Kenya recorded 2.4 million international arrivals in 2024 touching a new record, latest official Tourism and Wildlife ministry data shows.
This came with a substantial increase in in-bound tourism earnings, rising from Sh377.49 billion in 2023 toSh452.20 billion in 2024, reflecting a 19.79 per cent increase.
According to the 2024 performance report released by Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano on Wednesday, inbound arrivals figures reflected a 15 per cent increase from the 2,089,259 recorded in 2023.
The domestic tourism sector also recorded gains; with bed night occupancy rising by 12 per cent from 4,618,094 in 2023 to 5,173,966 in 2024.
Speaking at the report’s launch in Mombasa, Miano said the figures validate the government’s strategic interventions to revitalisese and diversify the tourism sector.
“This progressive achievement is as the result of concerted strategic interventions that include aggressive marketing campaigns, enhanced tourism product diversification, adoption of digital platforms and the introduction of new scheduled flights,” she said.
She said efforts towards tourism product diversification and digital transformation advancement have allowed the sector to cater to diverse visitor preferences and reach a wider audience through online channels.
“These gains underscore the effectiveness of strategic interventions such as enhanced air connectivity,” she added.
The US maintained its position as Kenya’s top source market, accounting for 12.8 per cent of total arrivals, with 306,501 visitors, the data compiled by the Tourism Research Institute (TRI) shows.
Tanzania and Uganda followed suit, contributing 8.4 per cent and 9.4 per cent respectively, reflecting the robust intra-regional travel within the East African Community.
Notably, the East African Region (EAC) showcased growth, with Tanzania recording the highest increase of 42,133 arrivals, followed by China with a remarkable 29,085 additional visitors.
On the continental front, Africa emerged as the leading source market, contributing 40.8 per cent of arrivals, with 975,883 visitors.
Europe followed closely at 28.1 per cent, while the Americas and Asia accounted for 15.7 per cent and 12.1 per cent respectively.
“The remarkable performance of the African source market has been phenomenal and continues to take centre stage of a very dynamic shift, which is crucial in fostering intra-regional integration and economic growth,” Miano said, underscoring the pivotal role of intra-Africa travel in driving sustainable tourism development.
While highlighting some of the strides made in Kenya’s diversified tourism portfolio, the CS spotlighted growth recorded in key segments including cruise tourism, which saw a remarkable 163.5 per cent increase, with 6,561 tourists in 2024, up from 2,490 in 2023.
The Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) category accounted for 27 per cent of arrivals or 643,595 of the total international tourists during the period under review, representing a 12.5 per cent increase compared 599,114 arrivals the previous year.
Miano expressed optimism for the tourism sector’s continued growth and transformation in 2025. Preliminary UN Tourism projections point to improved global performance this year with international tourist arrivals forecasted to increase by between three per cent and five per cent.
“Based on current trends and our growth strategy, we remain optimistic that Kenya is on course to welcome three million visitors by 2025, potentially generating Sh560 billion in tourism earnings. We have laid a firm foundation to make Kenya a competitive global tourism destination,” the CS said.
The ministry, she said, would continue fostering more public-private partnerships as well as implement policies and initiatives that will contribute to the sustainable growth of the sector and its competitiveness in the dynamic global tourism landscape.
