Why Kenya is Doing Roadshows in 3 Indian Cities

The Kenya Tourism Board has resorted to unorthodox methods to attract more international tourists to the country, particularly those from India.

Targeting high-end and group travellers, the board has embarked on ambitious road shows in several towns in India to showcase what Kenya has to offer as far as tourism is concerned.

The road shows, which mainly target Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Kolkata, are being used to show Kenya’s diversity on the tourism front, away from the typical attractions involving the Big Five.

KTB’s CEO June Chepkemei explained the atypical marketing strategy, saying the decision to embark on roadshows was informed by the fact that India has a huge potential in terms of the tourism market.

In fact, Indian tourists to Kenya have been on a steady growth in the past year, with a 12.4 per cent increase in tourism over the past year, with 106,863 Indian tourists visiting the country compared to 95,038 in 2023.

Besides being a proper wildlife destination, Kenya has a range of appealing activities for tourists, particularly honeymooners, adventure enthusiasts, business conferences, and film producers.

All these sectors, according to Chepkemei, can be easily exploited with proper marketing, hence the roadshows in the Indian cities.

“We are positioning Kenya as a diverse tourism destination to attract different types of clientele, including honeymooners, adventure enthusiasts, and business conference attendees from the Asian market,” she said.

Part of the reason the Indian market is appealing to Kenya is because of the improved air connectivity and, more crucially, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) facility.

The eTA system was introduced on January 1, 2024, and mandates all travelers, including infants and children, to obtain an approved eTA before commencing their journey to Kenya.

According to a recent Cabinet dispatch, Kenya will introduce an expedited eTA processing option, allowing travellers to receive approval instantly, with processing time capped at 72 hours based on operational capacity.

The move will likely boost tourism even further after the sector experienced exponential growth in 2024, where 2,253,428 arrivals were recorded in 2024 – a 16 per cent rise from 2023.