Kenya Travel and Tourism Exceeding Levels in 2018

In 2018, travel and tourism grew 5,6 percent to contribute KES 790 and 1,1 million jobs to the Kenyan economy. This rate of growth is faster than the global average of 3,9 percent and the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 3,3 percent.

This makes Kenya the third largest tourism economy in Sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa and Nigeria both of which grew substantially less than Kenya in 2018.

In total, international tourists spent over KES157 billion in Kenya last year, accounting for over 15 percent of total exports. The largest inbound international markets were the US (11 percent); the UK (nine percent); India (six percent); China (four percent); and Germany (four percent). Combined with domestic spending, travel and tourism supported 8,8 percent of the nations GDP in 2018.