Kenyan athletes at the ongoing Paris Olympic Games have a reason to smile because apart from the mouth-watering cash prizes promised by the government to the medallists, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has also promised to offer them complementary vouchers to visit some of the best sites in the country when they return home with medals.

KTB Chief Executive Secretary June Chepkemei who was speaking at the Kenya House in Paris on Sunday when they hosted Kenyans living in the Diaspora for a key of activities and later a cocktail party, told People Sport that Kenya’s renowned athletes, particularly in long-distance running, had put the country on the global map, hence the need to leverage the sporting prowess to attract sports enthusiasts and tourists alike, showcasing Kenya’s natural beauty, culture, and wildlife alongside its sporting achievements.

She said that Sports tourism can contribute to the development of local communities by providing infrastructure and generating income as she highlighted the importance of ensuring that the benefits of sports tourism are shared equitably among communities.

“By positioning Kenya as a sports tourism destination, we aim to enhance the country’s brand image and attract a wider range of tourists. This includes targeting sports fans, adventure seekers, and health and wellness enthusiasts,” she said.

She added: “ We have started working with athletes as our brand ambassadors. We believe they represent the country on the global stage better than anything else does. The Paris Olympics is just the beginning. All the medallists will have an opportunity to tour and experience Kenyan destinations.”

Chepkemei said they are hard at work in ensuring Paris Olympics exposes Kenya’s trade and investment opportunities, away from destination offerings.

“The Olympics is a great opportunity that a country can exploit in showcasing itself,” she said.

She added: “It’s a platform for us to be represented, not only within the fields but outside and show that we are much more than the world thinks (about us). We also want to prevail upon them (tourists) to come home and feel what it is to be Kenyan. We believe the human origin is in Kenya.”

She said tourist numbers are rising compared to pre and during the COVID-19.

“We had a maximum of two million tourists before Covid, which went down during the pandemic. However, the numbers are rising, though not to what we anticipated.” The two million is back but we are targeting more than five million, “she revealed. “We had more than one million in the first half of the year, a rise from 600 in the previous.”