kenya tourism statistics 2023

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Kenya’s tourism sector growth impressive in the first half of 2023

In the six months to June 2023, the United States remained the leading source market for Kenya’s tourism sector growth.

• Americans are familiar with Kenya’s Mount Kenya region and the Maasai Mara National Reserve, which offers Safari experiences.
• Uganda was the second leading source of travelers with 89,968 (10.6%), Tanzania came in third with 69,777 (8.2%), the UK fourth with 65,563 (7.7%) while India closed the top five list.

International tourist arrivals grew 32 per cent in the half-year to June, closing at 847,810 as the Kenya’s tourism sector growth continued post-Covid-19. This was up from 642,861 arrivals recorded in the same period last year, official data by the Ministry of Tourism indicates.

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The performance represents a 92 per cent recovery compared to the 2019 in same period. The increased numbers came with higher earnings for the country and the sector.

“The tourism sector in Kenya experienced a remarkable upswing in international arrivals leading to a positive effect on the country’s tourism receipts,” Kenya Tourism Board said.

During the half-year period, the total tourism receipts surged to $1.1 billion (Ksh152.6 billion), reflecting an impressive growth rate of 31 per cent compared to the previous year’s earnings of $804.7 million (Ksh.116.2 billion).

Top source markets

In the first half of 2023, the US remained the leading source market for Kenya’s tourism sector growth, closing at 118,480 North American tourists who visited Kenya. Americans are familiar with Kenya’s Mount Kenya region and the Maasai Mara National Reserve, which offers Safari experiences. American visitors during the six months accounted for 14 per cent of the total arrivals.

Most European tourists from the UK, Germany, and Italy prefer the coastal region (Mombasa, Diani, Malindi, Kilifi, and Lamu), competing with Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar as leading beach holiday destinations in East Africa.

Uganda was the second leading source with 89,968 (10.6 per cent), Tanzania came in third with 69,777 (8.2 per cent), the UK fourth with 65,563 (7.7 per cent) while India closed the top five list with 42,805 arrival (5 per cent).

Some key markets have surpassed 2019 half–year performance, KTB said, notably the US by seven per cent in 2019 from 110,743 to 118,480; Italy by 15.6 per cent from 22,017 to 25,451; Germany by four per cent from 32,142 to 33,418 and Rwanda by 34.5 per cent from 18,845 to 25,422.

Ethiopia also surpassed last year’s arrivals by 66.1 per cent from 11,018 to 18,296; the Netherlands by 6.9 per cent from 19,123 to 20,442; Nigeria by 7.3 per cent from 15,307 to 16,424; Ghana by 28.1 per cent from 5,137 to 6,583 and Russia by 40.8 per cent from 2,514 to 3,539.

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Purpose of entry.

The government statistics indicated that the period holiday was the primary purpose of entry closing at 338,509 (39.9 per cent). Business & MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) was the second primary purpose if visiting Kenya by international tourists.

During the period under review, 226,908 (26.8 per cent) were in the country for meetings, conferences, and business deals. Those visiting family and friends totaled 213,417 arrivals, the third primary purpose of touring Kenya. On Transit passengers were 44,620 (5.3 per cent), while other purposes, among them education, medical, religion, and sports totaled 24,356.

The country’s biggest airport and regional aviation hub, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, was the main entry point recording 589,553 visitors. Mombasa’s Moi International Airport was the second entry point with 65,468 arrivals, while other airports recorded a combined appearance of 3, 671 mainly small planes and private jets. Moreover, entries through border points totaled 189,118, with Ugandan and Tanzanians crossing over mainly for business.

Domestic bed nights

Domestic tourism also had positive growth, with bed nights recording a 16 per cent increase in 2023 (January – June), closing at 2.3 million, compared to 2.02 million same period last year.

“The best performing months were April and June, which can be attributed to the Easter holidays and business travel, respectively,” KTB said in its report.

Domestic tourism has remained vital in cushioning the tourism and hospitality industry in the country since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. With international numbers picking up, local industry players are also hoping to sustain the domestic market despite reduced incomes by households in the wake of high inflation.

“Disposable income has reduced with many households seeking to meet basic needs first before planning for holidays. This is likely to affect how the domestic market spends,” said Sam Ikwaye, the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers executive, Coast region.

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Global performance and outlook.

International tourism recovered 63 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with Europe and the Middle East in the lead, according to the UNWTO.

Significant pent-up demand and the lifting or relaxation of travel restrictions in many countries backed up the stronger-than-expected results.

Approximately 900 million tourists traveled internationally in 2022, double those in 2021 though still 37 per cent fewer than in 2019.

Looking ahead, international tourism will consolidate its recovery in 2023, backed by pent-up demand, particularly from Asia and the Pacific, as destinations and markets open up.

The UNWTO Panel of Experts Survey indicates that 72 per cent of respondents expect better performance in 2023.

However, most experts (65 per cent) also believe international tourism will not return to 2019 levels until 2024 or later.

Based on UNWTO’s scenarios for 2023, international tourist arrivals could reach 80 per cent to 95 per cent of pre-pandemic levels this year, with Europe and the Middle East expected to reach those levels.

However, important risks remain ahead, primarily economic and geopolitical.

“Tourists are expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel close to home in response to the challenging economic environment,” UNWTO said.

The complete recovery, however remains subject to certain risks like a potential economic slowdown amid high inflation and rapid interest hikes, which have increased financial costs and debt levels.

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Higher food and energy prices result in lower purchasing power and weaker consumer confidence, which could weigh on travel demand in 2023, especially in spending. The Russian offensive in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions in North-East Asia could also disrupt the normal travel, UNWTO noted further.

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Kenyan Tourism Roars Back, Beating Pre-Pandemic Numbers

Henry Muuthia

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Kenya Tourist Arrivals

Tourist arrivals in kenya increased to 149922 in june from 117639 in may of 2024. tourist arrivals in kenya averaged 89553.84 from 2006 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 172060.00 in august of 2023 and a record low of 9.00 in april of 2020. source: kenya national bureau of statistics, tourist arrivals in kenya is expected to be 170000.00 by the end of this quarter, according to trading economics global macro models and analysts expectations. in the long-term, the kenya tourist arrivals is projected to trend around 180000.00 in 2025 and 200000.00 in 2026, according to our econometric models.,   markets,   gdp,   labour,   prices,   money,   trade,   government,   business,   consumer,   housing,   taxes,   climate.

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Tourism activity, 2023

Canadians made 36.2 million visits abroad in 2023

Top 5 countries visited by Canadian residents, by number of visits

Non-Canadian visitors took 27.2 million trips to Canada in 2023

Top 5 countries of residence of visitors from abroad, by number of trips

Ontario was the most visited province in 2023

In 2023, Canadians spent $73.5 billion on domestic tourism

While travelling in canada, canadian visitors spent the most on food and beverages, while non-canadian visitors spent the most on accommodations.

More than 3 in 4 visitors to Canada were U.S. residents. While they represented the majority of visitors, they only spent slightly more in Canada than overseas visitors.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Frontier Counts, 2023, National Travel Survey, 2023, Visitor Travel Survey, 2023.

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Kenya Tourism Revenue

• Kenya's Tourism Revenue reached 2 USD bn in Dec 2019, compared with 2 USD bn in the previous year
• Kenya's Tourism Revenue data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1995 to Dec 2019
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,004 USD mn in Dec 2012 and a record low of 500 USD mn in Dec 2000

View Kenya's Tourism Revenue from 1995 to 2019 in the chart:

What was Kenya's Tourism Revenue in 2019?

Kenya's Tourism Revenue reached 2 USD bn in Dec 2019, compared with 2 USD bn in the previous year See the table below for more data.

Tourism Revenue by Country Comparison

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Monthly number of visitor arrivals in Kenya 2020-2022, by airport

Monthly number of visitor arrivals in kenya from january 2020 to march 2022, by airport.

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January 2020 to March 2022

Visitors arrivals exclude Kenyans. JKIA is the abbreviation for Jomo Kenyatta International, whereas MIA stands for Moi International Airport (according to the IATA airport codes it is MBA, whereas MIA is Miami Airport).

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