Kenya all set to host three-day global travel expo at KICC

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala / MOSES MWANGI

Kenya all set to host three-day global travel expo at KICC

More than 30 nations have confirmed participation in the eighth edition of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo starting Wednesday to Friday in Nairobi, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

Kenya Tourism Board, who are hosting the expo, said 185 exhibitors have confirmed participation up from 140 exhibitors in last year’s edition in the three day exposium. At the same time, the number of hosted buyers at this year’s expo has gone up to 150 up from 132 recorded last year.

Hosted buyers include travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers and trade media from Kenya’s key tourism source markets in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet secretary Najib Balala said the expo will give Kenya increased brand visibility as a destination as a result of other events to be held within the week that include Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) and the Africa Union Tourism Ministers Summit.

“In the 2017-18 financial year, combined arrivals for July 1 2017 to June 30 2018 closed at 1,488,370 compared to 1,393,568 in 2016-17, illustrating a growth of 6.8 per cent,” Balala said.

The domestic segment has recorded a 1.1 per cent growth as indicated in the domestic bed nights figure that closed at 3.67 million bed nights compared to 3.64 million in 2016-17. Tourism receipts for the period under review posted a 9.9 per cent growth at Sh117.6 billion, up from Sh107 billion recorded in 2016-17.