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Kenya's travel sector contributes 7,737 Bn USD to GDP Kenya's travel sector contributes 7,737 Bn USD to GDP

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Report (EIR) 2024 has announced a record-breaking year for Kenya's travel and tourism industry, which contributed an unprecedented 100 billion Kenyan Shillings to the country's economy in 2023.

Employment in this sector grew by 6 percent, reaching an all-time high of 1.55 million jobs, which is equivalent to one in every 13 jobs nationwide.

Domestic tourism expenditure rose to over 466 billion KES last year, marking an increase of nearly 15 percent over the previous peak and setting a new record. However, international visitor spending did not surpass the peak of 1999, amounting to only 266 billion KES.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO, stated, “The recovery of Kenya’s travel and tourism sector is a testament to its resilience. Achieving record growth in economic contribution, jobs, and domestic visitor spending highlights the sector’s crucial role in the national economy.” She added, “Although international visitor spending is currently below its peak, the future of travel and tourism in Kenya looks promising, offering significant growth and development opportunities over the next decade.”

Outlook for This Year

The latest insights from the global tourism organization forecast an annual growth of 9 percent for the sector, potentially raising its economic contribution to nearly 1.15 trillion KES.

The number of jobs created in this sector is expected to exceed 1.6 million, which would be about 8 percent of all jobs in Kenya.

Domestic tourist spending is anticipated to boost the industry further, potentially reaching 521 billion KES. However, international visitor spending is expected to remain below its previous peak, estimated at 289.5 billion KES.

Forecast for the Next Decade

With appropriate government support, the WTTC forecasts that the sector could increase its contribution to Kenya's GDP to 1.7 trillion Kenyan Shillings by 2034. This would represent 7.4 percent of the national economy and potentially more than 2.2 million jobs across the country.