Kenya's tourism division welcomed a record 2.4m international arrival in 2024, surpassing Kenya's highest number of arrivals.
In the 2024 performance report released today by Rebeccamiano's Secretary of Tourism and Wildlife Interior, the numbers for inbound arrivals represent a significant 15% increase from 2,089,259 recorded in 2023.
Similarly, there was a significant increase in inbound tourism revenues from the KSHS. 37.749 billion Kshs in 2023. 45.22 billion in 2024 reflects an increase of 19.79%.
The domestic tourism sector also recorded profits. Bednight occupancy rose 12% from 4,618,094 in 2023 to 5,173,966 in 2024.
CS Miano said during the launch of its report in Mombasa that the figures examine the government's strategic intervention to stimulate and diversify the tourism sector.
“This progressive outcome is the result of collaborative strategic interventions, including aggressive marketing campaigns, increased diversification of tourism products, adoption of digital platforms and the introduction of new scheduled flights,” CS highlights the reasons for the surprising travel influx. “In particular, efforts to diversify tourism products and advance in digital transformation have allowed us to meet visitor preferences and reach more audiences through online channels. These benefits underscore the effectiveness of strategic interventions, such as strengthening air connections,” she added.
The US maintains its position as Kenya's top sauce market, accounting for 12.8% of total arrivals with 306,501 visitors. Tanzania and Uganda following the lawsuit, contributing to 8.4% and 9.4% respectively, reflecting robust intra-regional travel within the East African Community (EAC).
In particular, the East Africa Region (EAC) showed growth, with Tanzania recording the highest increase in arrivals of 42,133, followed by 29,085 additional visitors. The US, Somalia, Italy and Uganda also experienced significant increments, highlighting the global appeal of Kenya's diverse tourism products.
On the continental front, Africa has emerged as a major source market, contributing 40.8% of arrivals, with 975,883 visitors. Europe continued closely at 28.1%, with the US and Asia accounting for 15.7% and 12.1% respectively.
“The outstanding performance of the African source market is incredible and continues to remain a central stage for highly dynamic change, which is important in fostering regional integration and economic growth.”
While highlighting some of the steps that have been made in Kenya's diverse tourism portfolio, CS sponsored the growth recorded in major segments, including cruise tourism. (643,595) represents a 12.5% increase compared to 2023, when total international tourism arrivals during the review period accounted for 24% (599,114) of total tourist arrivals.
Miano expressed optimism about the continued growth and transformation of the tourism sector in 2025. Preliminary UN tourism forecasts point to an improvement in global performance this year as international tourist arrivals, which were projected to increase by 3% and 5% compared to 2024.
“Based on current trends and growth strategies, Kenya is continuing its course to welcome 3 million visitors by 2025, potentially generating KSH560 billion tourism revenue. It has laid a solid foundation to make Kenya a competitive global tourism destination.”
CS has pledged to promote more public-private partnerships and implement policies and initiatives that contribute to the sector's sustainable growth and competitiveness in the dynamic global tourism landscape.
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