Kenya Targets 5.5 Million International Tourists by 2028

By :  Mweru Mbugua

Kenya is targeting to attract 5.5 million international tourists over the next two years through a joint initiative between the national and county governments, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has announced

Under the collaborative framework, the country projects earnings of up to Ksh1.1 trillion from the tourism sector while doubling employment opportunities across the industry

The announcement coincides with the establishment of the Tourism Brand Repositioning Taskforce, which has been mandated to reimagine, refresh, and reposition Kenya’s tourism brand both locally and internationally

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said Kenya has significant untapped potential in the tourism sector, which can be fully realized through close collaboration with county governments

She noted that Kenya received more than 2.5 million international visitors last year, a figure the government aims to double by 2028 through the joint pact

“With this growth, our ambition is to double employment in the sector, creating meaningful and sustainable opportunities, particularly for our youth,” Miano said

The Cabinet Secretary was speaking in Naivasha during a sensitization workshop bringing together board members of the Tourism Brand Repositioning Taskforce and representatives from the Council of Governors

Miano further revealed that globally, 1.4 billion tourists travelled in 2024, with 74 million visiting Africa. Kenya received approximately 2.4 million of these visitors, accounting for just 3.2 percent of the total arrivals to the continent

To boost visitor numbers, she emphasized the need for national and county governments to jointly design tourism programmes and support one another in unlocking the sector’s full growth potential

“Counties should prioritize the development and diversification of competitive tourism products at the county level, while the national government focuses on strategic and flagship tourism products,” she said

Tourism Brand Repositioning Taskforce Chairperson Ann Musangi said the team would work closely with counties to address key challenges affecting the tourism sector

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She challenged counties to actively showcase their unique attractions, noting that many regions have vast but untapped tourism potential capable of driving both domestic and international travel

“We shall be working with counties to identify and address their challenges so that we can increase the number of tourists coming into the country,” Musangi said

Meanwhile, County Executive Committee Member for Trade and Tourism, Muhammed Osman Ali, affirmed that counties would fully support the rebranding initiative to help Kenya achieve the 5.5 million visitor target

“This rebranding effort will unlock the potential of Kenya’s youth—not only as travellers, but as storytellers, innovators, and custodians of our natural and cultural heritage,” he said