Kenya urged to focus on young travellers to revive tourism
Participants attending the 5th edition of the Magical Kenya Trade Expo at Leisure Lodge Resort in Diani, Kwale County. Kenya has been urged to focus on youthful holidaymakers so as to revive the troubled tourism industry. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- He said back packer market has not been understood as people view it as a low yield venture.
- The advantage of backpackers is that they spend longer holidays since they treat themselves as local people.
- Kenya Tourism Board was urged to target youthful holidaymakers rather than focusing too much on the elderly and married couples.
Kenya has been urged to focus on the backpacker market to help revive the tourism sector.
Mr Jeff Jarvis, a programme director at Monash University, Australia, said Kenya has great potential to attract tourists aged between 18 and 35 as it is a destination endowed with wildlife, beautiful beaches, culture and friendly people.
He explained that the advantage of backpackers is that they spend longer holidays since they treat themselves as local people.
Backpackers, he added, are also big spenders as they tend to visit various parts of the country to interact with the local people and feel part of them.
He said back packer market has not been understood as people view it as a low yield venture.
He was speaking during a seminar at Leisure Lodge in Kwale County ahead of the Kenya Magical Expo which starts Thursday.
“But the fact is that they spend lots of money since they are outgoing compared to elderly tourists.
“Youthful tourists are also good at going back to a destination they previously visited so as to meet friends,” he added.
THRIVING MARKET
Mr Jarvis said backpacker is a thriving market in Australia, adding that the destination attracts 600,000 youthful tourists every year.
The backpackers come from UK, Germany, France, Canada, Scandinavian countries and the emerging Asian markets of Japan and South Korea.
He said Australia makes 4.3 billion Australian dollars per year from backpackers and flash-packers visiting the country.
Youth arrivals, he explained, account for 23 per cent of the global tourism industry.
Digital Tourism Think Tank managing director Nicholas Hall said Kenya should make use of the Internet and social media platforms to attract backpackers.
He said Kenya should target youthful holidaymakers as they would be frequently coming back to have fun.
“Young tourists like to socialize with the local people. They hate being separated from the local people,” he said.
HELP REVIVE TOURISM
Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Coast executive officer Sam Ikwaye said the backpacker market could help turn around the tourism sector.
He said there was need for the Kenya Tourism Board to target youthful holidaymakers rather than focusing too much on the elderly and married couples.
“It is true that the backpackers can play a part in reviving our tourism sector as they have a tendency of being frequent visitors.
“Whereas the elderly tourists spend most of their time sunbathing, the youthful tourists go on safari, discotheques as well as visiting the villages to befriend locals,” he said.
The Magical Kenya Travel Expo begins Thursday with both local and international tour operators, travel agents, airline representatives and travel writers having converged in Diani.
