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Kenya’s quest to attain 2.5 million tourists by year-end on course -KTB
By Isaac OGANGA
The Kenya Tourism Board(KTB) has termed the recently concluded Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) as a major catalyst of growth in Kenya’s quest to attain the target of 2.5 million tourists by the end of the year.
KTB CEO June Chepkemei says that the three-day expo held last week at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi was pivotal in accelerating strategic engagements that will help bolster Kenya’s positioning as a top tourism destination globally.
“We hosted over 180 high-quality international buyers from over 35 countries, 4000 delegates, and 417 exhibitors during the 3-day expo. This exceptional turnout is a major boost to our tourism industry as the buyers got a chance to experience our diverse products first-hand and forge lucrative partnerships with our local stakeholders,” said Chepkemei.
She revealed that the expo has built on the momentum that Kenya has gained as a preferred destination, bringing in even more high-quality partners and buyers who will help market the destination globally and thus increase tourist arrivals.
“Kenya is firmly on course to achieving the 2.5 million tourist target having welcomed 1.8 million visitors as of August. We want to intensify our marketing efforts through similar expos and even leverage international trade shows, digital marketing campaigns, as well as targeted roadshows, so that we familiarize more people globally on the key tourism attractions and experiences that our country offers,” Chepkemei stated.
The KTB CEO underscored the board’s commitment to continue providing a conducive platform for Kenya’s travel trade to access global markets cost-effectively through such initiatives.
Beyond engaging with international buyers, the travel fair brought together players from academia, to explore ways of growing the industry’s talent pipeline. At least 17 universities were represented to engage with industry players, with Chepkemei noting that such partnerships will be key to creating jobs and opportunities for the youth.
The expo also facilitated discussions among tourism boards across the continent on exploring ways of collaborating and partnering to reposition Africa’s travel fairs to match with globally established exhibitions in attracting top buyers of tourism business.
On his part, Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) Chairman Fred Odek hailed MKTE 2024 as the launchpad for marketing Africa as a continent. He urged tourism players to continue participating in future expos to tap into emerging markets and keep Kenya top of mind as a leading tourist destination.
“Kenya is the launching pad for Africa, and MKTE is the ideal platform for marketing the African continent. The prospects from this expo are good, and we expect an even bigger and better market in MKTE 2025,” he said.
A key highlight of the expo was the launch of the Digital Nomad Work Permit and Transit and Long Connection Travellers Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) by President William Ruto to woo new tourism segments. The two innovative initiatives seek to target digital nomad professionals and long connection travelers, enabling them to seamlessly explore Kenya’s diverse attractions.