“We are riding on the existing peaceful environment and positive feedback from our tourist source markets about the destination to create full awareness of our niche tourism products,” KTB Acting CEO Jacinta Nzioka said/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 9 – Kenya is targeting to increase the flow of tourists from South Africa by 20 percent by the end of the year.
This comes as the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) kicks off campaigns on branding the country including training of over 300 tour operators on tourism products Kenya has to offer.
“We are riding on the existing peaceful environment and positive feedback from our tourist source markets about the destination to create full awareness of our niche tourism products,” KTB Acting CEO Jacinta Nzioka said.
She was speaking during the ongoing 2016 Indaba tourism fair in Durban, South Africa where Kenya is showcasing its tourism products at the annual event which brings together over 7,000 exhibitors and buyers from across the globe.
The prospects of the South African market has received a boost following the announcement by Kenya Airways to operate flights three times a week from Nairobi to Cape Town via Livingstone, Zambia from July.
“Our ease of access with a flight of less than five hours to Nairobi by KQ and South African Airways, products suited to segments such as, family, couples, and special interest groups are pulling factors for our clientele,” says Nzioka.
South Africa is the leading tourist source market to Kenya in Africa with the arrival figures of over 30,000 last year.
Nzioka says all indications show that the market will attain a 20 percent growth before the end of the year with massive campaigns already launched.
The announcement comes as hopes for Kenya’s tourism growth rises. According to latest data by global travel analytics company, ForwardKeys, international flight bookings to Kenya have gone up by 27 percent for the summer season compared to this time last year.
Fifty three percent of the visitors are travelling for leisure purposes with business accounting for 17 percent.
