NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, JAN 30
With improving accessibility and daily flight options, Kenyan tourism officials on Monday said they are expecting considerable growth in footfalls from India in 2023 compared to last year.
Kenya has introduced the latest tourism attraction campaign in India to increase destination awareness. Through the destination marketer, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), Kenya has unveiled its global marketing campaign – ‘MagicalKenya’ that will carry vivid visuals across key digital platforms to maximise the number of visitors to their country from India.
- India is ranked fifth as a source market following USA, Uganda, UK and Tanzania
- KTB is also participating at OTM Mumbai during 2nd, 3rd& 4th February to interact with Indian travel trade fraternity & media.
The East African country seeks to bring the tourism market back to its performance recorded before the pandemic, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) officials said as their delegation embarked on a six-day India tour with its first road show in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Kenya is seeking to grow visitor numbers from the Indian market to over 120,000 recorded in 2019 with the ongoing Kenyan travel trade roadshows in cities of Ahmedabad and Bangalore reporting positive prospects #magicalkenya #RediscoverTheMagic pic.twitter.com/llkE8nmeLq
— Kenya Tourism Board (@magicalkenya) February 1, 2023
“India is one of the markets whose travel was negatively impacted due to COVID-19. From nearly 1.20 lakh arrivals into Kenya from the Indian source market recorded in 2019 before the outbreak of the pandemic, the number fell drastically to 42,159 in 2021,” Irene Katumo, marketing manager-emerging markets, told reporters.
Kenya saw a rebound in tourist flow from India in 2022, registering an increase of nearly 93.2 per cent at 81,458 last year compared to the year-ago period, she said.
“We are working in the direction of regaining arrivals from the Indian source market. We have started with a road show in Ahmedabad as Kenya has more Gujarati diaspora having business and industries. There is no dearth of all kinds of Indian veg foods in Kenya. Other road shows will be organised in Bengaluru and New Delhi. We will also participate in the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) tourism fair in Mumbai from February 2-4 and a roadshow in New Delhi on February 6,” Katumo said.
She said, “The response has been extremely moving and we are keen to build on this recovery momentum by diversifying the way we promote Kenya and appeal to the core passions of Indian travellers.”
India is ranked fifth as a source market following USA, Uganda, UK and Tanzania. Kenya has recorded consistent footfalls from the India market even during the past two years owing to multiple favourable reasons, including – direct flight connectivity from Mumbai, ease in visa application, flexible COVID-19 entry-exit rule while maintaining health and safety measures and lastly the destination’s array of adventurous activities and unique cultural attractions.
Representatives of the Kenyan embassy and Kenya Airways revealed various easing of process for Indian tourists such as the ability to avail tourist visa in three days and choosing one of the 14 flights flying weekly out of Mumbai to Nairobi.
KTB’s acting CEO John Chirchir in a statement said the growth in tourism from India is “a positive indication that the tourism business in India is on the right track to recovery.
The flow of Indian tourists to Kenya was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted.
Chirchir said their country is making its physical presence in the market after two years and hopes to reap big from the OTM fair.
The KTB has rolled out key promotional and marketing campaigns in India, he said.
“These are part of our many initiatives to bring the market back to its performance recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic. Attributes such as ease of access and connectivity, all-weather season as well as tourism offerings that cut across all segments have continued to pull Indian travellers to Kenya,” Chirchir said.
In its effort to regain Indian tourists, Kenya last year hosted a familiarisation trip to Nairobi for India’s leading travel companies and launched joint promotional campaigns with them, officials said.
Kenya is home to intimate, awe-inspiring, and magical travel experiences. All year round, visitors enjoy exhilarating wildlife experiences, the breathtaking outdoors and landscapes, the tranquil and adventure of Kenya’s coast, the enriching cultural encounters, and the warmth of the Kenyan people.
