Kenya to attract 5 million tourists by 2027 - President Ruto

Nairobi, 

Wednesday, 2 October, 2024, 

McCreadie Andias 

President William Ruto has officially unveiled the 2024 Magical Kenya Expo, bringing together over 300 exhibitors into the tourism sector. 

The event launched at Uhuru Gardens Nairobi, also welcome over 3000 tourism professionals and stakeholders, opening doors for collaboration in the tourism industry. 

President Ruto also launched the Digital Nomad Work Permit, designed to welcome global digital professionals to live and work in Kenya while experiencing Kenya's natural beauty and exceptional lifestyle.

President Ruto noted that the government envisions to invite over 5 million tourists into the country by 2027. 

"Our target is to make Kenya a must-visit destination and attract 5 million visitors a year by 2027." The president said. 

To achieve this milestone, Kenya has embarked on an innovative pathway to upgrading infrastructure, offering incentives to the hospitality industry and promoting the country's rich and diverse culture to help attain the full potential of tourism. 

The government has also planned to introduce the Transit and Long Connection Travelers Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), allowing transit visitors at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to step out and explore Kenya during layovers, rather than waiting in the terminal. 

As of 2023, over 1.9 million international visitors arrived in Kenya. This represents a steady recovery in growth since 2020, when only 567.8 thousand visitors entered the country as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Like other nations worldwide, Kenya implemented measures to contain the spread of the virus, such as lockdown and flight restrictions. As a result, the passenger flow in the two main Kenyan airports was drastically low as Kenya is still trying to bounce back past the post-covid impacts. 

In 2022, earnings from international arrivals in Kenya amounted to 268.1 billion Kenyan shilings (KSh), around 2.1 billion U.S. dollars. This represented an increase of some 83 percent in comparison to 2023, when the Kenyan tourism sector recorded a revenue of roughly 89 billion KSh (690 million U.S. dollars). 

Relevance of tourism in Kenya’s economy is significant as the country is known for its rich nature and wildlife. Tourism, therefore, plays a key role in the country’s economy.