Kenya welcomes return of Chinese tour groups

The first tour group from China in three years arrived in the Kenyan capital Nairobi over the weekend, and it received a warm welcome from Kenya's tourism authority.

"We are delighted by this return (of Chinese tourists). It is indeed an exciting moment for us because it means that we have resumed connectivity with one of the world's key growing source markets for international tourist arrivals," said John Ololtuaa, principal secretary of Kenya's State Department of Tourism, at a ceremony welcoming the tourists at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday.

The 40 Chinese tourists will visit attractions such as Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, and attractions around Naivasha and Nakuru in the following days, he said. They are the first group of Chinese tourists since China announced the resumption of outbound group tour services, which were suspended when COVID-19 broke out in 2020.