Board eyes West African visitors

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Dancers welcome cruise ship MS Nautica when it docked at the Port of Mombasa on November 13, 2015. The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has launched an ambitious marketing drive in Nigeria and Ghana by sponsoring a Kenyan programme on regional television channels. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• In the past 10 months, 6,255 Nigerians visited Kenya compared to 5,765 recorded last year while 2,808 people from Ghana came calling compared to 2,608 reported last year.
• The series will mainly feature tourism products on offer in Nairobi known as the world’s only capital with a national park and Mombasa with its revered white sandy and world cultural heritage sites.
• The programme titled The Destination Africa Series was launched at the Akwaaba Exhibition in Lagos, Nigeria early this week and will be aired on MNET channels–Africa Magic, Ebony Life and MNET.

By JAMES KARIUKI
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The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has launched an ambitious marketing drive in Nigeria and Ghana by sponsoring a Kenyan programme on regional television channels.

Board managing director, Mr Muriithi Ndegwa, said Kenya had partnered with a Nigerian-based online travel company Wakanow in preparation of the programme that will beam the country’s tourism attractions to West African viewers and beyond.

The programme titled The Destination Africa Series was launched at the Akwaaba Exhibition in Lagos, Nigeria early this week and will be aired on MNET channels–Africa Magic, Ebony Life and MNET.

The 30-minute programme aims at creating awareness on Kenya’s vast wildlife, geographic features and coastal beaches with a view to promoting regional tourism.

Mr Ndegwa said one minute visual snapshots will also be aired on Super Sport magazine programmes for the next three years.

In the past 10 months, 6,255 Nigerians visited Kenya compared to 5,765 recorded last year while 2,808 people from Ghana came calling compared to 2,608 reported last year.

“This initiative is a joint venture between Kenya Airways, KTB, the Ebony Travel Channel and Wakanow that is geared towards growing our regional market share that has shown potential to grow,” he said.

To help tap the tourism market in Nigeria, Ghana and UAE, Mr Ndegwa said the board and Kenya Airways, had finalised training of 350 Wakanow staff from Accra, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja and UAE who are now certified as Magical Kenya specialists.

The series will mainly feature tourism products on offer in Nairobi known as the world’s only capital with a national park and Mombasa with its revered white sandy and world cultural heritage sites.

Wakanow boasts of a loyal clientele in Ghana, UAE, US and London where it helps its clients to identify places to visit.

“Nigeria is a key market for Kenya and is one of the fastest-growing in Africa that we seek to tap into via this strategic partnership,” said Mr Ndegwa.