Kenya Airways (KQ), and the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) have entered into a one-year joint marketing programme to boost tourist arrivals. Under the deal, the Kenyan national carrier will bankroll the KTB to the tune of USD240'000 (KSH20million) while in return, the KTB will ensure KQ brand visibility at its tourism promotion forums as they seek to increase the number of tourists visiting Kenya.
The joint marketing effort will target various tourist markets amongst them Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, Cameroon, South Africa, and Egypt in Africa and Thailand, China and India in Asia as well as the domestic Kenyan market market.
Plans to extend coverage to other Kenya Airways’ destinations in Europe, Middle East and the Americas are also in the pipeline.
KTB Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa said the partnership was timely, coming at a time when both the airline and Kenya’s tourism sector were experiencing reduced numbers.
Kenya Airways hopes to maintain a dominant presence and growth in all existing routes through the partnership while marketing Kenya as a tourist and business destination of choice.“We must not only enhance our attractiveness as the preferred tourist destination in all of our traditional markets but we must also seek to collectively position Kenya as the tourists’ choice on the continent to every potential visitor,” said KTB’s managing director Muriithi Ndegwa.
“This partnership fits in well with our strategy to expand into some of the fastest growing travel markets in Africa, India, Middle East and the Far East. We need to diversify into the huge African market for our tourists,” said Titus Naikuni, KQ Group chief executive.
The two organisations will engage potential tourists through targeted events, festivals and regional road shows while also working with professional bodies and some of Kenya’s top brands to grow the demand for travel within the country.
