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NAIROBI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is among 13,000 exhibitors participating in this year's INDABA, the largest tourism convention in Africa.

The Kenya Tourist Board is bringing more than 20 travel-related companies to the four-day exhibition, which begins Saturday in Durban, South Africa. That's as Kenya repositions itself to showcase its diversified tourism products.

"Product diversification is our No. 1 strategy. Besides our traditional products; beach and wildlife we are known for, we are focusing on new products such as sports, eco-tourism, and culture, among others," Muriithi Ndegwa, managing director of the KTB, said Friday.

Ndegwa said the event provides an opportunity for Kenya to demonstrate its unique selling propositions to an audience from South Africa and other tourism markets.

"The tourism industry is very dynamic and international fairs such as this one provide us with an opportunity to illustrate why Kenya is a preferred tourism destination," Ndegwa said.

He said the INDABA will also provide an opportunity for Kenyan travel professionals to interact with their counterparts from around the world.

Effects of the economic recession on tourism and the elimination of travel barriers such as visa restrictions are among issues that will be discussed at the exhibition.

Tourism earned Kenya, East Africa's biggest economy, 1.18 billion U.S. dollars in 2011 compared to 896 million dollars in 2010, making it one of the country's top sources of foreign exchange.

The sector has suffered a decline in the number of tourists arriving since September 2011 when the Somali militant group, Al-Shabaab, carried out kidnappings of tourists in the Lamu archipelago.

Ndegwa said, however, that the government has taken proactive steps to guarantee security in Kenya.