Kenya's tourism grows to 2.4m visitors, but lagging behind Africa's giants

Tourism CS Rebecca Miano. (Elvis Ogina, Standard)

Kenya's tourism sector continues to post impressive growth, with international arrivals reaching nearly 2.4 million in 2024.

But despite this, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki says the country still lags behind top African destinations, such as Egypt and South Africa.

Speaking during the opening of the 15th Magical Kenya Travel Expo in Nairobi, Kindiki called for renewed efforts to enhance competitiveness and unlock the sector's full economic potential.

He urged the Ministry of Tourism to intensify marketing, attract investment, and diversify the country's tourism offerings beyond traditional wildlife safaris and coastal retreats

"While we lead in East Africa, our performance struggles when compared to destinations in North and South Africa," Kindiki said.

"We must operationalise our bilateral air service agreements and grow intra-African tourism through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)."

According to the Kindiki, tourism is a fundamental business enabler and a platform that stimulates investment while giving foreign exchange and uplifting countless auxiliary industries.

"We must do more to tap into growth and drive performance," he said while comparing Kenya's performance to Uganda and Tanzania.

In 2024, Tanzania and Uganda welcomed 2.1 million and 1.37 million visitors, respectively, while Kenya welcomed close to 2.4 million visitors, marking more than a 15 per cent increase from 2023.

Revenue from tourism increased by 20 per cent to Sh452 billion ($3.5 billion).

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said Kenya aims to attract 5.5 million annual visitors by 2027, double domestic bed nights to 10 million, and push sector earnings to Sh1 trillion.

She emphasised that investment, bold marketing, and capacity building were critical in meeting these goals.

The World Travel and Tourism Council has projected that Kenya's tourism sector is set to contribute Sh1.2 trillion ($9.3 billion) to the economy this year.

The tourism sector is also expected to support 1.7 million jobs, which is over eight per cent of the total national employment.

"These figures translate into jobs for youth, markets for farmers and sustained customers for micro, small and medium enterprises," said Kindiki.

And in a bid to enable tourism through ease of movement, the government is improving connectivity infrastructure, such as the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway.

The expo drew over 6,500 delegates from 40 countries, including 400 exhibitors and 200 international buyers.