Tourism earnings from international arrivals in Kenya 2005-2023

In 2023, earnings from international arrivals in Kenya amounted to 352.5 billion Kenyan shillings (KSh), around 2.7 billion U.S. dollars. This represented an increase of around 32 percent in comparison to the previous year. In 2020, the number of international visitor arrivals in Kenya declined sharply, and, consequently, the sector’s revenue fell to 89 billion KSh (686 million U.S. dollars). The drop interrupted an up going trend in place since 2015. From that year onward, the country’s tourism industry had recorded an annual growing revenue, after a slowdown due to an upsurge in violent terrorist attacks in 2012. 

First signs of recovery in 2021

Worldwide, the tourism industry felt the dramatic effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In Kenya, the sector contracted, and its contribution to the country’s GDP roughly halved in 2020, compared to 2019. By the end of 2021, however, signals of recovery amid the tourism industry were already spotted. The monthly number of arrivals in both Jomo Kenyatta and Moi international airports in December that year corresponded to roughly 70 percent of that registered in December 2019. Additionally, as of March 2022, the bed occupancy rate in Kenyan hotels amounted to 57 percent, against 23 percent in March 2021.

Tourism: a relevant industry in Kenya’s economy

Kenya is extensively known for its rich nature and wildlife. The country is home to Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa, and houses seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the Lake Turkana national parks and the Lamu Old Town. Unsurprisingly, travel and tourism play a key role in the Kenyan economy. Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry remained a relevant source of employment. As of 2020, tourism engaged roughly 6.4 percent of the total employment in Kenya.