Kilifi Goes Digital in Marketing Tourism.

Kilifi County Government has unveiled a new tourism product dubbed, Kenyan Riviera to help boost tourist numbers both local and international tourists in the county from the current 39,000 to 500,000 annually.

Kilifi Governor, Mr. Gideon Mung’aro, revealed that the product would act as a new tourism marketing tool that would seek to strategically promote Kilifi County’s unique tourism attractions globally. He noted that the county was committed to providing a world-class experience while preserving the natural beauty and cultural heritage that makes the county unique.

“We are committed to unlocking opportunities that this sector presents by increasing the number of tourists that visit Kilifi from the current 39,000 to 500,000 annually,” he said.

The new product will be championed by the Kilifi Riveria Tourist Association, which will mark the beginning of an aggressive tourism marketing strategy.

The association is being chaired on an interim basis by Mr. Titus Kangangi, a seasoned hotelier in the North Coast Region. It would work with the County’s Department of Trade and Tourism, all hotels and tourist resorts, as well as with all other tourism-related organizations.

The event was held at Malindi Golf Club and was attended by Mr. Petter Maddens, the Belgian Ambassador, his Ugandan counterpart Hassan Galiwango, and Malindi Member of Parliament Amina Mnyazi among others, including tourism stakeholders.

In order to achieve this goal, the county will inaugurate the Kilifi County Investment Corporations which would work hand in hand with Kenya Riviera to market Kilifi as a destination of choice for both local and international tourists.

“In efforts to grow the tourism sector, I will be leading a delegation to Slovakia for a trade and tourism mission from September 17, 2023, while another team from this county will visit Belgium on September 26, 2023.” said the governor.

Kenya Riviera consists of a website that showcases the beauty and unique products available for tourists and markets them to the rest of the world for tourists to visit the destination and enjoy.

Major tourist attractions in Kilifi County are the Ruins of Gedi, Watamu Marine National Park, Malindi Museum, Rabai Museum, Matungu Beach, and the Kaya Forest. It also contains the Mnarani ruins that date back to between the 14th and 17th centuries.

Kilifi County is strategically located in the coast region. Kenya Coast is well-known for its hospitality facilities such as the Diana Reef Resort which has won the best resort in Africa for years in a row.

According to the UN report analyzing sustainable tourism in the country, about a million tourists come to Kenya every year and coastal resorts generate over 60 percent of the visits, creating jobs for 11 percent of Kenya’s workforce. It diversifies the economy and boosts other sectors such as transport, food and beverages, entertainment, and textiles. While the high volume is good for business, it is also taxing to prominent beaches.

Tourism is a key driver of Kenya’s economy. Prior to COVID-19, the sector contributed nearly 10% of the country’s GDP. The emergence of COVID-19 sent shockwaves to the tourism sector, bringing it to a halt globally. In Kenya, tourism establishments were closed, with the workforce laid off.

The New Tourism Strategy for Kenya 2021-2025 is Kenya’s response to reimagining the future of the tourism sector to set out priority ambitions for both recovery and growth of the sector.

The strategy is founded on four strategic shifts: Kenya becoming an all-year-round tourism destination; creating new and more diverse customer experiences and products; building a refreshed brand image and repositioning Kenya as an upmarket, sustainable destination; and developing enablers including unlocking alternative and innovative sources of funding and optimizing the adoption of digital innovations and new technologies by the sector.

Kenya’s tourism ranked at 135th in the world. In Eastern Africa, it ranked 7th. In 2021, Kenya generated around 1.22 billion US dollars in the tourism sector alone.

Tourism earnings in Kenya rose 31 percent in the first six months to June compared to a similar period last year as the sector benefited from the ongoing global recovery.

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) data shows that the sector booked Ksh152.6 billion ($1.06 billion) in the six months, up from Ksh116.2 billion ($807.79 million) in 2022. This performance is a 92 percent recovery when compared to the 2019 performance of 929,814 arrivals during the same period.

Kenya has been considered an attractive tourist destination for decades. With over 2 million tourists annually, the country has long since adapted to foreign guests and can offer not only breathtaking nature but also all other amenities. Due to political unrest, however, there have been repeated slumps in tourism in recent decades.

Kenya’s tourism ranked at 135th in the world. In Eastern Africa, it ranked 7th. In 2021, Kenya generated around 1.22 billion US dollars in the tourism sector alone.