Kenya turns to social media influencers to market country

The Kenya Tourism Board has partnered with key social media influencers and media outlets from East Africa to elevate the country’s visibility, ignite travel interests, and unearth new growth prospects.

Through exclusive itineraries, the team is currently visiting key attractions across Kenya’s tourism hotspots cutting across Nairobi, Mt. Kenya, Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and the Coast. 

Among the influencers include Norah Daniel and Ally Jape from Tanzania; Belinda Wanyana and Nabz Arah from Uganda; Oseah and Ihimbazwe Innocent from Rwanda and; Micahel Felleke and Habesha Traveler from Ethiopia.

Through their intense social media engagements that attract a huge number of followers, Kenya hopes influencers’ trending content will whet the appetite of potential visitors to Kenya. A number of the influencers create travel-related content and story-telling. 

Officials from the marketing body say such strategic deployment of influencer marketing and media outreach will spur demand and unlock new markets owing to Kenya’s potential for growth within the region.

According to June Chepkemei, KTB chief executive, East Africa has a shared history and cultures and uniquely positioned to offer diverse, multi-country itineraries that capture the imagination of travellers.

She said that by collaborating with influencers and media partners from key markets, the country will shine a spotlight on the unique experiences available across the region and inspire new interests in visitors.

“Influencers play a critical role in destination marketing by delivering authentic, engaging content that sparks the desire and travel aspirations among their followers,” says Chepkemei. “Likewise, the media plays a key role in shaping consumer preferences and travel decisions. We aim to provide them with an impactful experience that translates to compelling storytelling.”

The marketing push builds on the 2023 East African Regional Tourism Expo (EARTE) and the Magical Kenya Tourism Expo (MKTE) where EAC member states agreed to enhance collaboration and adopt an integrated tourism marketing strategy to boost competitiveness, attract more tourists and increase earnings.

A new regional brand, “Visit East Africa – Feel the Vibe”, was also launched to promote the bloc as a single investment and travel hub.

The East African Community region aims to attract over 14 million international tourists annually by 2025, from 7.2 million in 2019. Kenya will capitalize on the collective momentum to achieve 5.5 million arrivals and $6.3 billion in tourism earnings by 2028.

“The regional marketing deliberations were a stepping stone to greater integration. The launch of the unified EAC tourism brand was an apt embodiment of this vision, and this influencer activation and media outreach is designed to further harness our collective strength for mutual benefit,” Chepkemei said.

According to last year’s tourism performance report, four of the top 10 source markets to Kenya were Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, and Rwanda, highlighting the potential for growth in these source markets.