Kenya mulls roadshow to boost Chinese tourist arrivals

NAIROBI, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Kenya mulls to increase Chinese tourist arrivals by showcasing diverse tourism products during the roadshow to be held in Chinese cities, an official said on Friday.

John Chirchir, the acting chief executive officer of Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), a state-owned tourism marketing agency, said that the roadshow, which will be held in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou on Nov. 8-13, will present an opportunity to lure more Chinese travelers.

"China is among the six leading tourist source markets for Kenya and the roadshow will be an opportunity to showcase the diversity of our tourism products. We look forward to more arrivals from China," Chirchir said during a forum convened by KTB and Kenya-China Tourism Association in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

The forum brought together policymakers and tour operators from China and Kenya to explore the collaboration required to attract more leisure travelers from China.

During the upcoming roadshow, Kenyan officials and tour operators are expected to meet their Chinese counterparts in the three cities to discuss innovative ways to increase tourist arrivals, Chirchir said.

He said Kenya received 34,638 Chinese tourists from January to August, up from 13,601 recorded in the same period in 2022, translating into a growth rate of 154 percent.