Magical Kenya
The Ministry of Tourism is developing and diversifying tourism products, recognizing that the traditional beach and wildlife safari products need to be in line with changing travel trends and patterns. Tourists want a multiplicity of activities and experiences.
In its strategic plan, the ministry highlights the need to facilitate development and promotion of sport, cultural, conference and shopping tourism as additional products. For a long time, the sector has depended on traditional markets — the UK and Western Europe. The ministry realizes the need to widen its focus, especially to include markets in the Far East, Eastern Europe and North America.
Marketing Kenya is not an uphill task. The country is endowed with a wealth of tourist attractions — tropical beaches, abundant wildlife in natural habitats, scenic beauty and a diverse landscape. The diversity is boosted by the variety of flora and wildlife heritage. The Great Wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara Game Reserve is now a Wonder of the World. Kenya’s cultural history stretches back more than 4.5 million years, with some of the oldest known evidence of early man. Thus, the country is a destination that offers visitors an unparalleled variety of travel experiences.
The Government has started several initiatives, including lobbying for direct flights from the US to Kenya and seeking landing rights for the national carrier, Kenya Airways, in Asian countries like Japan, which have great potential for bringing in large numbers of tourists to the country.
Currently, leisure travellers, who want to visit Kenya from Japan and the US, have to charter flights or make stopovers in Amsterdam or Heathrow Airport. Direct flights will guarantee more air traffic and large visitor numbers. In addition to the tourism benefits, direct flights would open up those markets to Kenyan products like cut flowers and other agricultural products.
To strengthen the efforts, the Government is focusing on nine key strategic areas, outlined in the Tourism Strategic Plan (2008-2012).
They include the formulation and implementation of an appropriate policy and legal framework, diversification of tourism products and source markets, marketing of products and facilities and improvement of tourism standards. The strategic Plan provides a policy for tourism development: Measures to guarantee the safety and security of tourists, acquisition of funding for tourism, human resource development and management, reduction of sectoral conflicts, and boosting information management and research capacity.
Raising awareness of the opportunities for domestic travel is a priority.
The aim is to encourage Kenyans to travel within their country, make tourism products accessible to all, develop a culture of tourism and create a safe and welcoming environment for local visitors.
One of the fastest growing segments of tourism is ecological tourism (ecotourism) -nature photography, bird watching, botanical studies, hiking and mountaineering.
Community tourism is also becoming increasingly popular with tourists experiencing Kenya’s rural villages and towns.
Tourism marketing will be strengthened to promote up market package and wildlife safari and gradually move away from low-value package or mass tourism. Regional markets, especially those with good air links to which Kenya can offer complementary, rather than similar products, will also be targeted.
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