KenyaneedsChinesecelebritybrandambassadors,suchas[basketballstar]YaoMingand[filmstar]JackieChan,whowillhelppromoteKenya’stouristdestinationsandculture,leveragingontheirmassivesocialmediafollowingsinChina.
SandraRwese,Kenyantourismentrepreneur
Kenyanentrepreneur’sunderstandingofChinesecreatesanicheinthetourismindustry
ByYuNan
“Chinaisnolongeranoption,”readsthebanneracrossSandraRwese’spersonalhomepage.“Wearedealingwithanewreality.”
AndfortheKenyantourismconsultant,thenewrealityisthatChinaaccountsforthesecondhighestnumberoftouristsfromAsiatohercountry,withnearly41,000Chinesearrivalsreportedin2015.Thisyear,KenyaTourismBoardhopestogrowthatnumbertoawhopping100,000.
Lendingexpertise
It’sadrivetowhichRweseislendingherexpertise.The39-year-oldspecializesinChinesetouristsandherservicesarehiredbyEuropeanmarketsandanyoneelsewishingtowooChineseguests.
“MyinterestintheChinesemarketbeganbackin2008,”Rwese’scompanyprofilesays.“Sincethen,I’vestudiedtheChineselanguage,researchedtheirserviceindustry,andalsopublishedontrendingtopicsconcerningleisureandbusinesstravelers.”
Shealsoopenedaconsultancy,ChineseBusinessTrainers,inNairobiin2008toadviseandtraincompaniesinthetourismandhospitalitysectorinhandlingChineseclients.
“Ifocusonmarketingstrategies,rebrandproductsorservices,andprovidecross-culturalskillstoappealtoChinesepreferences,”RwesetoldChinAfrica,explainingheruniquesellingpoint.
Hercompanyworkswithawiderangeofcustomers,fromfive-starhotelbrandsandairlinestotouragencies,bothonlineandoffline.
“IfyouwanttodobusinesswiththeChinese,speakChinese.”That’soneofherfirsttips.“Speakingtheirlanguageisimportantfor[attendingtoChinese]business,”shesaid.“ThatisthewayI[work],sothatitbringsmeanopportunitytoworkasacitizenoftheworld,integratingAfricansandChinese.”
RwesestudiedtheChineselanguageandcultureattheConfuciusInstituteintheUniversityofNairobibeforerelocatingtoXiamenCityinsoutheastChina’sFujianProvincein2013.ThereshestudiedfurtherattheXiamenUniversity,movingbackandforthbetweenChinaandKenya.HerconsultancyalsoundertakestranslationsintoChineseandteachingChinesebusinessetiquette.
Theyear2013establishedChinaasoneofthelargestsourcesofoutboundtravelers.ThenumberofChinesetouristsgoingabroadreached100million,accordingtoofficialdata.Itwasalsoestimatedthatthefigurewouldhit200millionby2020.
Socialmedia
RweseruesthatAfrica,onthewhole,hasbeenslowtocapturetheChinesetourismmarket.
“[Africantourismcompanies]losegreatopportunitieswhiledealingwithChineseclientsduetolackofunderstandingoftheChinesecultureandlanguage,”shesaid.“However,therearestillopportunitiesinspecificsegments,suchasheritagetourism,backpackers’hostelsandeco-tourism.”
LikeotherAfricancountries,shefindsKenyatoohasnotdonemuchtotaptherichpoolofChinesetourists.
“Kenyanserviceoperatorsrelyontraditionalmarketingstrategieslikeholdingexhibitions,”shesaid.“Theanswerliesinadoptinginnovativemarketingmethodsthatreachasmanypotentialtouristsaspossible.”
Accordingtoher,socialmediarepresentsthefutureofmarketingandisthetoolwithwhichtocapturethenextgenerationofdigitallyawareconsumers.ChineseinteractivesocialplatformssuchasWeChatandWeiboattractmillionsofusersdaily.“Socialplatforms’reachiswiderandcheaper,”shesaid.