Africa-Press – Kenya. The private sector has been instrumental to the growth of holiday travel which accounted for 45 per cent of the choice of travel to Kenya by foreign tourists, according to the 2023 tourism statistics.
KTB chairman Francis Gichaba says that the private sector has contributed immensely to growing new travel segments beyond the traditional wildlife and beach experiences.
He noted that the diversity of facilities and experiences offered by the private sector continues to attract new audiences and keep Kenya ahead of competitors.
Gichaba was speaking during an engagement meeting for affiliates of the Magical Kenya Signatures Program (MKSE) in Nairobi.
The event was held to appreciate those who have grown the programme from 15 unique experiences in 2019 to the current 61 diverse ones and discuss ways of improving Kenya’s offerings to the global traveller.
KTB CEO June Chepkemei on her part said the MKSE programme would augment the strategy to diversify tourism offerings to cater for the different preferences of today’s travellers.
“The passion and innovation of our partners in the private sector are what make Kenya such an attractive and memorable destination. We have seen growth in areas like cultural tourism, ecotourism, and adventure travel,” Chepkemei said.
She added that the private sector’s role in developing Kenya’s experiential travel offerings and value-added services has been invaluable in appealing to today’s discerning traveller seeking immersive, multidimensional experiences.
She noted that the destination has evolved from a safari-focused model to a more holistic and experiential destination, which he added aligns with global travel trends and provides more value to the traveller.
“Travellers today seek transformation, learning and growth. Our private partners have grasped this well and are providing the kinds of authentic, meaningful experiences that today’s travellers value,” she added.
With most signature experiences nestled outside traditional tourism circuits, the affiliates were urged to work with the board in targeted destination marketing towards key and emerging source markets such that these hidden gems become widely known in every corner of the country.
This is against the backdrop of a notable rise in tourism arrivals. Data indicates an increase from 1,483,752 arrivals in 2022 to 1,951,185 in 2023, a growth of 31.5 per cent.
The tourism marketing agency is also seeking to bring in three million visitors by the end of 2024 with a focus on emerging markets and the African continent that has shown resilience to the challenges affecting the tourism business.
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