Why counties must stop sitting on Kenya's tourism gold

Tourism CS Rebecca Miano. [File, Standard]

Kenya has set itself an ambitious but achievable target of attracting at least five million international tourists a year by 2028.

This is not a vanity number. It is about higher tourism earnings, more jobs and positioning tourism as a serious pillar of inclusive economic growth.

Whether the country reaches that target will depend less on national slogans and more on what county governments choose to do next.

Tourism, in practice, is a devolved opportunity. The national government can set policy, coordinate strategy and market Kenya abroad, but the experiences tourists actually consume sit firmly in counties.

Wildlife conservancies, landscapes, cultural heritage, adventure tourism, festivals and community initiatives are all developed, regulated and managed locally. Without active county leadership, the five million target will remain aspirational.

For years, Kenya’s tourism performance has leaned heavily on a narrow product base, primarily wildlife safaris and coastal holidays.

These remain critical, but they cannot on their own deliver the scale, resilience and geographic spread required to transform the sector.

Meanwhile, many counties possess unique attractions that remain underdeveloped, under-promoted or entirely disconnected from national marketing efforts. This is not a marketing failure alone. It is a governance one.

County governments have not treated tourism with the urgency it deserves. In many County Integrated Development Plans, tourism appears as a footnote rather than a growth engine.

Budget allocations remain modest, product development is slow and private investors often face policy uncertainty. If counties continue to treat tourism as optional, Kenya will struggle to grow arrivals, extend visitor stays and spread benefits beyond a few established destinations.

Prioritising tourism at the county level requires deliberate choices. Counties must integrate tourism diversification into development planning, invest in infrastructure that supports visitation throughout the year and create predictable regulatory environments that attract private capital.

Products such as culture, sports, conferencing, wellness and adventure tourism are essential if Kenya is to reduce seasonality and increase earnings per visitor.

Data-driven decision-making must underpin this shift. The ongoing national tourism product mapping exercise offers counties a rare opportunity to plan using evidence rather than assumptions.

Counties that fail to engage meaningfully with this process risk continuing to invest blindly, duplicating efforts or missing high-potential opportunities. Tourism planning without data is no longer defensible.

Branding is another area where counties must step up. A clear county tourism identity does not weaken the Magical Kenya brand. It strengthens it. Kenya sells best as a diverse, multi-experience, year-round destination.

Coherent county brands aligned with national messaging give tourists reasons to stay longer, travel wider and return more often.

The stakes go beyond visitor numbers. Tourism is a job agenda. Growth in arrivals translates directly into employment, especially for young people.

Counties can accelerate this impact by supporting youth entrepreneurship, digital tourism platforms, skills development and community-based enterprises that keep value within local economies.

The truth is simple. The national government cannot deliver five million tourists by 2028 on its own. Counties must either become active partners in tourism growth or remain silent bottlenecks.

Policy alignment, targeted investment, innovation and collaboration are no longer optional.

Kenya’s tourism potential is not in question. What remains uncertain is whether county governments are ready to unlock it. The clock to 2028 is already ticking.