Tourism board links up with Indian filmmakers to promote Kenya
Tourists at Solio Ranch in Laikipia County. The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is seeking to attract Bollywood production companies to shoot films in the country in order to promote tourism. FILE PHOTO |
KTB director Mohanjeet Brar said Kenya is endowed with outstanding shooting locations waiting to be explored.
He noted they had realised the potential of using Indian movies as a means of marketing Kenya.
India is the fastest growing tourist source market for Kenya. Last year, the Asian country was third best performing market after the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is seeking to attract Bollywood production companies to shoot films in the country in order to promote tourism.
The tourism board has partnered with the India International Film Tourism Conclave (IIFTC) to expose the country as a preferred destination for film making.
KTB director Mohanjeet Brar said Kenya is endowed with outstanding shooting locations waiting to be explored.
He noted they had realised the potential of using the Indian movies as a means of marketing Kenya.
“Kenya has what it takes to become a global choice for film making. Therefore, we are inviting film production companies from across the world to come and shoot their films in the country,” he said.
In a statement, Dr Brar said more than 80 international films were shot in the country with some having won global awards.
He added that Kenya has hosted Indian film makers for them to sample the local tourist facilities and in return showcase the destination through the film industry.
KTB, he said, was capitalising on premier products such as beach and safari, water sports, culture and heritage to woo more Indian tourists.
“India is an important market for Kenya. We have proposed to invest more on other initiatives that would boost brand awareness through sports such as cricket and golf,” he said.
“We also plan to collaborate with celebrities and other consumer brands as part of efforts to drive visitor numbers.”
Dr Brar recently participated in the India International Film Tourism Conclave in India, which was attended by more than 50 biggest production houses from Bollywood and regional film industries.
India is the fastest growing tourist source market for Kenya. Last year, the Asian country was third best performing market after the United States and the United Kingdom.
Arrivals from the US to Kenya rose to 97,883 last year up from 84,759 in 2015 while the UK market had 96,404 arrivals, down from 98,523 in 2015.
International tourist arrivals to Kenya by air and sea increased by 16.7 per cent to 877,602 from January to December last year compared to the previous year.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
