Kenya mulls strategy to attract more Chinese tourists

NAIROBI, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to develop a strategy to attract more CHINESE Tourists into the country.

Najib Balala, cabinet secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and wildlife, told journalists in Nairobi that the strategy will assist Kenya to take a bigger share of a large number of CHINESE Tourists who travel overseas annually.

"One of Kenya's tourism strategies is to reduce the country's dependence on sourcing Tourists from western countries," Balala said.

"We have been obsessed with the European Union and the United States while there is a bigger market waiting to be exploited," he added.

According to government data, Kenya received approximately 70,000 CHINESE Tourists in 2018.

Balala observed that the roadmap will be developed jointly with the private sector, adding that guidelines will assist the East African nation to achieve some 10 percent annual growth of CHINESE visitors.

He noted that in order for Kenya to boost its international arrivals, it will have to drastically change its tourism products.

"We have been known globally as a safari and beach destination but we need to diversify our product offerings," Balala added.

"We are looking at introducing a series of incentives to attract chartered flights as well as low cost airlines into Kenya," he added.

Balala revealed that the tourism sector will also receive capacity building on how to develop innovative products to satisfy demands of Tourists.