Kenya should brace for more Chinese nationals on the beaches and tourist resorts. Learning Chinese or Mandarin languages and culture may also be an advantageous edge to those in the tourism and hospitality industry.
This suggestion comes after China promised to bring more tourists to Kenya so as to keep the industry afloat after the biggest contributors, western nations, discredited Kenya over insecurity and even whisked out some of their citizens.
The Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, Phyllis Kandie is expected to tour China next week as part of the plan to woo Chinese tourists.
These details surfaced after a meeting with the Vice Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration Zhifa Wang, the Chinese ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa and other officials on Monday.
Ms Kandie said the meeting was a follow up on agreements made with the Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, who was in the country about a week ago. She also said they were following up on a memorandum signed between the tourism governing bodies of Kenya and China in 2004 which is said to have given Kenya an “Approved Destination Status” from the Chinese government.
During the meeting, she said, they agreed to boost tourist numbers by linking players in both markets to facilitate exchange of ideas.
The Kenya Tourism Board has launched an aggressive marketing and awareness campaign to attract tourists from China following improved bilateral relations between the two countries.
KTB Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa said they are expecting more tourists from China adding that tour operators promoting Kenya in the Chinese market reported positive forward bookings this year.
Chinese officials have reported that China has about 10 million outbound tourists annually.
However, statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board indicate falling numbers of incoming tourists from China as well as other markets. The number of Chinese tourists dropped by 10.3 per cent from 41,303 in 2012 to 37,062 visitors last year.
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