Kenya's Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Miano, said that the sector Tourism The country generated revenues of 500 billion shillings ($3.84 billion) in 2025, an increase of 10% over the previous year, with the country recording a record 7.9 million visitors, compared to 7.6 million visitors in 2024.

Domestic tourism in Kenya accounted for 5.2 million visitors out of the total visitors, and Africa remains the largest source of international arrivals at 47%, followed by Europe at 25%.

Domestic tourism in Kenya

Miano said: There is no doubt that domestic tourism is a key pillar that supports demand and protects the sector from external shocks.

This new record represents the fifth consecutive year of revenue growth in this sector in Kenya, and confirms its recovery from the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, revenue fell by 70% year-on-year to 88.5 billion shillings, after the pandemic led to the suspension of international flights and the closure of national parks and private reserves.

Kenya welcomed 870,465 international tourists in 2021, a number that more than doubled by 2023, exceeding two million. In 2024, Kenya became the most visited tourist destination in East Africa, surpassing Tanzania, driven by its Indian Ocean coastline, natural attractions, diverse wildlife, and business tourism.

Government measures in Kenya

Miano did not specify the reasons for the sector's growth in KenyaHowever, 2024 saw a series of measures aimed at boosting tourism capacity and improving the business environment. In March 2025, Kenya took steps to streamline entry procedures at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, including abolishing the requirement for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for African nationals.

The Kenya Tourism Authority, in collaboration with BBC Storyworks, launched a global campaign called “A Journey Through the Wild Heart of East Africa.” The campaign aims to attract high-spending tourists while creating employment opportunities in rural areas through hiking, outdoor sports, specialized safaris, and community-based ecotourism.

The Kenyan government has also granted visa-free entry to citizens of most African countries for stays of 60 or 90 days, depending on their country of origin.

In September 2025, the Kenya Tourism Authority signed a strategic partnership with Visa to leverage the American payments company's expertise in analytics and transaction digitization. Through Visa's Government Insights Hub platform, Kenyan authorities gained tools to analyze visitor flows, identify peak seasonal periods, understand regional preferences and consumer behavior, and adjust marketing and investment priorities accordingly.

Kenyan authorities have set a target of receiving 5 million international visitors and 5 million domestic tourists by 2027. Reaching this level would boost Kenya's standing in its competition with Tanzania and Uganda, although it would still fall short of the performance of countries like Egypt and Morocco, which invest heavily in infrastructure, hotel capacity and promotion.