We shall continue to involve our athletes in making a pitch for the country as a preferred destination for investment and tourism – KTB CEO Betty Radier
By Antony Mutunga
The just concluded 2020 Tokyo Olympics is one of the greatest gains for the country’s tourism sector this year. The event concluded with four gold medals for Kenya, four silvers and two bronze.
Kenya Tourism Board chief executive Betty Radier says that, for years, athletes have been profiling the country positively with their excellence on and off the field. Collaborating with them will power recovery of tourism activities and promote the country as a tourist destination.
“Athletes are our destination ambassadors and KTB will be working on a long-term collaborative strategy with them. We shall continue to involve our athletes in making a pitch for the country as a preferred destination for investment and tourism,” Radier says.
Kenyan runners are promoting the tourism and hospitality sector in a big way. Last year, KTB stamped world marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge as a magical Kenya brand ambassador. That Kipchoge won the marathon once more in this year’s Olympics speaks to just how effective athletes can be as tourism ambassadors.
World Athletics Under-20 Championships, which is set to run between August 17 and 22 in Nairobi at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, presents yet another opportunity for the sport to highlight Kenya’s global brand. The international event had been postponed in 2020 due to the COVID -19 pandemic.
