Kenya has continued to cement herself as a global champion in wildlife tourism after being named World’s Leading Safari Destination 2021 by World Travel Awards (WTA).This announcement was made on 16th December during the WTA grand final winners’ day 2021 to celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. This is the 8th time in the last 9 years and 7th time in a row that Kenya is being recognised for this prestigious award at the annual global awards. The destination won the award in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 ,2020 and now 2021.

The category had nominees from great safari destinations such as Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Kenya’s tourism marketing agency- Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) CEO, Dr Betty Radier termed the win as a testament to Kenya’s superior offering of the Safari product and experience. 

“This recognition is an endorsement of Magical Kenya, known as home of authentic African Safari. Without a doubt this is well-deserved, and I believe that we shall get even better. We shall continue with our commitment towards preserving and showcasing to the world the unique wildlife heritage bestowed to our country for the sake of generations to come,” she said Despite the challenges the destination has faced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Radier underscored the resilience that has positioned Kenya as a preferred destination for tourists from across the world.

“Ours is to continue building on this product which has a lot of potential for growth. For example, now with the Magical Kenya Signature Experiences travellers have an opportunity to experience a foot safari or even track wildlife while on foot” added Dr RadierKenya has been steadfast in innovating ways of showcasing her tourism products and making sure that more travellers are able to experience the destination. In 2020, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife launched a virtual live stream campaign to showcase game safaris in parks and reserves across the country. The campaign was broadcasted around the world as part of the Magic Awaits destination marketing campaign. The activity was key in keeping the destination alive at the time when tourism activities were minimal.

In August of 2021, Kenya partnered with video sharing platform TikTok to showcase the great wildebeest migration and the Masai Mara. This ensured that people who were not able to travel to Kenya during the time had an opportunity to experience this spectacle

“Kenya is a rich and diverse country, with an incredible wildlife offering which we want to highlight as well as protect. Together with our partners we can now engage the world with content and experiences from any part of the country and drive more awareness of our country and wildlife, especially during this time when travel is limited with the aim of curbing the spread of the virus. Kenya Tourism Board is keen to ensure Magical Kenya remains top of mind among consumers” Commented Dr Radier

Kenya prides herself in having the best wildlife viewing destinations such the World famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, the Tsavo East and West National Parks, Lake Nakuru National Park, Meru National Park, Aberdare National Park as well as Nairobi National Park- the only national park in the world within a Capital city.