KENYA TOURISM BOARD TO USE KEY LOCAL EVENTS TO PROMOTE TRAVEL
(Posted 15th July 2014)
Kenya’s tourism marketing will now add a new dimension by tapping into key events hosted in the country, be they of a local or international nature, and use those as a platform to promote travel, both domestic as well as international. The new approach has singled out such events like the Lake Turkana Festival which has attracted global attention as well as fun sporting events like last weekend’s Diani Touch Rugby tournament, which saw participants from across the border in Tanzania join with others coming as far as France and the UK to play against Kenyan teams. Rugby, besides athletics, is a sport in which Kenya has excelled and successes in the international Rugby 7’s tournaments have brought many sports fans to Kenya to watch matches being played in Nairobi.
KTB’s CEO Muriithi Ndegwa used the opportunity of the Diani Touch Rugby event to go on record of how Kenya’s tourism marketing body was going to tag on to such events:
Start quote:
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) will leverage on key international events hosted in the country as a platform to drive both domestic and international tourists.
This according to Kenya’s tourism marketing agency is one of the strategies to boost tourists’ numbers that have recorded a drop as a result of insecurity.
In a press briefing during the 6th edition of Diani Touch Rugby held over the weekend in Diani, KTB Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa said key annual events held across the country have the potential to grow tourism.
"A number of County Governments and private sector have hosted and continue to host key events that have the potential to attract international participation and as KTB we shall continue to leverage on these avenues to grow the tourism sector," Mr Ndegwa said.
This year’s Diani Beach Touch Rugby attracted representation from UK, France and Tanzania along with local participation.
Kenya Rugby Union chairman Mwangi Muthee said the beach rugby tournament is recognised internationally and noted that the sport will go a long way in marketing Kenya’s coastal beaches.
"Touch rugby is no longer a small event, it is recognition globally. I call for more focus on marketing to encourage more international participation. The union will collaborate with organisers to bring more international participants."
He said the presence of the international participants in this year’s edition was an indication and expression of confidence on the country’s resilience in light of recent travel advisories as a result of insecurity incidents.
Ndegwa said international events such as the Lake Turkana Cultural Festival in June, Maralal Camel Derby in August, and Lamu Cultural Festival in November have raised Kenya’s profile attracting international and domestic participation. He added KTB will closely work with the County Governments in marketing and promoting key events to domestic and international recognition.
"We are certain besides these events going a long way in opening up respective counties, they are also in sync with efforts being made towards diversification of tourism products," said Mr Ndegwa.
This year’s Diani Touch Rugby happened at the backdrop of insecurity in the coastal region that has contributed to the drop of tourist numbers to the destination.
The development comes on the back of Britain issuing yet another anti travel advisory, this time including the ancient township of Lamu, widening the no go areas mapped out by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, leaving KTB and the country’s entire tourism industry with yet more challenges to promote the country abroad. Social media campaigns have started taking root though and in particular the hash tag #WhyILoveKenya has progressively made an impact with locals stakeholders and foreign visitors sharing their good stories about their safaris and beach vacations in Kenya, showing the positive side of what the country has to offer.
A few weeks ago did the Diani Rules event take place, also on one of Kenya’s most acclaimed beaches, and such events bring plenty of locals together enjoying the country’s great outdoors, something KTB now intends to also turn into events with a bigger international exposure and following.
For more information about the destination click on www.magicalkenya.com
