News & Insights

Kenya registers record tourism year

In 2024, Kenya’s tourism sector reached unprecedented heights, welcoming a record 2.4 million international visitors—a 15% increase over the previous year. This surge was accompanied by a significant boost in revenue, which climbed from KES 377.5 billion to KES 452.2 billion, nearly a 20% rise.

This remarkable performance is credited to a blend of strategic initiatives. The government’s commitment to enhancing the tourism landscape—through vigorous marketing campaigns, diversified product offerings, accelerated digital transformation, and expanded air connectivity—has clearly paid off.

During the report launch in Mombasa, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano highlighted that these targeted efforts have allowed Kenya to meet a wide range of traveler preferences while reaching a broader audience via online platforms. She emphasized that such strategic interventions have been critical in modernizing the sector.

Detailed figures show that the United States remains the top source market, contributing 12.8% of all arrivals with 306,501 visitors. Regional travel is strong too, with Tanzania and Uganda accounting for 8.4% and 9.4% of arrivals respectively. Notably, China emerged as the fastest-growing market with a 47% increase—from 61,377 visitors in 2023 to 90,462 in 2024—while Europe continues to be the largest overseas source, followed by the Americas and Asia at 15.7% and 12.1% respectively.

The Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) segment also showed impressive growth, with international arrivals in this category rising by 12.5% to over 643,000—boosting its share of total arrivals from 24% to 27%.

Looking forward, Miano expressed optimism about the future. “Based on our current trends and growth strategy, we are confident that Kenya is on track to welcome three million visitors by 2025, potentially generating KES 560 billion in tourism earnings,” she said. She also reiterated plans to strengthen public-private partnerships and implement further policies to sustain this upward trajectory.