KTB taps UK influencers to boost tourism in Kenya

A group of renowned travel personalities and influencers from the United Kingdom is currently in Kenya, participating in the Kenya Tourism Board’s (KTB) influencer familiarization tour.

The initiative is the final phase of KTB’s influencer marketing campaign aimed at promoting Kenya as a top holiday destination, particularly targeting the millennial travel market.

KTB CEO June Chepkemei highlighted the success of the earlier phases of the campaign, which initially focused on influencers from the East African Community (EAC) region.

She noted the significant interest generated by these efforts and emphasized the importance of expanding the campaign to other key markets, such as the UK.

The UK has consistently been one of Kenya’s top source markets, with a notable 19% increase in arrivals from the country in 2023.

"We have had very fruitful engagements with influencers from the EAC region, where they experienced Kenya’s unique tourism offerings. Now, we are spreading our nets wider to the UK market, whose citizens have shown great interest in our tourism products," said Chepkemei. "We expect this final leg of the campaign to ignite and sustain travel interests to Kenya."

The selected UK influencers, including travel vlogger Sandy Makes Sense, Irish rugby sevens player and social media influencer Harry McNulty, and photographer and visual artist Eleonora Zontini, will be documenting their experiences in Kenya.

Their tour will cover various attractions in Nairobi and the Coastal region, including Tsavo and Watamu.

Chepkemei also mentioned the recent visit by Hollywood actress Nicole Murphy, which has further heightened interest in Kenya’s tourism offerings.

The UK influencers’ visit is expected to build on this momentum and attract a diverse array of celebrities and influencers from various fields, including arts, travel, and sports.

The familiarization tours, which began in June, are part of KTB’s broader strategy to elevate Kenya’s destination visibility, ignite travel interests, and support regional tourism growth.

The campaign aligns with the EAC’s goal to attract over 14 million international tourists annually by 2025, up from 7.2 million in 2019.