International tourism in Kenya is still growing. In 2024, the increase over the previous year was 15%, with the ‘wall’ of 2 million visitors broken through for the second consecutive season. This is an excellent result, considering that the United Nations, in their report, estimated a global growth in tourism of around 5%.
This was announced yesterday by the Kenyan Minister of Tourism, Rebecca Miano, during a press conference in Mombasa. The first data released, pending the annual report that will give us more specifics, speak of approximately 2.4 million tourists, compared to 2.9 million in 2023 and even 1.4 million in 2022, the first year of post-COVID recovery.
Income from the hospitality and travel sector is also increasing: from around 377 billion shillings in 2023 to 452 billion in 2024, an increase of around 20%.
The upward trend also concerns domestic tourism, which has increased by 12% in terms of overnight stays, from 4,618,094 in 2023 to 5,173,966 in 2024. This is also due to conferences, trade fairs and events, for which the numbers are no longer mainly those of the capital Nairobi, but also those of the coast, which with the construction of new conference rooms in hotels, has an increasing potential for attraction. The MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) category accounts for almost a third of tourism and is growing by more than 10%.
From the first data transmitted, the United States is confirmed as the first nation from which tourists come, with safari, business, social and diplomacy as the main activities. But in the influx of foreign visitors we must also consider the two ‘neighbours’ who, with just under 10% each, represent the first African markets of origin. While we wait to find out the figures for Italy, where there is talk of a ‘significant increase’, we do know that the biggest increase in tourist arrivals compared to the previous year is from China, with almost 30 thousand more visitors than in 2023.
While it is true that the USA is in first place, as a continent it is always Europe that represents the greatest external force, with 28% of intercontinental arrivals, while the African market always represents a higher percentage (around 40%), or almost one million entries per year.
Finally, this year’s projections are optimistic. It will be difficult to reach 3 million, the threshold expected by 2027 (with the dream of 5 million tourists in 2030), but the gradual increase is a given.
It will be essential to continue opening up to all airlines that wish to land or return to Kenya, in the so-called ‘open skies’ policy that creates competitiveness and lowers prices, as well as improving infrastructure and services.
Source: Malindi kenya
