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Kenya turns to travel writers to boost golf tourism

Xinhua, February 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenya's tourism marketers said on Tuesday they are hosting international travel writers in the country this week in a bid to showcase the country as a golf destination.

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa said the event is expected to showcase the country as a key golfing destination in the region with the golf writers representing about ten countries playing in some of the major courses in Nairobi, Naivasha and the Coast.

Ndegwa said the East African nation has seen growth in golf tourism and is one of the products KTB has been promoting in a bid to diversify from the traditional beach and safari. The country boasts some beautiful courses.

"There is an opportunity to attract golfers to the country where they can enjoy their favourite game and combine it with a safari," he said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

Sports tourism is one of the Kenya's Product diversification strategies, besides the traditional products; beach and wildlife, which have been the traditional offerings that the country has over the years been using to attract tourists into the country.

According to International Golf Travel Writers Association (IAGTO), 2 billion U.S. dollars was earned from golf holiday sales in 2012, from more than 1.6 million golfers who travelled -- of which 20 percent came to Africa.

The writers who arrived on Monday and will be in the country for the whole week where they will play at Windsor Golf and Country Club, Muthaiga Golf Club, Sigona Golf Club, the Great Rift Valley, Vipingo and Nyali Golf Club.

Ndegwa said the 12 writers were sourced through the International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA) and are drawn from Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, China, UK and Ireland.

"This trip is part of KTB's agenda to raise awareness of Kenya as a golfing destination in key markets in order to build a greater appreciation of the destinations among golfers globally," he said.

He said KTB is working closely with the Kenya Golf Marketing Alliance, the global association of the golf tourism industry, IAGTO and local tourism industry players and partners to have a Golf Festival later in the year.

The Festival will be a commercially golf holiday event to help boost golf tourism in the country.

According to IAGTO, the daily spend of golf tourists while on holiday is more than twice as high as that of general leisure tourists.

Golfers spend an average of 3,200 dollars each on the ground -- three times the average of other tourists. Endi