Kenya’s tourism sector hit record Ksh.452 billion earnings in 2024 - CS Miano

During an interview on Citizen TV, CS Miano explained that over 2.4 million international tourists visited Kenya in 2024, earning over Ksh.452 billion in revenue from tourism. 

She noted that the move signaled growth in the country’s tourism sector, especially in the post-Covid era as the country journeyed on the path to recovery.

“The state of tourism in Kenya is a story of progress and good news. We are on an upward trajectory. At the close of 2024, we did welcome 2.4 million international visitors into the country and that was the highest ever," she stated.

"In terms of earnings, Kenya received Ksh.452 billion from tourism. Tourism is one of the strongest pillars in the economy. In terms of employment, more than 1.1 million direct jobs and over 3 million indirect jobs."

To boost competitiveness, she highlighted the ministry's role in diversifying Kenya’s tourism products beyond traditional wildlife and coastal attractions. 

“Kenya has a lot of tourism products. For a long time, Kenya has been seen as just the beach and the bush because of the wildlife and our coast. We are diversifying our tourism products to include cultural tourism, which is getting a lot of traction. We are also going into adventure tourism, wellness, and cuisine,” Miano said while pointing out to tourist attractions such as nyama choma and astro-tourism. 

The CS further pointed to progress in easing travel processes for international visitors, citing reforms in visa openness, streamlining of the electronic travel authorization system, and improvements in immigration services.

She also highlighted the growth of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo, noting that this year’s edition will host more than 400 exhibitors and 5,000 delegates between October 1 and 3.

Miano added that business and conference tourism remains a key growth area.

“Research has shown that a conference tourist spends two to three times more than the normal tourist and Kenya is a favorite destination. This is why we want to improve our infrastructure by getting a state-of-the-art conference facility,” she said.