Kenya is focusing on India and Spain as part of its strategy to increase tourist arrivals to 2.5 million by 2022.

In a statement, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) announced plans to lead local travel agents on marketing missions to these two countries. A delegation of over ten Kenyan travel partners will participate in the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) in Mumbai, India, starting Wednesday. The OTM is a prominent travel show in the Asia-Pacific region, serving as a gateway to India’s largest travel markets.

Key Market Insights

KTB Chief Executive Betty Radier emphasized the importance of India as a crucial outbound market for Kenya, which recorded 125,032 arrivals last year—a 6.17% increase from the previous year. India ranks among Kenya’s top five tourist source markets in Asia and is noted for being one of the fastest-growing outbound tourism markets, with projections of 50 million outbound tourists by 2020.

Last year, Kenya welcomed over 2 million international visitors, reaching 2,025,206, a significant rise from 1,474,671 in 2017, representing a growth of 37.33%.

“India is a vital market for Kenya, and we have planned various initiatives to enhance brand awareness through sports like cricket and golf, as well as through filmmaking,” Ms. Radier stated.

Additionally, KTB will host a shoot for Filmfare, a renowned Bollywood magazine, showcasing Kenya’s diverse tourism offerings and positioning the country as a prime filming destination.