Kenya Tourism Statistics 2015 & 2016

Kenya is a home to well over 50 national parks and game reserves. It also has a broad coastline that covers approximately 500km. Kenya offers broad cultural and historic attractions to its tourists, both local and international tourists.

Because of the rapid growth of the tourism industry, it has become the country’s second largest foreign exchange earner. A part from the natural beauties, Kenya boasts of its beautiful traditional culture that has refused to diffuse even with the growing technology. The Maasai community remains one of the few communities in Africa that has held strong to its cultural practices. From their stories of the morans (Maasai initiates) fighting lions, to the stories of their skin piercings, these make Kenya one of the few ultimate destinations for tourists worldwide.

From the way tourists and visitors are welcomed into the country from the airport, to the warmth with which they are hosted, makes Kenya feel like home away from home to its visitors. The great Rift Valley cuts across the country all the way through Mount Longonot. The rich athletic culture of the areas around the highlands, all the way to Eldoret town (home to most of the world’s long distance athlete champions)

Apart from the Maasai cultural practices, the traditional dishes served by the various hotels also add an appeal to visit Kenya. The various cuisines served how they are prepared and the occasions they are consumed attract tourists even more. The traditional dances and sports also attract tourists. The histories of the various tourists’ sites like Mt. Kenya, the artifacts our forefathers had among many other discoveries entice tourists both from the continent and outside the continent to visit and share into these amazing stories. In a city like Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city, tourists normally flock the area because of Lake Victoria, which is among the world’s largest freshwater lakes. The same lake also serves as the source of River Nile. The activities around the lake like local fishing, boat racing and just watching the waves are such a great attraction for tourists.

At the coastal front, the delicious Swahili dishes, the Swahili culture together with the ocean remains the most frequented destination in the country. The white sand beaches and the marine parks are a must visit site for every tourist who visits the country.

2016 saw a return to form for the industry with a 17% growth in its earning. As reported by Mr. Najib Balala, the cabinet secretary for tourism, the number of visitors arriving by the sea and air rose from 752,073 in 2015 to 877,602 in 2016 marking a 16.7% increase from the previous year. At the Moi International Airport in Mombasa, arrivals in 2016 grew by 22.2% to 92872 from 75983 in 2015.

Statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) indicated that arrivals from the US market topped the list with those from the UK showing a slight drop between 2015 and 2016. The table below shows a summary by figures of the arrivals by the countries that visit Kenya the most.

The most frequented tourist sites were diverse with the coastal region recording a number of the most visited sites. They include:

• Maasai Mara game reserve
• Amboseli National park
• Tsavo East & West National Park
• Lake Nakuru National Park
• Mombasa and Mombasa Island
• Buffalo Springs National Reserve
• Mombasa Marine National Park
• Nairobi and Nairobi National Park
• Gedi Ruins
• Giraffe Center
• Hell’s Gate
• Diani Beach

TourismProf.Club Author Team