This archive report was first published on 11 January 2020.
Kenya's tourism sector earned Sh163 billion in 2019, a significant boost from Sh157 billion in 2018. The sector's growth was largely driven by a surge in tourist arrivals from the Americas, with the United States remaining the largest source market for international tourists.
According to the Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, the government should prioritize the turnaround of Kenya Airways and streamline operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to boost the number of arrivals. Balala noted that JKIA remains the country's biggest port of entry and that inefficiencies at the airport and the Kenya Airports Authority need to be addressed to attract more visitors.
Uganda led in the number of tourists from the region, bringing in 223,010 tourists, up 5 per cent from a similar period in 2018. However, arrivals from Tanzania recorded a 7.4 per cent drop to 193,740 from 204,082 recorded in 2018.
Domestic tourism recorded a 10 per cent growth in the number of bed-nights from 4.4 million in 2018 to 4.9 million last year. Balala called on the National Treasury to increase the sector's budgetary allocation, citing that the ministry had spent Sh4.6 billion in marketing the country through various state departments between 2014 and 2018.
Published on January 11, 2020 in The Standard.
