Kenya has set an ambitious target of attracting five million international visitors a year by the end of 2026, nearly double the approximately 2.7 million the country currently welcomes annually.
This is according to Tourism Principal Secretary Julius Bitok who says tourism is the key to accelerating economic growth in Kenya.
But how realistic is the target and what would Kenya need to do to achieve it?
According to Fred Odek, Chairman of the Kenyan Tourism Federation, reaching that target will depend on increased air access, market diversification and strategic marketing.
For Odek, increasing air access is the first hurdle. While Nairobi already has strong scheduled air connectivity, the government has improved access to the coast by approving two charter flights to Mombasa, bringing in significant numbers of visitors from Europe and Asia.
Expanding airport capacity is key to increasing the number of visitors.
“We want Kenya to have one of the best airports in the region, making it a hub that encourages visitors to extend their trips and explore the country.”
Kenya’s traditional foreign markets are the UK, the US and parts of Asia. However, Odek notes, while the long-haul markets are strong, political instability around the world can influence whether people will take the long flight.
“Anytime there’s an international disturbance, like what happened between the US and Iran, the numbers will shrink very quickly. If you want to grow the kind of market that would attract five million international visitors to Kenya, we need to look at Africa.”
He believes Africa represents Kenya’s greatest growth opportunity for three reasons:
- Visitors from Africa have no fear of travelling within the region.
- All the flights are short-haul flights.
- The pricing in the region is much more pocket-friendly compared to Europe or the US.
“Kenya has some great clients coming out of Uganda, Congo, Nigeria, Ghana and Burundi,” Odek points out. “We offer them wildlife they no longer have. So we will be turning our attention into Africa to grow larger numbers while still maintaining our traditional UK, US and Asian markets.”
Attracting a different market results in an entirely different set of product needs. Odek says the African market has a different set of expectations compared to the traditional safari market.
“Uganda, Nigeria and Rwanda come to Kenya for elaborate weddings. Affluent visitors from Congo and Nigeria no longer do the traditional beach and wildlife trip. They want to stay in the city and explore the shops and nightlife. African corporate visitors come to Kenya to play golf.”
Joseph Kithitu, COO of Hemingways Hospitality Group, says diversifying Kenya’s tourism offering will enable the country to attract visitors over the long term.
“For a long time, we have been positioning the bush, specifically the Maasai Mara, as our major experience. But, if you have visited the Maasai Mara twice, you might not want to visit again. We want to look at tourism in the long term, basically making sure you can package the bush, the beach, the culture, the sport and the cuisine. Fortunately, we have a lot of room to innovate in Africa; it’s now a matter of marketing our new circuits.”
Kithitu and Odek stress that partnerships between government and the private sector are essential to sustain demand.
“While funding isn’t always optimal, the Kenya Tourism Board is proactive in exhibitions and trade shows with private-sector partners, like our company, to reach our source markets such as the US and UK,” says Kithitu.
Odek says government-appointed agencies also play an important role in promoting Kenya internationally and keeping key markets informed about new tourism products.
Kithitu believes Kenya’s goal of welcoming five million international visitors by the end of 2026 is attainable.
“We have the products, the rooms and the infrastructure. Kenya is sitting on a gold mine.”
The challenge now is connecting these assets with the right markets through effective air access, product diversification and marketing.
