Kenyans Urged to Embrace Local Tourism to Boost Revenue

Kenyans are being urged by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) to embrace domestic travel, try out new experiences, and support the development of the tourism sector in the country.

The “You Deserve A Holiday” campaign, which was launched a year ago, has already generated Sh1.1 billion by selling 108,963 bed nights.

Speaking during the Sigona Golf Club’s domestic activation push, KTB Chairperson Francis Gichaba emphasised the value of domestic travel in fostering local economies and communities.

He noted that while the campaign has already achieved significant milestones, there is still much potential to explore.

“We have seen communities and towns which have come up because of domestic tourism,” said Gichaba.

“This is indeed a transformative phenomenon and speaks of the potential for further growth. We are creating new destinations through the ‘You Deserve A Holiday’ campaign as we encourage Kenyans to explore their own backyard.”

The “You Deserve A Holiday” campaign has successfully worked with over 20 industry players since its start in June 2022, including travel agencies, airlines, and hoteliers.

These partnerships have produced extensive travel packages aimed to provide domestic travellers with seamless experiences.

Through combined marketing initiatives like golf tour series, mall activations, corporate visits, church activations, and media promotions, the campaign intends to target prospective markets inside the domestic market and sustain long-term demand for domestic travel.

Through the Magical Kenya golf Tour, the campaign journeyed to a number of places around the country, including Nairobi, Machakos, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Eldoret.

The dedication of the travel industry partners to encouraging domestic travel and improving the overall tourism experience has been demonstrated.

Cynthia Otoro, Head of Sales & Marketing at Jambojet AG, expressed delight for the expanding local travel trend, saying:

“It is encouraging to see that people are embracing more local travel more and more. Through this campaign, we’ve uncovered places that people have never known existed,” she said.

“We are proud to be part of the tourism and travel ecosystem as we are able to provide and give access to the hotels, tour operators, and other stakeholders involved in creating memorable travel experiences.”

With upcoming events in Nyeri and Mombasa, the campaign is scheduled to continue its activation activities.