Kenya Tourism Board is currently on a whirlwind tour of India to engage with the Indian travel trade in order to increase the Indian arrivals in Kenya. According to a press statement issued by KTB, it has successfully concluded a series of roadshows in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata ahead of the annual Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) to be held in Mumbai from Thursday.

The statement adds that during the roadshow organised by KTB, along with 12 Kenyan travel trade companies, Indian travel agents expressed that they want Kenya to offer incentives to filmmakers and group travellers to increase visitor numbers to the destination. The Kenyan companies accompanying KTB on the Indian visit include Neptunes Hotels, Golden Holidays and Travel, Primate Tour, Atua Enkopo Africa, Blue Berry Travel, Safari Trails, Silverbird and Somak Safaris.

12 Kenyan travel trade companies participated in the roadshow

The tourism board states that Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) and film locations are the biggest segments Kenya would cash in on to increase its Indian visitor numbers.

“Filming is a big thing in India and inquiries on MICE are also what we need to leverage to woo this market.  The increasing interest among Indian filmmakers in shooting locations in the country has been noted and is an opportunity for Kenya to enhance top-of-mind awareness of the destination among the Asian community,” says Chetan Samani, Director, Cosmic Safaris.

The statement adds that close to 80 international films have been shot in Kenya in the past with the Indian film industry revealing that new film destinations experience an average of 45 pc increase in arrivals when a top Bollywood film with renowned actors is shot in destinations.

According to the statement, Kenya is also relying on the increasing demand for groups and high-end travellers from India to increase the tourism pie from the Asian market which is currently ranked at 6th position as Kenya’s source market.

Devendra Asher

According to June Chepkemei, CEO, KTB, the Indian market has recorded a tremendous increase in arrivals after the pandemic to post a 12.4 pc growth last year with 106,863 arrivals up from 95,038 visitors recorded in 2023.

Samani said India was promising good tidings with increasing interest for visitors to travel in 2025. He added that though Masai Mara remains a key attraction for the Indians, renewed efforts by KTB and travel partners to showcase diversity in product and experience offerings will bear fruits.

“It is impressive that besides booking through destination marketing companies, groups, and MICE are also booking directly with the hotels who are also open to enhancing visitor experiences through safari tours,” says Devendra Asher representing Panari, a group of hotels in Kenya.

Jazeera Suwani

The statement adds that the recently launched Magical Kenya Trail Series that was recently flagged off from the Thomson Falls in Nyahuru has added to the list of experiences the hotels in the region were packaging for clients.

“We encourage Indian travellers to book in advance for the Mara migration or book off-season to fully get the wildlife experience that Masai Mara and other destinations across the country have to offer,” adds Jazeera Suwani, General Manager, Safari Seekers Africa.