Kenya keen to tap in Africa’s tourism market

Kenya is counting on Africa as a key source market for tourists.

Kenya Tourism Board Managing Director, Dr. Betty Radier says with Africa being Kenya’s second biggest tourist source market, having contributed 29 percent of total tourist arrivals to Kenya in 2017, bilateral discussions are ongoing among African Tourism ministries to enhance collaboration and provide a wider offering for travelers.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Africa topped growth in international tourist arrivals in 2017 totaling 63 million international arrivals and is targeting to attract 134 million tourists by the year 2030.

Radier says Africa is gradually emerging not only as a tourism destination but also as a tourist source market adding that Africa is currently Kenya’s second biggest source market by region, having contributed 29 percent of the total tourist arrivals to Kenya in 2017.

Uganda is Kenya’s top tourist source market in Africa, having contributed 61,542 arrivals representing 6.4 per cent of arrivals in 2017.

Other crucial markets for Kenya on the African continent are South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

Radier says Kenya is partnering with the rest of East Africa to provide a wider offering for travelers from the West African region led by Nigeria and is also actively engaging with travel agents and tour operators to expose them to the diverse tourist offering in Kenya and the rest of East Africa.

She says bilateral discussions are ongoing between the Kenyan and Sierra Leone Tourism ministries to enhance collaboration.