Kenya Partners with Mastercard to Shore up Tourist Numbers

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) on 20 June inked a three-year partnership deal with global technology firm, Mastercard, to help the east African nation's tourism sector rebound to its pre-pandemic level.

The objective of the deal is to drive the growth of tourism numbers into Kenya by leveraging various Mastercard channels, including its Priceless.com platform.

"The MoU with Mastercard aligns with KTB's strategy of expanding our partner ecosystem to strengthen the sector and deliver on the goal of bouncing back fully to pre-2019 levels within the next two years," KTB CEO Betty Radier said in a joint statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Radier said they are focusing on several avenues to grow tourism revenues, including both international and domestic tourism, the use of digital marketing, and the creation of new and engaging travel experiences.

"By combining Mastercard's resources and experience as a leading international payment technology company with our tourism resources, I am confident the initiatives set out in this MoU will benefit the sector," she said.

Mastercard enables overseas visitors to make cashless payments in regional cities and supports cashless transactions and digital transformation in payment and settlement operations among small and medium-sized businesses in Kenya.

Under the deal, Mastercard will explore a loyalty and rewards program to boost tourism and enhance the impact of destination marketing efforts, including campaign planning and execution.

The MoU brings access to information about Kenya that can enhance experiences during trips for Mastercard holders.

It also includes increasing transparency on tourism trends, anonymized traveler profiles and economic impact through Mastercard's Data Insights capabilities, which will enable KTB to plan, execute and improve its campaign reports.

Mastercard and KTB also plan to enhance the proposition by including bespoke travel packages including bush, city and beach experiences on the Priceless.com platform as well as brand campaigns to complement the tourism recovery efforts.

The ministry of tourism's goal is aimed at attracting tourists at pre-pandemic levels, when over two million international tourists and over four million domestic tourists visited Kenya's attractions annually, supporting over 24 million jobs.

Unfortunately, in 2020 and 2021, Kenya's tourism sector then declined dramatically.