Kenya’s destination brand identity will be visible to the world during the 2021 WRC safari rally after the Kenya Tourism board (KTB) unveiled Magical Kenya branded rally cars that will be taking part in the 2021 championship.
The event which is set to be held between June 24th -27th following a 19-year absence from the WRC Calendar had been postponed in 2020 due to the global Coronavirus pandemic. The event will be held in Naivasha, a popular tourism destination.
Speaking during the unveiling at KICC, CS for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala said that the return of the Safari Rally is positive news to the destination’s tourism sector which had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that the Safari Rally had been key to profiling Kenya to the world thanks to its great history and connection with the destination.
“The Safari Rally has been one of the most iconic sporting events in Kenya for decades and some of us remember it fondly with nostalgia. It has over the years profiled Kenya to the world as the ultimate safari destination by showcasing our many attractions. It is therefore a great moment that the event is returning to Kenya which presents us with yet another great opportunity to showcase the Magical Kenya brand,” said CS Balala.
He added that the event presents Kenya with an opportunity to leverage on its global coverage to showcase Kenya’s preparedness and enhance top of mind awareness of the destination among travellers whose travel plans have been hampered by travel restriction as a result of Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that the Magical Kenya branded rally cars would ensure that the destination brand identity remained visible across the globe during all the competition rounds.
“This event will be televised to the largest audience of all international sporting events after the Olympics. Over 850 million viewers are expected to follow the event in its 14 rounds with a total of 13,452 broadcast hours projected through the event.
“This means that we shall be visible across the world as the rally cars traverse the Kenyan terrain. I thank the rally teams for partnering with us as we work to ensure that the event is memorable to everyone,” he added.
Despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenya has hosted international events in 2021 showcasing its readiness to receive visitors safely. Just recently, Kenya hosted the Magical Kenya Open and the Kenya Savannah Classic, which are both under the European Tour umbrella.
Later in August the destination will host the World under 20 championships. These are events that attract huge international attention thanks to the wide media coverage they attract and thereby presenting an opportunity to promote the destination to the world.
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