A Kenyan coast brand identity has been launched to support the revival of the tourism sector.
The tourism ministry yesterday said the private sector continues to play a key role in the implementation of destination management and the revival of the tourism sector.
According to Tourism and Wildlife Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Joseph Boinett , the development of a tourism brand is key not only in the Kenya coast tourism but also the entire country.
He spoke during the launch of the Kenya Coast Tourism brand identity by the Kenya Coast Working Group (KCGW) and tourism stakeholders from the coastal counties.
The launch involved the unveiling of the brand representing the Kenyan Coast and its various sub-brands of Mombasa, Lamu, Malindi, Watamu, Diani, Tsavo and Tana River with an aim of repositioning the Kenyan coast as a destination of choice.
“This is a great journey that we are undertaking – a journey that commenced in 2018 when KCGW was established by the ministry to implement the tourism strategy in the Kenyan Coast,"Boinett said.
"The differentiation of the tourism circuits is part of our broad strategy to promote Kenya’s diverse tourism industry. I commend the private sector especially for playing a great role in this journey," he added.
Boinett said the regions (coast) has not realized its full tourism potential due to a number of reasons such as the lack of product differentiation in the various destinations and challenges of insecurity in some areas which go on to affect the entire region.
"We want to change this going forward for the coast to realize its full potential," he said.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) CEO Betty Radier noted that the rebrand is key to showcase the diversity of Kenya’s tourism offering to the discerning traveler.
“We are here today to revamp and create awareness of the Kenyan coast and its various brands that make it unique and diverse. This will be crucial in our efforts to market the destination by repositioning the Kenyan coast as a destination of choice,” she said.
“When people think about the Kenyan coast in terms of tourism, the first thing that comes to mind is the beach. But the Coast is much more than this, it is about fantastic cuisine to suit all, culture, history, art, good weather and fantastic hospitality. This is what we want people to see when they make their choice for travel,” added Radier
Pride Group managing director and Kenya Coast Working group chair Hasnain Noorani said the launch is instrumental in repositioning the coast while also giving a good platform to the trade partners to market their products and offerings at the coast.
Going forward, the rebrands will now market their destination, showcasing their product offerings using all media to ensure that the destinations remain top of mind once travel resumes fully.
KCWG was formed in December 2018 by the Tourism and Wildlife ministry to rebrand and reposition the Kenyan coast as a destination of choice.
The organization is composed of tourism industry players from the coastal region.
KTB and Kenya Coast Tourist Association (KCTA) are members of the KCWG.