Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano says Kenya welcomed over 2 million international visitors in 2024, earning Sh452 billion and recording 12% growth in domestic tourism.
The sector created 1.1 million direct jobs and contributed 10% to GDP. She projects 5.5 million arrivals by 2027 through diversification, cultural festivals, and regional tourism circuits.
Speaking on Citizen TV on September 23, 2025, Miano said Kenya has made remarkable progress since the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the end of 2024, the country received more international visitors, the highest figure in the past years.
She says that domestic tourism also grew by 12%, recording about 5.1 million bed nights, excluding unlicensed establishments such as Airbnbs.
“The growth continued into 2025 despite stringent policies in the economy,” she explained. “Tourism has contributed directly to the creation of 1.1 million jobs and over three million indirect jobs across the value chain. This sector supports our economy not just through employment, but also by earning foreign exchange and contributing around 10% of GDP.”
Looking ahead, Miano expressed confidence that Kenya will hit a projected international arrivals by 2027, citing it as a realistic but ambitious goal. “Kenya has been much known for the beach and bush because of our rich wildlife. But we are now diversifying our products, cultural tourism, sports tourism, adventure, wellness, and cuisine. We can attract much more because we have what the world is looking for,” she emphasized.
Miano noted that Kenya is positioning itself as a tourism powerhouse by creating new experiences that align with evolving travel trends. Among these are annual cultural festivals such as the Turkana-Tobong Festival, the Lamu Cultural Festival, and other county-driven events that are being organized into a national cultural calendar.
“We encourage all counties and communities to publicize their cultural events early enough,” she said. “This gives travelers ample time to plan and ensures the festivals draw maximum participation.”
The Cabinet Secretary also highlighted opportunities in astro-tourism, with 67% of surveyed hotels reporting interest from guests in star gazing and cosmic experiences. “Kenya is the origin of the sky,” she said with pride. “Because of our clear skies and low noise pollution, we can make this an all-year tourism attraction.”
Miano pointed out that Kenya is also emerging as a conference tourism hub, with research showing that such visitors spend two to three times more than leisure tourists. She urged continued investment in state-of-the-art facilities to make Kenya competitive as a meetings and exhibitions destination.
Air connectivity remains central to this strategy. She praised recent developments such as charter flights and expanded routes from airlines like Air Dubai, with Dreamliners now linking Mombasa directly to new markets.
“The strategies we are applying now must be sustained if we are to achieve our targets,” she said.
