Eluid Kipchoge, Magical Kenya renew partnership

Eliud Kipchoge says he's delighted to be appointed magical Kenya ambassador. The long-distance athlete spoke when he was unveiled for the role in Nairobi on Thursday. "It is such a great honor to be given the responsibility to represent my country as its Tourism Ambassador," he explained. "I've enjoyed this role which has also made me learn a lot about Kenya. For instance, in 2020, I was able to witness the great wildebeest migration, today I am at Karura forest which is an important conservation ecosystem in Kenya. I hope that I can continue to serve my country in this role and also raise awareness of conservation and the beauty of Kenya." The marathoner, who remains the only person in the world to run the 42 km race in under two hours, added that the tourism industry had suffered during the Covid -19 pandemic and required support from all Kenyans. Tourism & Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala says the partnership will not only focus on destination marketing but also on showcasing the country’s conservation efforts to the world. “Eliud’s contributions to the country have been important in ensuring that Magical Kenya is recognizable across the world. His role as destination ambassador has been important, especially during the period when there was less travel, he helped in creating awareness about the destination as well as marketing and showcasing Magical Kenya to the world.” “Today we kick-start the second phase of the partnership which will focus on conservation awareness as well as showcasing Kenya’s different offerings and different circuits that the world should know. Eliud’s global profile, patriotism, passion for the destination, and conservation make him the ideal ambassador for Kenya and we hope that we can achieve this going forward.” This second phase of this agreement will see Eliud visit more circuits to promote the destination as well as grace key Magical Kenya events that will give him an opportunity to get an interface with key stakeholders as well as enhance his influence to grow the sector. The partnership is part of the continued efforts by the Board to leverage Kenya’s status as a global sporting powerhouse to market the destination to the world. Magical Kenya is a multi-experimental destination offering a unique, diverse, memorable and authentic travel experience. Kipchoge, 37, is the reigning Olympic champion.