Kenya targets 5.5m international tourists in the next two years

Tourists from Denmark during a tour of Lake Naivasha. [File, Standard]

The Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism is targeting 5.5 million international tourists in the next two years through a joint pact between the national and county governments.

The country is expected to earn a whopping Sh1.1 trillion in the period, while the number of employment opportunities in the sector is expected to double.

This came as the Ministry established the Tourism Brand Repositioning Taskforce, whose mandate is to reimagine, refresh, and reposition Kenya’s tourism brand.

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said the country has high potential in the tourism sector, which could be achieved through collaboration with the counties.

Miano noted that last year, the country attracted more than 2.5m international visitors, a number which would be doubled by 2028 through the joint pact.

“With this growth, our ambition is to double employment in the sector, creating meaningful and sustainable opportunities, particularly for our youth,” she said.

The CS was speaking in Naivasha during a sensitisation workshop with board members of the Tourism Brand Repositioning Taskforce and the Council of Governors.

Miano noted that globally, 1.4 billion tourists traveled in 2024, with 74 million visiting Africa, while Kenya received 2.4m of the visitors, accounting for only 3.2 per cent.

To increase the number of visitors, the CS said that the Ministry and counties must co-create programmes and support one another to unlock the full growth potential of the tourism sector.

“Counties should prioritise the development and diversification of competitive tourism products at the county level, while the Government focuses on the development of strategic and flagship tourism products,” she said.

The Chair Tourism Brand Repositioning Taskforce chairperson, Ann Musangi, said that they would be working closely with counties to address challenges facing the tourism sector.

Musangi challenged counties to showcase their potential, saying that the county had massive and untapped prospects which could increase the number of local and international tourists.

“We shall be working with counties to identify and address their challenges so that we can increase the number of tourists to the country,” she said.

Trade and Tourism CEC Muhammed Osman Ali, said that counties would support the initiative to enable the government hit 5.5m visitors.

“This rebranding effort will unlock the potential of Kenya’s youth—not only as travellers, but as storytellers, innovators, and custodians of our natural and cultural heritage,” he said.