Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has reported record-breaking growth in Kenya’s tourism sector, positioning the industry as a key driver of the country’s economic recovery.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, Miano revealed that Kenya welcomed more than 2.4 million international visitors in 2024 – the highest figure in the nation’s history. The surge generated over Ksh.452 billion in revenue, while sustaining more than 1.1 million direct jobs and 3 million indirect ones.
“The state of tourism in Kenya is a story of progress and good news. We are on an upward trajectory. At the close of 2024, we did welcome 2.4 million international visitors into the country and that was the highest ever,” she said.
“In terms of earnings, Kenya received Ksh.452 billion from tourism. Tourism is one of the strongest pillars in the economy. In terms of employment, more than 1.1 million direct jobs and over 3 million indirect jobs.”
Miano attributed the growth to rebounding not just from the Covid-19 downturn but also to conscious efforts at diversification of tourism products. She emphasized that Kenya is moving away from its traditional animal and beach package to new experiences that appeal to foreign visitors.
Beyond Beaches and Wildlife
“Kenya has a lot of tourism products. For a long time, Kenya has been seen as just the beach and the bush because of the wildlife and our coast. We are diversifying our tourism products to include cultural tourism, which is getting a lot of traction. We are also going into adventure tourism, wellness, and cuisine,” she explained, pointing to emerging attractions such as nyama choma and astro-tourism.
She also pointed out reforms which are making Kenya more attractive to foreign tourists, including increased visa openness, streamlined electronic travel authorizations, and improved immigration services.
Highlighting future opportunities, Miano said the Magical Kenya Travel Expo will host more than 400 exhibitors and 5,000 delegates from October 1 to 3, cementing Kenya’s reputation as a global tourist destination.
The CS further underscored the potential of business and conference tourism, which she described as one of the fastest-growing segments.
“Research has shown that a conference tourist spends two to three times more than the normal tourist and Kenya is a favorite destination. This is why we want to improve our infrastructure by getting a state-of-the-art conference facility,” she said.
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