As Kenya accelerates efforts to position tourism as a key economic driver, a critical question is emerging: Should the country chase big numbers or high-value visitors?
This debate took centre stage on the second day of the Kenya Tourism, Wildlife and MICE Week showcase at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre where industry players, policymakers and conservation leaders met to reflect on the nation’s ambitious target of attracting 5.5 million tourists by 2027.
With the government pushing for higher arrivals, the day’s panels quickly turned to the fundamental question on whether Kenya wants mass tourism or high-end tourism.
Alex Avedi, CEO of Safarilink Aviation, noted that lack of clarity on the tourists the country seeks to attract is a risk. “There is a disconnect,” he said.
Avedi argued that Kenya’s previous approach leaned too heavily on mass tourism “cheapening the product” despite the reality that high-end travellers bring far greater returns.
Using the US market as an example, he noted that, although fewer than 200 000 American tourists visit Kenya annually, their impact is outsized. “One tourist can spend at least US$5 000 whereas another spends US$100. The luxury segment is small but extremely valuable.”
Avedi stressed that competing in the luxury market requires world-class standards. Kenya must “fix its basics” and learn from destinations such as Seychelles and Botswana, he added.
For Angela Njihia, Chairperson of Ecotourism Kenya, the debate must consider sustainability. “If we are selling natural tourism products, mass tourism is not good,” she said.
“We must look at biodiversity impact and carrying capacity. Our natural areas cannot handle thousands of people.”
Njihia highlighted Rwanda as an African example expanding MICE tourism while strictly limiting numbers in sensitive gorilla habitats to preserve long-term ecological value.
As Kenya pushes towards the five million visitor goal, she warned that the country must be clear about where these visitors are expected to go and whether existing circuits can support them.
“Five million sounds nice but where will they go? The circuits are unevenly developed. We must evolve the product and define the segments we want to target.”
MICE tourism can absorb mass numbers due to its urban setting but conservancies and parks must remain controlled-access destinations, she added.
According to Kenya Tourism Federation CEO Susan Ogalo, the solution may lie in segmentation rather than choosing one model over the other. “There is an opportunity for both,” she said. “Mass tourism can be directed to certain areas while high-quality tourism is priced and marketed separately.”
Ogalo emphasised that Kenya is vast with diverse tourism products that can support multiple market tiers but only with strong policy, research and careful distribution of visitors across counties.
She noted that the merging of tourism, wildlife and MICE discussions is a major achievement as it allows the industry to collectively shape strategies for reaching the five million target “without overrunning destinations and risking over-tourism”.
