Kenya taps into diaspora community to grow visitor arrivals

NAIROBI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) — The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), a state-owned marketing agency, on Sunday launched a campaign leveraging the country’s missions abroad to increase tourist arrivals.
June Chepkemei, KTB chief executive officer, said Kenyan missions abroad would play a crucial role in augmenting the campaign, dubbed ‘Ziara Kenya: One Diaspora, One Tourist,” which seeks to harness the over 3 million Kenyans in the diaspora to help market their motherland through their networks within the host countries.
“Kenya has 66 missions abroad which represent our country. This existing infrastructure provides an ideal platform to position Kenya as the most attractive destination for international travelers,” she said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
The KTB official spoke during a meeting that gathered key heads of departments from KTB and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking to bolster Kenya’s tourism presence abroad.
The initiative is expected to boost tourism arrivals currently at 1.9 million to its target of 5 million by 2027, reinforcing Kenya’s position as a preferred travel destination, KTB said.
Chepkemei said the campaign will empower Kenyans living abroad to promote tourism within their social networks with incentives, which she said KTB will work together with the travel trade to make it a reality.
“We will be working closely with the travel partners whom we are encouraging to put in place personalized travel packages, incentives for referrals as a way of motivating the Kenyan diaspora to join the campaigns,” Chepkemei added.
Eliphas Barine, director general of Political and Diplomatic Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed the support of the Ministry to KTB in its programs that are aimed at boosting Kenya’s tourism potential by aligning with regional and global tourism agendas.
While saying Africa’s growing market presents immense opportunities, Barine suggested Kenyans in the diaspora can play a critical role in drawing visitors to Kenya by promoting the country’s rich culture, wildlife, and natural beauty.
“We need to synergize as industry stakeholders to ensure that our mandate is realized, and Kenyans are served. The African market is becoming increasingly exciting, and with initiatives like the Africa Agenda 2063 – ‘The Africa We Want,’ it’s time for the diaspora to begin exploring the continent, starting with Kenya,” Barine said. ■