Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has announced plans to undertake three mountain bike races in a bid to promote local travel.
The tourism marketing body said last Thursday, it has partnered with cycling events organizers, Ngong Hills Individual Time Trail (NHITT), to promote the sporting event.
According to KTB chief executive officer; Betty Radier, the bike races would begin this weekend with the first race dubbed “Arabuko Sokoke Forest Challenge with Tembea Kenya.” The race which will be held in coastal Kilifi County has attracted several local and international cyclists.
“Kenya is a perfect destination for biking safaris due to the favorable weather throughout the year. The outlying touristic attractions along the competition routes attract the spectator audience that follows the riders,” said Radier in a statement.
She added the 64-km bike race in Kilifi will take place in the largest and most intact coastal forest in East Africa.
The Arabuko Sokoke forest has 20 percent of Kenya’s bird species, 30 percent of butterfly species and at least 24 rare and endemic bird, mammal and butterfly species. According to KTB the race is also part of conservations efforts.
Radier noted that the sporting activity provides a new and exciting experience especially for the young and middle-aged segment of the population who increasingly look out for an active lifestyle, both for leisure, fitness and networking.
She added that adventure tourism is fast growing with millennials developing more interest in authentic experiences through travel.
“Our aim is to showcase the attractions in the selected regions and push the adventure segment of travel that is increasingly attracting interest among the millennials,” said Radier.
The months of June and July will see other bike challenges happen in Machakos and the Great Rift Valley.
Partnerships and collaborations with industry players will according to Radier be part of that KTB will employ to reap maximum benefit from the domestic segment.
Further, the CEO noted that the domestic tourism segment has continued to cushion the sector during low seasons and that its performance is on the increase.
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