Kenya is aiming to significantly increase its tourist arrivals from Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest travel markets, from 32,000 to 50,000 per year.
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) unveiled this ambitious target during the recently concluded 20th edition of Akwaaba Travel Market in Lagos, the biggest travel exhibition in West Africa.
Josephine Mbela, KTB’s Assistant Deputy Director, Domestic & Africa, emphasized that the streamlined visa process, which takes just 72 hours, will help attract more Nigerian tourists to Kenya.
According to her the government recently reduced the visa fee from 50 dollars to 39 dollars, noting that tourists can take advantage of this to explore the country’s rich tourism offerings.
READ: Africa: Kenya Tourism Board Partners with Private Sector to Drive Growth in Adventure Tourism
Mbela further disclosed that the Board has special rates for African tourists visiting Kenya as a form of incentive to attract more visitors to the country.
She said: “Last year, we received 32,000 Nigerians who visited Kenya and this time, we are looking at about 50, 000. Most come for tourism, some come for MICE, some are coming for education, because we realize we have quite a number of students from Nigeria who are schooling in Kenya. Some also come for medical tourism.
“We decided to come to Akwaaba in Nigeria because Nigeria is one of our key markets and one market that we want to grow tourist numbers into Kenya. This year we are focusing on attracting at least 50,000 Nigerians to visit Kenya, not only for holiday or safari that we are known for, but also honeymoon, adventure, staycation and family destination.”
