Kenya not represented at the World Travel Market fair in Docklands, London

While Uganda was marketing itself as the ‘Pearl of Africa’, Zimbabwe which lately just got out of a crisis was there with a big stand advertising the ‘Wonders of Zimbabwe’ then Tanzania appeared with the ‘Home of Kilimanjaro’, unfortunately, there was nothing to say about the ‘Magical Kenya’ and the Kenya Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism did not have any representatives in this World Travel Market fair that Kenya used to shine on at.
According to Kenya’s Sunday Nation Newspaper, Exhibitors reported to them that Kenya Tourism Board informed them at the last-minute that they would not participate in this year’s fair, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company formerly known as Excel Centre, in Docklands.
However, the Managing Director of Kenya Association of Tour Operators Fred Kaigwa said Kenya Tourism Board changed the policy and stopped supporting the construction of stands. The board, however, offered help in branding where participating companies met all other costs summing up to £300,000″ (Sh39 million).
Joy, one of the exhibitors from Turkana County in Kenya said the private tourism players felt orphaned and abandoned by the Kenyan government and she added by saying, just after the inaugural direct flight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport, some people were asking for Kenya Airways and KTB but no one was present.
When Betty- the KTB chief executive was contacted, she said the board aligned its participation in key exhibitions with its strategies “and WTM is not one of them” but added that KTB would continue to support the private sector participate in such events.
 
we will keep you posted with updates..
Ekaru- Kenya safari news reporter – Tristar Africa Skimmer Safaris