This photo, taken on April 27, 2024, captures the view of Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park, Kajiado County, Kenya. (Xinhua/Han Xu)
Kenya’s marketing agency, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) on Friday announced the launch of a strategic marketing campaign to boost tourism within the East African Community (EAC) market.
NAIROBI, June 8 (Xinhua) — Kenya’s marketing agency, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) on Friday said it has launched a strategic marketing campaign to boost tourism within the East African Community (EAC) market.
KTB Chief Executive Officer June Chepkemei said in a statement in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi that the organisation is partnering with well-known social media influencers and major media outlets in EAC member states to raise awareness of the destination, generate travel interest and uncover new growth potential.
Chepkemei said popular social media personalities and content creators from the target EAC markets will showcase the key attractions of various tourist destinations such as Nairobi, Mt Kenya, Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and the coast.
“Influencers play a vital role in destination marketing by providing authentic and engaging content that whets followers’ desire and aspirations to travel,” she said.
An ostrich forages on Crescent Island in Lake Naivasha, Nakuru County, Kenya, July 8, 2023. (Xinhua/Han Xu)
Chepkemei said the EAC market has great growth potential, especially through regional integration.
She said tourist arrivals from EAC sending markets have increased in recent years.
“Media plays a vital role in shaping consumer preferences and travel decisions. We aim to engage consumers with impactful experiences connected to compelling storytelling,” said Chepkemei.
She said the marketing strategy was based on the East Africa Regional Tourism Expo 2023 and the Magical Kenya Tourism Expo, adding that EAC member states had agreed to adopt an integrated tourism marketing strategy to enhance cooperation, increase competitiveness, attract more tourists and increase revenue.
According to the KTB, the EAC region has set a target of attracting more than 14 million international tourists per year by 2025, up from 7.2 million in 2019.
The EAC member states are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Meanwhile, Kenya aims to attract 5.5 million tourists and generate US$6.3 billion in tourism revenue by 2028, the KTB said.
