Kenya to grow tourism through the IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has grown in stature to become a global brand. A lot of companies use this platform to promote their business and to reach out to the masses considering the wide reach of the tournament. One such entity is Kenya Tourism Board.

Kenya Tourism Board has set a budget of $ 2,50,000 to market its country’s tourism through the ongoing IPL. They are in partnership with the Rising Pune Supergiant team for promotional campaigns and destination marketing. Kenya itself play international cricket but with lack of exposure and monetary funds, the World Cup 2003 semi-finalists could never become a top cricketing side.

“We hope this association with one of the leading teams in IPL will drive consideration for Kenya as a preferred holiday destination,” KTB CEO Betty Radier said in a statement on Sunday.

The IPL is broadcast in more than 15 countries and the KTB wants to benefit from its global reach. The six weeks extravaganza started in April first week and is scheduled to run through until the end of May. It is also the most attended cricket league in the world and is ranked sixth among all sporting leagues.

KTB has planned a contest which will award a few lucky winners a trip to Kenya in a promotional campaign. “We also expect to engage with approximately five million consumers through the social media engagements where Indian fans can win a holiday trip to Kenya,” said Radier.

Kenya is an otherwise popular holiday destination and India is ranked number three for tourist source for the country. Kenya wants to see more tourists from India through the planned campaigns in association with the IPL. There was a surge of 28.9 per cent in the number of tourists that visited Kenya in 2016 in comparison to 2015.

Flights between Mumbai and Nairobi, Kenya’s capital; fly twice a day which has contributed to the tourism surge and can further pull more tourists from the second most populated country in the world.

KTB will extend the partnership with RPS until August 31. The aim is to increase Kenya’s brand and connect people through cricket, as the game is popular in both countries. It is a fact that many people in India recognise and identify Kenya as a country only because they play the sport.