• Free visa for all nationalities on offer
To showcase its urban adventure, attraction and boost tourism, the Kenya Government has relaxed the hitherto travel restrictions with a view to make Kenya a more accessible destination.
The Marketing Manager Africa for Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), Alex Tonui recently revealed this during a round table meeting with industry stakeholders at Sheraton Lagos Hotel Nigeria to announce the forthcoming 2024 Magical Kenya Roadshow.
He said: “We are here in Nigeria as part of the strategy for diversifying the resource market and we are focusing on West Africa as one of our key source markets to grow the numbers of tourism arrivals to Kenya. Africans have the propensity for travel and they are looking for new and exciting destinations. So we are here as Kenya to offer this opportunity to the Nigeria market through the oncoming Magical Kenya Roadshow for them to come to Kenya and enjoy what Kenya has to offer.”
On Kenya’s expectations from the Nigerian market, Tonui said: “At the moment, we are receiving just over 35,000 tourism arrivals from Nigeria yearly and we intend to grow that by 10 per cent and subsequently grow it over the next couple of years. This is why we have come to Nigeria with our tourism trade to develop packages for the Nigerian market, and by engaging them we are able to share with Nigeria all the attractions that Kenya has to offer.
“The forthcoming Magical Kenya Roadshow would showcase the various attractions in Kenya. Urban adventure has grown in Kenya tremendously; there are a lot of new developments in the city, an opportunity for adventures, experience unique culture, shopping experiences, fine dining, golfing, safari, beach experiences etc. we are bringing all of these magical experiences into the market because we realise that Nigerians come to Kenya for these experiences.”
Speaking on the security of travellers, Tonui said, “Kenya is a safe destination, the government has put measures in place to ensure that travellers are able to enjoy their experiences in a safe and fun environment.”
On affordability, he said, “we have various kinds of products and services to cater for every individual’s needs. Also, by working with our Nigerian partners here, that are our tour operators, they can be able to customise packages for people depending on what their needs are.”
Also speaking, Managing Director Destination Connect, Consaga Khisa, who is a Nairobi based tour operator from Kenya, said the idea is to foster enhanced relations between Kenya’s tourism players and Nigeria tourism partners. “We want to grow the tourism sector from a mutual perspective by getting our Nigerian trade partners to know new attractions and offers Kenya has at the moment. Basically the aim is to ensure that we are up to date with the tourism offerings available.”
Addressing Kenya government visa ease initiative, Khisa revealed that “at the beginning of this year, Kenya became a visa free destination, not only for Nigerians but all nationalities, and in its place has come an item referred to as the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) which is not only cheaper than the visa but also a simpler process. ETA is aimed at securing clients’ details because with every country, comes their security concerns, so the ETA is mostly administrative, just to capture details and it is a processing fee that is matchless than what you pay for the visa.”
Khisa also revealed that one of the foremost tour guiding publications in the world, Lonely Planet has done their ranking of the top cities to visit in the world in 2024 and Nairobi is listed number one ahead of cities such as Paris, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and various other cities.
“The hospitality of the country, infrastructures, the welcoming, varieties and array of different attractions the city has, added up to this ranking.
“So this is a message that is attractive for a market such as Nigeria that is looking for exotic destinations and experiences. Nairobi also has a very huge presence of Nigerians, so when you visit, you get to feel at home. Nairobi is the only city in the world that has got a national wildlife park, our hotels are of the best standards and the communication system is also excellent. Our airport transfer vehicles, for example, are fitted with Wi-Fi. So at the point of arrival, you are already communicating with the people you left at home. Our attractions also include the nightlife clubs, fine dining restaurants perfect for honeymooners, ice skating, kids sport, etc.”
Regional Sales Manager, Sarova Hotels & Resort Kenya, the largest Hotel chains in Kenya Steve Biko said it is paramount for Kenya to capture the Nigerian market. “We have testament to the fact that Nigeria has been the most profitable route last year and this is why attention has come to this market. Nigeria and Kenya have a lot of similarities in culture and it is time that Africans exchange culture and appreciate what each country has to offer. So Kenya Roadshow is a good exchange programme that would benefit both countries. For us as a hospitality outfit, we are focused on giving the best guest experience.”
On how Kenya Airways intend to cater for the travel frequency especially during the Magical Kenya Roadshow, the Sales Manager, Kenya Airways, Rotimi Martins said that flight frequency increment has always been a priority for Kenya Airways in Nigeria even before the KTB event. “Presently we are doing seven flights out of Lagos every day to Kenya but come April we are going to add one more flight to make it eight. Then in June, at the inception of the summer period of this year, we are going to do 10 flights out of Lagos to Nairobi. Then towards the end of the year, we will start flying out of Abuja too. So we will be flying out of Lagos and Abuja which means we are most likely going to be doing 15-18 flights out of Nigeria to Kenya.”
Martins continued: “KTB is trying to sell the West African destination and prominently, Nigeria and Ghana have that traction to give Kenya their target population. This is to boost leisure and tourism for Kenya and we are collaborating with them to make it a success. We already have a lot of trade partners to boost destination Kenya.”