The government is banking on renewed marketing campaigns and the visa-free access for African and Caribbean nations to drive international arrivals towards its 5.5 million international arrivals target by 2027.
This growth, from the 2.4 million international arrivals recorded last year, will also be complimented by increasing number of direct flights as Kenya slowly opens its skies for international airlines and charter flights mainly from Europe.
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, during the official opening of this year’s Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE 2025) in Nairobi yesterday, said the country is also keen to attract investments in the tourism sector and build capacity in both tourism and wildlife conservation, in a three-pillar driven growth plan.
“We we believe that when we concentrate on those priorities, we shall be able to meet the target of attracting 5.5 million visitors annually from the year 2027, increasing our earnings to Sh1 trillion and increasing employment,” Miano said.
The government has also set a target of doubling domestic bed-nights to at least 10 million in the short term.
During his June budget presentation, National Treasury CS John Mbadi proposed an allocation of Sh8.2 billion for the Tourism Fund and Sh4.8 billion for Tourism Promotion Fund in the 2025-26 financial year, to drive the sector’s growth.
Tourism earnings for 2024 reached a record Sh452.2 billion, a nearly 20 per cent increase from the previous year, with the growth driven by the record 2.4 million international visitors and expanded domestic tourism, amid strategic marketing, product diversification and improved air connectivity.
The World Travel and Tourism Council projects Kenya's tourism sector is set to contribute a record Sh1.2 trillion to the economy in the medium-term, an equivalent of more than seven per cent of the country’s GDP.
The tourism sector is also expected to support about 1.7 million jobs, which is over eight per cent of the total national employment.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki who officially opened the MKTE 2025, said the government’s commitment to enabling tourism to prosper is underscored by the “transformative strides” in improving infrastructure.
These includes roads, rail, airports and port facilities such as the Mombasa Cruise Terminal.
“The upcoming Nairobi-Nakuru- Mau Summit highway will dramatically ease travel from Nairobi into Western Kenya. It will also provide seamless access to iconic sites like the Lake Nakuru National Park,” Kindiki said.
He urged for product diversification to compliment the traditional beach and Safari.
Kindiki termed the visa-free access as a major stride by the government to drive tourism and investments.
Kenya is currently visa-free for citizens of many African and Caribbean countries, save for a few African states like Libya and Somalia which have security concerns.
It also has an Electronic Travel Authorisation system which replaced the previous visa requirement on January 1, 2024, a move that was meant to ease travel.
The country has also seen a rise in direct flights with Jomo Kenyatta International as the main hub connecting country to at least 64 destinations globally, with about 39 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic.
“We must, however, do more to operationalise the bilateral air-service agreement that remains latent, especially our target continent restrictions across the African continent,” Kindiki said.
“We must develop new tourism programmes and exploit and tap into potential inter-traditional attractions and regions to spur the sector's growth. We must capitalise on the opportunities that intra-Africa tourism can provide within the context of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.”
The DP also called for sustainable tourism and ensuring that the local communities, within where tourism resources are, benefit from the sector.
