Kenya earned Sh452 billion in 2024 from surge in international tourists, says CS Miano
According to Tourism CS Rebecca Miano, the surge translated into Sh452 billion in earnings, confirming the sector’s place as a key source of revenue for the economy.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has hailed the sector as one of Kenya’s strongest economic pillars, pointing to record-breaking performance in 2024.
She said the industry not only posted historic numbers in international arrivals but also created millions of jobs and boosted national revenue.
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Speaking in an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Miano revealed that Kenya welcomed 2.4 million international visitors last year, the highest figure in the country’s history.
“The state of tourism in Kenya is a story of progress and good news. We are on an upward trajectory. At the close of 2024, we did welcome 2.4 million international visitors into the country, and that was the highest ever,” she said.
According to Miano, the surge translated into Sh452 billion in earnings, confirming the sector’s place as a key source of revenue for the economy.
“In terms of earnings, Kenya received Sh452 billion from tourism. Tourism is one of the strongest pillars in the economy. In terms of employment, more than 1.1 million direct jobs and over 3 million indirect jobs,” she added.
The CS noted that tourism employs over 1.1 million people, including hotel staff, travel agencies, tour companies, airlines and game parks directly.
Indirectly, it supports over three million livelihoods in agriculture, transport, construction, retail and other related sectors. Combined, the industry sustains the lives of more than four million Kenyans.
Beyond jobs and revenue, Miano explained that the sector plays an important role in reducing poverty, particularly in rural areas where many attractions are based.
“Tourism is one of the strongest pillars of the economy, supporting more than 1.1 million direct jobs and over three million indirect jobs,” she emphasised.
The CS also outlined efforts to strengthen Kenya’s global competitiveness by diversifying attractions beyond the traditional wildlife and coastal offerings.
“Kenya has a lot of tourism products. For a long time, Kenya has been seen as just the beach and the bush because of the wildlife and our coast. We are diversifying our tourism products to include cultural tourism, which is getting a lot of traction. We are also going into adventure tourism, wellness, and cuisine,” she said, citing examples such as nyama choma and astro-tourism.
Miano further highlighted reforms that have made travel easier for international visitors, including visa openness, improvements in the electronic travel authorisation system, and streamlined immigration services.
She stressed that the ministry’s goal is to grow visitor numbers and earnings while expanding opportunities for employment across the country. “The goal is not only to grow visitor numbers and revenue, but also to expand employment opportunities across the country,” she said.
Miano concluded that tourism in Kenya is not just about travel but about jobs, income and sustainable growth that benefits millions of Kenyans.
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