Indian filmmakers should shoot more films in Kenya, says country's High Commissioner to India

Bollywood is immensely popular in Kenya, says the countrys High Commissioner to India Ambassador Willy Bett, who invited filmmakers here to shoot films in the East African nation.Not just Hindi films, Kenyans also love Indian food, Bett said here on the sidelines of the Kenya Tourism Board KTBs recently concluded six-day B2B Trade Networking Roadshows in India.There are serious followers of Bollywood movies in Kenya.

Bollywood is ''immensely popular'' in Kenya, says the country's High Commissioner to India Ambassador Willy Bett, who invited filmmakers here to shoot films in the East African nation.

Not just Hindi films, Kenyans also love Indian food, Bett said here on the sidelines of the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB)'s recently concluded six-day 'B2B Trade Networking Roadshows' in India.

''There are serious followers of Bollywood movies in Kenya. My own children watch so many Bollywood movies. And, Kenya is a desired destination for filmmaking, we have already done a number of Indian films in Kenya. I am saying we should do more.

''... We are also telling the filmmakers that there is a product for them in Kenya, and our authorities will give all possible help to them for specific arrangements,'' he added.

According to Bett, Kenya has a vibrant Indian diaspora who are now well assimilated into local culture and politics of the country.

''We have a huge Indian diaspora in Kenya, who are Kenyans, not Indians anymore. They have taken part in the politics of Kenya... They are lawyers. ''Indian food is a much-loved delicacy in Kenya. You might have more Indian restaurants in Nairobi than in New Delhi. So, it is a real connection, and Kenya is a natural destination for Indian tourists,'' he said.

In 2022, the arrivals into Kenya from the Indian source market recorded a growth of 93.2 per cent from 42,159 in 2021 to 81,458 in 2022, which according to the KTB, is a recovery of ''67 per cent'' compared to the 2019 performance of 1,20,893.

Last year, the KTB hosted a familiarisation trip in Nairobi for India's leading travel companies and also launched joint promotional campaigns.

If there were no Covid-19 pandemic, Bett said Kenya would have seen ''above one million tourists'' from India.

''The pre-pandemic numbers of Indian tourists in Kenya were almost 1,50,000... We saw 40,000 Indians going to Kenya even during Covid, now post-Covid that number has moved to 1,20,000. We want to take it further up now, even more than what we used to experience in the 2019 pre-pandemic,'' he explained. Besides organising roadshows in India -- Ahmedabad, Bangalore and New Delhi -- the KTB also participated in a three-day Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) in Mumbai to tap the high potential Indian market.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)