Kenya is driving the growth of African tourism and emerging as a leading powerhouse for sustainable tourism | News

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today reveals that Africa is entering a new era of tourism growth, with Travel & Tourism (T&T) outperforming the broader economy and positioning the continent as one of the fastest growing regions in the world by 2026.

According to new 2026 Economic Impact Research (EIR) data from WTTC, sponsored by Chase Travel, Lead Research Partner, Kenya continues to strengthen its position as one of the continent’s strategically most important tourism markets. T&T contributed US$12.7 billion to the Kenyan economy in 2025, equivalent to 9.3% of national GDP, and supported 1.8 million jobs, equivalent to 8.3% of total employment. This dual contribution underlines the role of tourism as both an important economic driver and a powerful engine of inclusive growth.

Kenya’s growth is supported by a balanced demand model. International visitor expenditure accounted for 52.4% of total tourism expenditure in 2025, reaching US$5 billion and slightly higher than domestic visitor expenditure of US$4.5 billion. The country also welcomed 2.5 million international visitors, an increase of 5.6% compared to the previous year, reinforcing its position as a major gateway and growth market for tourism in Africa.

The strength of Kenya’s tourism economy is further reflected in the trade surplus in the travel and tourism market. In 2025, international visitor spending surpassed $3.96 billion in outbound travel expenditure, generating significant net foreign exchange inflows and underscoring the sector’s growing contribution to national economic resilience and prosperity.

Kenya is also emerging as a world leader in sustainable tourism. The T&T sector obtains 19.9% ​​of its energy from low-carbon sources and significantly outperforms both the global average of 5.9% and the African average of 2.9%, making Kenya one of the world’s leading destinations in promoting tourism energy transition.

Kenya’s strong performance, strategic location and commitment to sustainable tourism have made Kenya a natural partner for WTTC’s long-term involvement across Africa. During this week, WTTC visited the country and held high-level meetings with senior government officials and tourism stakeholders, including Hon. Rebecca Miano, Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, the Kenya Tourism Board and representatives from the public and private sectors.

The growth of African tourism continues to accelerate
Kenya’s success story is part of a broader transformation happening across Africa. WTTC’s latest research shows that T&T contributed $228 billion to the African economy by 2025, representing 7.0% of regional GDP and growing at 5.0%, significantly outpacing the broader economy, which grew at 3.5%, as well as the global average of 4.1%.

Growth is expected to accelerate further in 2026, with the sector expected to contribute US$241 billion and grow at 5.4%, making Africa one of the fastest growing tourism regions in the world, alongside the Asia-Pacific region.

Employment trends reinforce this positive trajectory. T&T supported 30.2 million jobs across Africa in 2025 and is expected to reach 31.5 million jobs by 2026. Over the next decade, the sector is expected to create a further 9.4 million jobs, reaching 40.9 million by 2036.

While domestic travel still accounts for around 61% of tourism spending across the continent, international demand is accelerating rapidly. International visitor spending is expected to grow 6.8% to $80 billion by 2026. In 2025, Africa welcomed 99.2 million international visitors, an increase of 14.1%, underscoring strong recovery momentum and substantial long-term growth potential.

Realizing T&T’s full potential across Africa will depend on continued progress in key areas, including:
Visa facilitation and processing to improve access and stimulate international demand
Improved connectivity through aviation, transport and regional integration
Safe and seamless travel made possible by digital and biometric solutions
Modernizing infrastructure to support quality growth at scale
Developing and diversifying tourism products to expand the visitor experience, extend length of stay and strengthen destination competitiveness
Investments in workforce development, skills training and talent retention to build a future-proof workforce in the tourism sector
Greater adoption of technology to improve traveler experiences and operational efficiency
Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC, said:
“Africa is now one of the fastest growing tourism regions in the world, and Kenya is helping to lead that momentum. With a strong economic contribution, a balanced demand model and clear leadership in sustainable tourism, Kenya is showing what long-term travel and tourism success can look like.
WTTC is proud to continue to strengthen its commitment to Kenya and Africa, amplifying the region’s voice on the global stage and supporting efforts to unlock the immense potential of travel and tourism as a driver of jobs, investment and sustainable economic growth.”