists disembark from the Oceania Cruise liner, Insignia at the Port of Mombasa. [File, Standard]

Kenya has intensified its marketing efforts to capture a larger share of its key source markets as it looks to consolidate its position in the global tourism market.

Kenya Tourism Board acting Chief Executive John Chirchir said the country is hosting various marketing forums and roadshows across Europe, Asia, and Africa, to promote Kenya as a preferred destination.

Mr Chirchir spoke as a delegation of tourism stakeholders representing Kenya led by the Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) participated in the annual World Travel Market (WTM), held recently at Excel in London.

Additionally, KTB has announced a series of six-day roadshows set to take place in three major Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, which started on November 8 to 13, in a bid to attract Chinese visitors.

Kenya received 34,638 Chinese tourists from January to August, up from 13,601 recorded in the same period in 2022, representing a growth rate of 154 per cent.

In Africa, KTB, in conjunction with the national carrier, Kenya Airways, has hosted forums in Cape Town, Uganda, Rwanda, and more recently, Johannesburg, to stimulate demand and tap into the appetite for travel from the vast African market.

On WTM, Chirchir noted there was an opportunity to leverage the good relations between Kenya and the UK to entice British holidaymakers to visit Kenya for business and adventure, adding that the destination is looking to build on the goodwill generated by King Charles III’s recent state visit.

“The UK market has been key in our growth strategy, and we are determined to increase arrivals from this market further as we work towards achieving our target of 5.5 million arrivals by 2028. We are particularly upbeat about King Charles III’s recent visit to the country because it is a huge endorsement of the destination as a safe and diverse tourism spot,” observed Chirchir.

He said being part of the WTM will enhance the destination’s new and more diverse customer experiences and products, such as culture and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

He stated that Kenya’s participation at WTM is just one of the ways to market the country with the focus being on increasing awareness about destination Kenya in the United Kingdom and larger Europe.

Between January and August this year, Kenya received 101,167 visitors from the UK, up from 83,126 in the same period last year, representing an increase of 21.7 per cent.

Now in its 43rd year, WTM is the most influential tourism and travel event globally.

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