Kenya on course for 5.5m tourists by 2028, minister tells Magical Kenya Travel Expo

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said at the opening ceremony of the 16th Magical Kenya Travel Expo in Nairobi on Wednesday 7 October that Kenya remains on course to attract more than 5.5 million tourists by 2028, The Star reported the same day.

Miano said Kenya received 2.7 million international visitors last year and earned about KSh 500 billion (half a trillion shillings), and that domestic travellers recorded about 5.2 million bed nights, according to The Star. She also said the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system had simplified entry into the country.

The Standard reported on 14 August that, according to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, international arrivals in the 2025/26 financial year were 2.76 million and tourism revenue was KSh 564 billion, up from 1.21 million and KSh 224 billion in 2021/22.

Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said Africa recorded 81 million arrivals in 2025, of which Kenya had 2.7 million international visitors, Xinhua reported from Nairobi on 7 October. Xinhua said Bitok gave Kenya's target as 5.5 million annual international arrivals by 2028, supported by the ETA system and expanded cultural and sports tourism offerings.

The three-day expo runs from 6 to 8 October at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, The Star reported on 28 July, and has the theme "Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence: Shaping the Future of Tourism". The Star reported on 7 October that it had brought together more than 400 exhibitors from over 40 countries and more than 10,000 delegates. Xinhua put the number of vetted international buyers at more than 250 and said the organisers described it as the largest gathering in the expo's history.

Bitok said the theme was timely and that artificial intelligence will be critical to increasing tourism numbers, The Star reported. He also pointed to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2029 World Athletics Championships as events Kenya is using to market itself as a destination.

Xinhua quoted Miano as saying that the destinations that will lead the way are those willing to innovate, adapt and move with considered pace into the new normal.

Uganda's State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities also spoke at the opening. According to The Star, she urged African policymakers to promote a more borderless continent and voiced concern about rising travel costs.