Jake Grieves-Cook has ended his term as chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board.
He served two consecutive three-year terms and has handed over to new chairman Michael Joseph, former chief executive of Safaricom.
Kenya’s tourism minister Najib Balala praised the KTB chaired by Grieves-Cook for an “excellent performance” during the most difficult period in the tourism industry.
Grieves-Cook, who formerly worked for Kuoni and Tropical Places, said: “The board has done a wonderful job in turning around the performance of the sector from an all-time low in 2008 after the post-election violence and we shall experience an all-time high in 2010 with over 1.2 million tourists expected.
“This year will be a record year in the sector; I encourage the board to keep up the good work.”
The board developed integrated marketing campaigns targeting international and domestic tourists under his time in charge.
The KTB partnered with international travel and leisure organisations as well as the media and airline partners to build a strong image for Kenya as a leading tourist destination.
The board is also credited for creating an additional market presence established in India, China, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Poland and Turkey.