By Timothy Kiptoo
Kenya might be running mammoth investments in agriculture, financial services, real estate, manufacturing, logistics, retail and energy. But tourism is perhaps a bonus that adds a chunk of money to the country’s financial resources envelope.
Business travel, conferences and visits to friends and relatives account for 77.3% of EAC arrivals, with CS Miano pointing to the growing potential to diversify toward more leisure-focused experiences. Tourism is the third contributor to Kenya's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while agriculture and real estate secure the first and second places, respectively.
Felix Mwangangi, Kenya Airways Country Manager representing Uganda, revealed that planned joint campaigns between the Kenya Tourism Bureau (KTB) and travel trade would further boost travel interest for Ugandan travellers to Kenya.
"We are receiving a lot of inquiries with increasing interest in visiting Kenya by the Ugandans in the year. Our current capacity of four flights a week is also a flexible arrangement that can accommodate more trips based on the number of customers we get," said Mwangangi.
He stated that Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) and Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE), both happening this year, have engraved the visibility of the East African Community (EAC) on the global map.
Kenya ended the year 2023 with a fat resource wallet of 352.5 billion Kenyan Shillings, equivalent to 2.7 billion U.S dollars, an increment of 32 per cent compared to the preceding year. In 2024, the Kenyan tourism sector raised the bar with a sweeping 400 billion Kenyan Shillings earned from 2.5 million tourists.
The bright future
It is projected that Kenya will increase its tourism earnings to 560 billion Kenyan Shillings ($4.33B) in 2025. This will be a 24 per cent increase from the 2024 tourism earnings. The revenue targets include improved marketing, diversification, and better air connectivity and Cruise tourism is likely to produce 163.5 per cent with the US as the target market.
Mwangangi maintains that the national carrier will swell visitor volumes from the market by 10 per cent in the next couple of months with increased promotion. He hopes that the annual Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE), slated to be held in Nairobi from 1st to 3rd October this year, will reward Kenya.
Kilifi County Chief Officer in charge of Tourism, Adrian Baya, said the Kenyan coast remains a favourite spot for Ugandans because of the beach and golf experience, with Kilifi's Vipingo Ridge Golf Course, the only PGA golf course in Africa, being a major golf showcase.
He disclosed that weddings and honeymoons are attracting Ugandan travellers to the Kenyan coast.
"Our strategy now is to link our local tour operators with those of Uganda to widen marketing opportunities existing in both countries for complementarity," said Baya.
Kenya was among over 260 exhibitors at the POATE held at Speke Resort in Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda. The event attracted over 70 international buyers, over 5,000 trade visitors and leading industry professionals from across the region and beyond.
