On 27th April 2023, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) capitalized on outdoor and nature-based tourism experiences in a bid to shore up tourism numbers from the growing Chinese market.
This, according to KTB Chairperson Francis Gichaba is part of a strategy that KTB is employing to grow arrivals from the market which he added holds immense potential for Kenya’s tourism sector.
The chairman said that the post-COVID recovery plan for Kenya’s tourism sector hinges on capitalizing on Kenya’s advantage in nature and outdoor experiences. KTB is shifting towards sustainable models of tourism in Kenya. This means it is imperative that the board deepen its engagement and relations with key markets like China to find synergies to enhance marketing efforts and optimize opportunities.
China is a growing market, having accounted for 82,180 and 83,388 arrivals in 2018 and 2019 respectively positioning itself as Kenya’s 6th largest source market
The chairman was bullish that the recent reopening of the Chinese market was a great opportunity to grow air arrivals given the growing number of affluent middle-class Chinese travelers.
Mr. Gichaba made the remarks during the annual Kenya Chinese Tourism Association (KCTA) golf tournament held at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, Nairobi.
At least 120 players drawn from the Chinese community residing in Kenya participated in a golf series that was sponsored by the Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) Group. The tourney forms part of events held by KCTA with the aim of connecting the diverse community to explore and experience Kenya’s travel products and services.
KCTA has over five hundred members pulled from different sectors with the potential to influence their friends and families for both domestic and international travel.
On his part, KCTA Chairperson, Mr Zhang Yuanxiang said that golf tourism is part of the rich portfolio of outdoor experiences that are proving to be a strong attraction for Chinese tourists. With a travel-savvy population that is willing to explore and try new experiences, Kenya stands in a great position to tap into this promising potential and consequently re-assert itself as a destination offering golf and other outdoor attractions.
He added that they are delighted to partner with KTB, DTB Group, and other partners to execute a strategy for Kenya to get a share of the increasing Chinese outbound market.
Before the pandemic, China was the world’s largest outbound travel market with over 150 million outbound travelers, whose spending added up to almost USD $255 billion. The Chinese travel market is highly diversified, with a tendency to prefer group leisure travel.
Voice of Tourism
