Sh150m plan to lure visitors from East Africa
Tourists arrive at the port of Mombasa on February 23, 2016. Kenya is renowned for its warm weather in the palm-fringed sandy beaches, resorts and game park rides. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Tourist arrivals from South Africa, which is Kenya’s largest source market, jumped by 17.6 per cent last year to 30,476 while Nigerian visitors increased by six per cent to 14,065.
- The Kenya Tourism Board, the marketing agency, plans to spend Sh1.6 billion in the coming fiscal year to add shine to the country’s profile and attract visitors globally.
Kenya is racing to reverse a drop in visitor arrivals from Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda with a Sh150 million marketing campaign following last year’s success with travellers from Nigeria and South Africa.
Tourism data shows that visitors from Tanzania dropped from 17.3 per cent to 17,752 last year, Ugandan travellers to Kenya reduced by eight per cent to 29,038 while those from Rwanda narrowed 1.3 per cent to 11,242.
This has jolted the Ministry of Tourism to conduct consumer research in the three countries, which are among top five tourist source markets for Kenya in Africa in order to align their preferences with local attractions.
“In terms of investment, we have taken Tanzania and Uganda for granted. But this is going to change,” Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said at a press briefing in Nairobi on Monday, but cautioned against the rising political heat.
Kenya is renowned for its warm weather in the palm-fringed sandy beaches, resorts and game park rides. Officials look to market Nairobi as a regional hub for shopping and hospitality as they eye neighbouring travellers.
Tourist arrivals from South Africa, which is Kenya’s largest source market in Africa, jumped by 17.6 per cent last year to 30,476 while Nigerian visitors increased by six per cent to 14,065.
The growth was attributed to increased promotion in Nigeria and South Africa — the largest and second largest economies in Africa respectively.
The government seeks to replicate similar success in East Africa with the Sh150 million campaign, which takes up 60 per cent of the Sh250 million budgeted to market Kenya to Africa for the fiscal year starting July.
Africa contributed to 26 per cent of total visitor arrivals of 1.1 million last year.
The Kenya Tourism Board, the marketing agency, plans to spend Sh1.6 billion in the coming fiscal year to add shine to the country’s profile and attract visitors globally.
Tourism is a key forex earner for Kenya but a spate of past terrorism attacks has caused a big drop in foreign visitor arrivals after Western nations issued travel advisories, denying the economy hard currency inflows.
