International visitor arrivals in Kenya 2010-2023

As of 2023, over 1.9 million international visitors arrived in Kenya. This represents a steady recovery in growth since 2020, when only 567.8 thousand visitors entered the country as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other nations worldwide, Kenya implemented measures to contain the spread of the virus, such as lockdown and flight restrictions. As a result, the passenger flow in the two main Kenyan airports was drastically low between March and July 2020. After flights resumed, the volume of visitors increased, however, they remained under the pre-pandemic level. 

Signs of recovery post-COVID-19 pandemic

In 2022, earnings from international arrivals in Kenya amounted to 268.1 billion Kenyan shilings (KSh), around 2.1 billion U.S. dollars. This represented an increase of some 83 percent in comparison to the previous year, when the Kenyan tourism sector recorded a revenue of roughly 89 billion KSh (690 million U.S. dollars). The COVID-19 crisis interrupted an upgoing trend in tourism earnings registered in the last years. Since 2015, the sector recorded growing revenue year-by-year, after a slow down started in 2011, as a consequence of an upsurge in violent terrorist attacks.

Relevance of tourism in Kenya’s economy

Home of Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa, Kenya is extensively known for its rich nature and wildlife. Tourism, therefore, plays a key role in the country’s economy. In 2020, the sector contributed 4.2 billion U.S. dollars to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product. By the same year, travel and tourism accounted for 6.4 percent of the total employment. Lastly, international tourists spent 581 million U.S. dollars in Kenya, which was equivalent to six percent of the country’s exports.