Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has launched an on-line media campaign on tourism recovery as part of its strategy to reassure tourists of Kenya’s safety. The campaign is part of a raft of tactical online reputation management strategies being rolled out by National Reviews, a UK-based company contracted to monitor Kenya’s digital footprint as a tourism destination and drive favourable mentions online.
This is coming on the backdrop of travel advisories issued by some of the foreign missions from the top tourist source markets, a situation that has dealt a blow to the destination’s image.
With the campaign theme; #whyILoveKenya, KTB is rallying tourists, celebrities, corporate bodies, public and the private sector and friends of tourism sector to tell the world about the uniqueness of the country and how tourism business activities are ongoing despite the travel advisories.
Besides social media monitoring, the UK firm is charged with Search Engine Optimization, pushing negative mentions past the second page in search engines and creating new Internet content to rebuild the country’s reputation.
Riding on Kenya’s pride as the world’s leading safari destination, KTB will be engaging audience to send good will messages accompanied with images of tourism sites through the social media platform.
“I appeal to Kenyans to rally together and use the hash tag #Why I Love Kenya to spread the word that Kenya is the country to visit and get the country tourism flourishing” says KTB Managing Director, Muriithi Ndegwa
He said besides other strategies employed to re-assure tourists of Kenya’s safety, the online media strategy, he added, will widen the scope.
Ndegwa said it was re-assuring to note that despite the travel advisories, tourists have demonstrated their love and confidence on Kenya and are continuing with their holidays in the country.
“I am happy to note that the beginning the new 8th wonder of the world that is the annual wildebeest migration in Maasai Mara Game Reserve will trigger more bookings as a result of expected increase of tourists to the country.
Photo by Mutua Matheka.
