State targeting 10 million domestic tourists this year- CS Miano

The government is working on a plan to encourage more local travel through marketing campaigns

by ALICE WAITHERA

Realtime01 March 2025 - 09:15

In Summary

Last year, the country earned Sh452 billion in foreign earnings, up from Sh377billion recorded in 2023.
However, a large number of local tourists were not properly documented as some visited guest houses and Airbnbs which are not in the government’s records.

The government is targeting 10 million domestic tourists this year, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has said.

Miano said that the government is working on a plan to encourage more local travel through marketing campaigns and development of attractive domestic tourism packages.

With a robust recovery and growth in the tourism sector, the CS said local tourists have expressed a heightened interest in local tourism facilities across the country.

“We saw an upward surge in domestic tourism numbers last year where 5 million tourists visited the various facilities. This shows an increase as compared to successive years,” she said.

During that period, the country earned Sh452 billion in foreign earnings, up from Sh377billion in 2023 which represented a 20 percent increase that the CS attributed to aggressive marketing campaigns and tourism products.

She, however, noted that a large number of local tourists were not properly documented as some visited guest houses and Airbnbs which are not in the government’s records.

Miano made the remarks while commissioning the newly refurbished Maasai Mara Research Centre in Narok county on Friday.

She also revealed that the state is also targeting 3 million international tourists this year up from the 2.4 million who toured the country last year and that the government has sought other markets to increase international visitors.

“We have now diversified our products to new markets like Poland, Czech Republic, Australia who are now heavily coming into our country while USA and Uganda have remained our source markets and China and India continue to remain resilient,” said Miano.

On his part, Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu said the close relations between his administration and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute is a testament of strong collaboration among the two institutions supported by the recent established framework agreement.

The partnership, he said, is a significant step towards enhancing research and monitoring within Maasai Mara national reserve, a landscape that has long been at the forefront of ecological studies.

While Masai Mara boasts a rich legacy of ecological research, the county boss said it is imperative that such research is directly applicable to the practical management of the Reserve.

“Historically, much of the scientific work done here has not always translated into actionable conservation strategies."

“This is an issue we must address and I’m proud to note that the refurbishment and upgrading of this research station is a critical step in aligning research efforts with the urgent needs of conservation and sustainable management in the Mara ecosystem,” said Ntutu.

He added that his administration is actively recruiting reserve ecologists and veterinary experts who will play a pivotal role in strengthening research and conservation efforts in the Masai Mara.

“This investment in human capital underscores our commitment to evidence-based decision-making in the management of this globally significant ecosystem,” the county chief said.

In attendance were Wildlife Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya, Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) chairperson David Nkedienye, WRTI CEO Patrick Omondi and Narok executive in charge of tourism Jackson Sipitiek.