Analyst: Kenya must use social media to attract Chinese tourists

NAIROBI, Kenya – What can Kenya do to attract millions of Chinese tourists who leave their country each year to tour the world? This is a question many tourism stakeholders in the East African nation are asking themselves as China becomes the world’s largest tourists’ source markets.

Over the years, China has consolidated itself as the number one global tourism source market in terms of trips made, number of tourists and money they spend while abroad.

Kenya, a top tourist destination, has not benefitted greatly from the rising number of Chinese tourists despite bilateral ties between the two countries growing.

According to Kenya Tourism Board, the country receives about 41, 000 tourists from China annually. Kenya is eyeing a million Chinese tourists annually in the coming years.

Tourism analyst Sandra Rwese, a Kenyan who lives in China, noted Kenya has not done much to penetrate the Chinese market.

“Kenya is still relying on traditional marketing strategies like holding exhibitions, which are paying very little. The answer lies in adopting innovative marketing methods that reach as many potential tourists as possible,” said Rwese in an interview during a recent visit to the East African nation.

Top on her list is tourism stakeholders using social media to encourage participation in travel experiences in Kenya.

“Chinese online communities host millions of users daily. Interactive social platforms like WeChat, QZone, Sina Weibo, RenRen and Pengyou are used obsessively by the Chinese masses. Everywhere you go in China, you’ll see scores of people busily browsing their smart phones, fixated on social channels 24-hours a day,” she noted.

Kenya’s tourism stakeholders should thus exploit use of the platforms if they are to attract tourists from China, according to her.

“The forums allow people to conveniently reserve bookings, ask questions, watch videos, contribute personal comments and feel closer to service providers located across the world. This is what other countries are doing.”

Rwese explained that Kenya’s tourism industry is missing two key elements namely experiential marketing and interactive crowd- sourcing campaigns.

“Both are non-traditional strategies that will help build brand equity by leveraging China’s word-of-mouth referral culture,” she said.