Expedia.com to market Kenya tourism

Kenya's tourism industry has received a major boost after global online travel agency Expedia.com signed a marketing agreement with regional operator Vintage Africa to market the country as a tourist destination.

"Online trading provides flexibility in items such as price changes, allowing tour operators or hotels to adjust their rates even at the last minute compared to the traditional brochures," said Diego Lofeudo, Expedia.com's director of market management.

There are many opportunities in e-tourism, added Paul Kukubo, CEO of the Kenya ICT Board. People who sell products and services around tourism can make significant incomes by simply doing what they can using technology, he said.

"The board is deeply involved in supporting e-tourism because tourism is one of Kenya's most significant income earners," Kukubo said. "It is going to be of even greater benefit to this country if ICT made bookings easier, made marketing easier and more cost effective, and provided the information needed to sustain the industry."

A pan-Africa e-tourism workshop earlier this month emphasized the need to shift to digital marketing, and the Expedia.com agreement shows a calculated shift away from using travel agents as the sole marketers of tourism. The workshop revealed that Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia have all switched to online marketing and are reaping benefits from the change.

Expedia.com had a turnover of US$20 billion last year, and the company has already signed up Hilton and Fairmont hotels on its online platform.