This archive report was first published on 11 January 2020.
Kenya's tourism sector has been on a steady rise, with earnings reaching a record KSh163.5 billion in 2019. This marks a 3.9% increase from the KSh157.4 billion earned in 2018.
According to The Star, the number of tourists visiting Kenya in 2019 reached 2.04 million, up from 2.02 million in 2018. This growth in tourism has been attributed to the introduction of direct flights from Nairobi to New York, which has cemented the US position as the top tourist source for Kenya.
With 245,437 tourists from the US visiting Kenya in 2019, compared to 225,157 in 2018, the sector is expected to continue growing. However, concerns have been raised about the impact of recent terror attacks on the tourism industry, which may discourage tourists from visiting Kenya and hinder the sector from reaching its full potential.