The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is planning to increase the present 35,000 tourism arrivals from Nigeria to the East African country by 10 per cent in the next three years.

This is as Kenya Airways has unveiled plans to grow its present seven weekly frequencies out of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to 10 by the second half of 2024.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos over the weekend at the Magical Kenya Roadshow, organised by the board, Alex Tunoi, Marketing Manager, Africa, KTB, said that the board intended to grow tourism arrivals from Nigeria by 10 per cent and subsequently increase the figure over the next few years.

Tunoi explained that there are several tourism attractions in Kenya that would fascinate Nigerians, especially the urban adventure, which he said had attracted lots of tourists into the country.

He reiterated the determination of the East African government to pull tourists closer to Africa by showcasing these attractions in Kenya.

Tunoi posited that Kenya intended to raise tourist arrivals from West Africa by pitching for business and leisure travel, which he said are key interest to the region.
He said: “At the moment, we are receiving just over 35,000 tourism arrivals from Nigeria. We intend to grow that by 10 per cent and subsequently grow it over the next couple of years.

“The reason we are here is part of our strategy for diversifying the source markets, and we are focusing on West Africa as one of our key source markets to grow numbers of tourism arrivals into Kenya. We noticed that Africans are beginning to travel, and they have the propensity for travel, and they are looking for new and exciting destinations.

“And we are here as Kenya to offer this opportunity to this market for them to come to Kenya and enjoy what Kenya has to offer.”

Tunoi maintained that Nigeria and Ghana had the traction to grow tourism in Kenya, stressing that the country would continue to attract tourists into its domain through its flexible policies.

Also, Mr. Rotimi Martins, Sales Manager, Kenya Airways on the sideline of the event, told journalists that said the airline planned gradual growth of its present seven frequencies weekly into Lagos from its base at Nairobi to 10 by June.

According to him, the airline from April this year, would increase the frequencies to eight and subsequently grow it to 10 from Lagos by June.

Martins also explained that apart from Lagos, the airline planned to enhance its operations to Abuja later in the year, thereby bringing the total frequencies out of Nigeria to either 15 or 18 in the next few months.

He further explained that Kenya Airways would continue to key in into the plans of KTB to increase tourism arrivals to the East African country.

“Frequency increment has been a thing we are looking at even before the KTB event. Presently we are doing seven flights out of Lagos, which is every day. But come April we are going to add one to it, to make it eight. In the summer of this year (June), we are going to do 10 flights out of Lagos to Nairobi.

“But come June, we are going to do 10 out of Lagos. That is at the inception of the summer period. Then towards the end of the year, a little bit after summer, we are going to start Abuja. We will be flying out of Abuja and out of Lagos. So, most likely 15 to about 18 flights out of Nigeria weekly. That is what we are going to do.”

AE News