The two-day event, held in Popark Shopping Mall in the Tian, the central business district of Guangzhou, aimed at showcasing Kenyan rich cultural heritage to the Chinese tourist market/FILE
The two-day event, held in Popark Shopping Mall in the Tian, the central business district of Guangzhou, aimed at showcasing Kenyan rich cultural heritage to the Chinese tourist market.
Kenya’s ambassador to China Michael Kinyanjui hailed the festival as an opportunity to boost bilateral relations and increase the number of Chinese tourists coming to the country.
“The Kenya Cultural Festival in Guangzhou offered a platform to market our diverse cultural heritage besides the rich flora and fauna that Kenya is world famous for,” said the envoy.
Guests at the festival were treated to a first-hand experience of authentic Kenyan culture including cuisine, Masai dancing troupes as well as a themed photo exhibition. KTB is also using WeChat, the most popular social media mobile phone app in China to woo tourists.
KTB is banking on increased flights and trade activities between the two countries to position Kenya as the preferred all-year tourism destination for Chinese travellers. China Southern Airlines launched flights to Kenya in August serving the busy Nairobi-Guangzhou route. The airline cited the rising number of Chinese tourists visiting Kenya as a major factor in launching the route.
In May, KTB hosted a cultural festival in Beijing. China is one of the fastest-growing emerging tourism markets for Kenya.
Last week, KTB launched a programme dubbed Destination Africa Series to market Kenya in the West African market.
The initiative comes in the wake of an increase in number of tourists from Nigeria to Kenya to 6,255 between January and September this year from 5,765 in the period last year.
“Nigeria is a key market for Kenya boasting a lot of potential. It is one of the fastest growing markets in Africa and we are certain that this initiative will boost the number of tourists from the region,” said KTB Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa.
