By OUR CORRESPONDENT
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is making yet another stab on sports tourism with the consideration of The Sunshine Development Tour golf event series that will be hosted in several parts of the country.
The tour, dubbed the East Africa Swing, that begun on Monday at Great Rift valley Golf Resort is set to showcase the country’s golfing facilities and tourism potential and therefore catalyse further growth of the sport locally.
For the last over five years, KTB has been leveraging the Magical Kenya Open golf tournament and other hosted golf international events to promote the destination.
During a courtesy call by Sunshine Tour Commissioner Thomas Abt to the KTB offices, KTB CEO June Chepkemei expressed confidence in Kenya’s potential to emerge as a leading golfing hub in Africa. She cited the country’s exceptional golf courses and destinations, favorable climate, and unique safari experiences as key advantages.
” Kenya has all the essential elements to compete with top golf destinations across Africa. The expansion of the Sunshine Tour into East Africa is a significant milestone, offering invaluable exposure for Kenya as a golf and leisure destination. This will help attract a new wave of visitors eager to blend golf with our world-renowned safari adventures, business and other tourism experiences” Chepkemei said.
The tour will feature between 10-15 events annually across Kenya and neighbouring countries, attracting elite professional and amateur players from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. According to Chepkemei, this reflects Kenya’s leadership in regional golf and will further cement the country’s status as a premier sports tourism hub.
“We expect this tour to play a role in generating significant economic opportunities for our hospitality sector, local businesses, as well as communities across the country as we have seen from other international golf events hosted in Kenya such as Magical Kenya Open. Additionally, by hosting an event of this calibre, we are opening doors for more East Africans to experience the magic of our country, fostering regional integration and economic growth,” added Chepkemei
The Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour Thomas Abt, lauded KTB’s partnership and Kenya’s suitability as the hub for the Sunshine Tour’s exciting new chapter.
“We are excited for the sunshine tour to be here in Kenya and to announce this partnership with KTB. Kenya is a wonderful place and a great pathway for our players to achieve global greatness.” Said Abt
The qualifying event at the Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort in Naivasha will offer a lucrative Sh1 million in prize money, with golfers completing the four-round qualifier event being awarded tour cards for the 2025/26 season. The top 10 qualifiers will also earn invitations to the Sunshine Tour Final Stage Qualifier in Johannesburg, 8 – 11 April 2025.
In addition to that, the Tour will also deliver Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, which are crucial for player advancement, providing local professional golfers with a genuine merit-based “pathway” into global golf.
In addition to the on-course action, the Sunshine Development Tour, highlights of each day’s action will be broadcast on the SuperSport Golf Channel, alongside local TV networks, ensuring that the destination is showcased to audiences both regionally and globally. This exposure will not only promote the country as a golfing hotspot but also reinforce its position as a leading tourism and sporting destination in Africa.
