The Kenya Tourism Board has launched its first mobile app to boost visits to the country, assist tourists during their holidays and enable them to share experiences via social media. The app, created by Sponge, works as a trip planner and journal for users to build an itinerary and document travels.

Holidaymakers can add notes and upload photos, and also create video montages for social media sharing. Travellers can use up to eight photos to create a 35 second video, then upload it to Facebook or share via email. (Over wi-fi hopefully – Ed.) The app is available on iOS and Android, and is aimed at English-speaking markets, namely the US and UK.

“Mobile is crucial to the way people research holidays and enjoy travel – our first foray into using mobile as a promotional tool is an important step in raising the profile of Kenya as a tourist destination,” said Muriuki Murithi, The Kenya Tourism Board’s webmaster. “We’re delivering information about Kenya to a technology-driven audience, so it’s essential to present it using the right platform. Sponge created an app that offers continuous interaction.”