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Kenya’s government has started the “West Africa Roadshow” project to showcase the country’s diverse vacation destinations after a significant visa policy adjustment.
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) aims to increase visitor arrivals from West Africa by promoting both business and leisure travel.
Acting KTB CEO John Chirchir emphasized the importance of the “West Africa Roadshow” initiative during a meeting marking the start of a series of roadshows in Nigeria and Ghana.
Chirchir emphasized the importance of the West African market in the tourist attraction plan, with Nigeria (6%) and Ghana (48%) having the greatest increases in visitor arrivals among Kenya’s potential markets in 2023.
KTB and Kenya Airways are leading a group of 15 travel trade businesses to conduct in-market activations in Nigeria and Ghana from February 5-9, aiming to attract over 400 trade partners.
Chirchir also expressed confidence that Kenyan traders would hold business discussions and direct interactions with possible visitors from Lagos, Abuja, and Accra.
Regular flights between African cities, less travel restrictions, and Electronic Travel Authorization will facilitate visitor access to Kenya.
Consaga Khisa, chairperson of the West Africa Roadshow, spoke passionately throughout the meeting on the rationale for prioritising domestic travel and the need of collaboration between KTB and the corporate sector in increasing tourism arrivals in Kenya.
“The roadshows will provide an opportunity for the Kenyan trade to engage with about 400 West African travel agents and tour operators, showcase products and service offerings, and forge new partnerships to drive growth,” Khisa said in a press release.
According to Kenya’s Tourism Research Institute, visits from Africa accounted for 651,152 visitors, or 40.7% of total arrivals between January and October 2023. To entice visitors in the competitive African tourism market, neighboring nations such as Rwanda, Benin, The Gambia, and Seychelles have eliminated all visa restrictions for African travelers.
