Nairobi — The announcement of the upcoming visit by Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla toKenya has been described as a major boost to the tourism sector.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) said in a statement that the visit by Their Majesties will put Kenya firmly on the map for potential tourists and investors in the UK and beyond.
The UK is among the top three tourist source markets to Kenya after the US and Uganda with steady and promising growth in recent years.
In the period between January and August this year, Kenya received 101,167 visitors from the UK up from 83,126 arrivals in the same period last year, an increase of 21.7 percent.
“This visit will undoubtedly increase the number of UK tourists coming to Kenya and will allow us to show the best of Kenya to people in the Commonwealth and around the world,” KTB acting CEO John Chirchir stated.
The Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA) chairperson Victor Shitakha said the Royal Visit, which will include events in Mombasa County, was a major endorsement of the coastal region as a tourism hub.
“At the coast we are delighted to be hosting Their Majesties, it is a fantastic opportunity to show what the Coast has to offer, from marine conservations to luxury hotels, the region’s largest port to unparalleled sandy beaches and demonstrates the importance of coastal tourism to the broader sector,” said Shitakha.
Kenya, the largest economy in the East Africa Community, is the first country on the continent to enter into a trade agreement with the UK worth Sh167bn annually, with a capacity for growth.
During the visit, the King is expected to see the full breadth of the modern UK-Kenya partnership on display – , including trade, tech and innovation, the arts, culture, investment, efforts to tackle climate change, and vital conservation work.
The visit will also focus on young people with the King meeting Kenyan creatives, tech innovators, future leaders and the next generation of climate activists. People are at the heart of the relationship, and it is young people who will create a brighter future for us all.
“This visit will celebrate the strong bonds between The UK and Kenya and highlight the potential to further strengthen our relationship across tourism, technology, culture and heritage and the conservation of our environment – critical for tourism to thrive.,” said KTB chairman Francis Gichaba.
The Royal Visit will be an historic moment in the UK-Kenya story, celebrating our already strong partnership and showing that we go far, together.