Tourism booms as Nairobi parks become most visited, attracting 886,000 visitors in 2024
The Nairobi Mini Orphanage ranked first nationally, outshining other major destinations and reflecting a shift in tourist interest towards conservation-focused visits.
Tourism to Kenya’s top wildlife and conservation parks experienced major growth last year, with the Nairobi Mini Orphanage emerging as the most visited site in the country, drawing 455,550 tourists.
The new figures are contained in the 2024 Annual Tourism Sector Performance Report by the Tourism Research Institute, which shows a positive recovery across the sector.
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The report shows that Kenya’s tourism industry has regained its strength after a period of challenges, marking strong improvements in visitor numbers across major parks and attractions.
The Nairobi Mini Orphanage ranked first nationally, outshining other major destinations and reflecting a shift in tourist interest towards conservation-focused visits.
The Nairobi National Park, which holds the unique title of being the world’s only national park within a capital city, took second place with 431,165 visitors.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) credited the park’s performance to enhanced conservation partnerships that have boosted its appeal.
Lake Nakuru National Park was the third most visited site, drawing 293,107 tourists over the same period.
The park is well-known for its wide range of plant and animal life and its world-famous flamingo population that continues to attract global attention.
Commenting on the numbers, KWS stated, “With Nairobi Orphanage, Nairobi National Park, and Kisumu Impala Sanctuary leading the charts, the numbers speak volumes about the growing love for our parks and the success of collaborative conservation efforts.”
Other attractions that made it to the top five included the Nairobi Safari Walk, which recorded 286,165 visitors, and Amboseli National Park, which followed closely with 266,102 tourists.
Rounding out the top ten were Tsavo East National Park, Hell’s Gate National Park, Kisite Marine Park, and Tsavo West National Park.
These parks showed increased traffic, confirming their continued popularity and the growing interest in Kenya’s diverse wildlife and nature reserves.
The report also broke down the reasons behind the high numbers, pointing out that holiday and leisure were the main motivations for park visits. This segment accounted for 44.2 per cent of all entries.
Those attending business meetings and conferences followed at 26.9 per cent, while 22 per cent visited friends and family.
This points to the important role played by the Kenyan diaspora and regional travellers in sustaining tourism.
Transit visitors made up 4.2 per cent of total visits, and other reasons for travel included education and religion at 1 per cent each.
Medical travel and employment stood at 0.4 per cent each, while sports brought in 0.3 per cent of visitors, revealing smaller but growing areas within the tourism space.
Kenya continues to offer a rich mix of attractions, from dramatic scenery to cultural experiences and abundant wildlife
One of its most famous events is the annual migration of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, a natural wonder that draws thousands of tourists each year.
Even within Nairobi, visitors are able to experience safari-like conditions. Nairobi National Park, despite its location inside a busy urban environment, remains home to the Big Five and offers tourists a full wildlife experience just minutes from the city centre.
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