By Cynthia Kenyani
The partnership will enable KTB to leverage various Mastercard channels to increase transparency on tourism trends.
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) inked a three-year partnership deal with the global technology company, Mastercard to help boost the tourism and hospitality sector.
The MoU aims to drive the growth of tourism numbers in Kenya by leveraging various Mastercard channels to increase transparency on tourism trends, analyze visitor profiles and access information about Kenya to travellers, including its Priceless.com platform.
KTB CEO Betty Radier said that 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.
“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.
Under the deal, Mastercard will explore a loyalty and rewards program to boost tourism and enhance the impact of destination marketing efforts which includes campaign planning and execution.
According to the data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statics the country’s tourism industry is in recovery and so far, the number of international visitors has increased.
Unfortunately, the tourism sector was hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic but the Ministry of Tourism’s goal is aimed at attracting tourists at pre-pandemic levels, when over 2 million international tourists and over 4 million domestic tourists visited Kenya’s attractions annually, supporting over 24 million jobs.
“Tourism is a critical sector for driving employment in any country. At Mastercard, we’re committed to helping countries come out of this pandemic with stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economic growth, including the tourism sector. We look forward to bringing our insights and assets to the table to help Kenya and its spectacular tourism industry recover from COVID-19 lockdowns and associated travel restrictions,” said Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and president, Strategic Growth, Mastercard.
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.
Priceless.com, available to Mastercard cardholders, provides access to unforgettable experiences and valuable everyday discounts around the world.
By showcasing Kenya’s signature destinations and experiences to over 3 billion cardholders, Mastercard is expanding the priceless experiences to millions of people around the world.
