KENYA- The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has revealed plans to capitalize on the recent impressive performance of the tourism sector to grow bed occupancy from 4 million in 2023 to 5.5 million in 2024.
According to June Chepkemei, KTB’s CEO, Kenya’s tourism sector has already overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, regained profitability and reignited investor interest.
The CEO said, “As of the last financial year, we recorded about four million bed nights in our hotels, and this financial year, we are looking to increase that to over 5.5 million.”
Chepkemei reiterated the current positive performance of the tourism sector is attributed to the rise in international visitors and growing domestic tourism. She revealed Kenya is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination.
According to Statista, 1.9 million international visitors arrived in Kenya, representing a steady recovery from the 567,800 visitors that entered the country since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Statista also reveals earnings from international arrivals amounted to KES 352.5 billion (US$2.7 billion), a 32% increase from the previous year. It is also a significant increase from the KES 89 billion earned in 2020(US$691.2 million).
Another research by Strathmore University conducted in 2023 revealed domestic tourism spending is expected to grow at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4% to KES 484.1 billion (US$3.7 billion) by 2027.
The research also revealed that Kenyan residents accounted for more than 50% of total bed-nights occupancy in 2023, which highlights the significance of domestic tourism.
The tourism potential in Kenya has attracted investor interest. In May, premium hotels like the Accor’s Pullman and JW Marriot have opened in the country.
However, to achieve the targeted bed occupancy, the East African nation needs to expand its capacity further.
According to the latest survey by W Hospitality Group and the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF), Kenya dropped two positions from 5th in 2023 in the number of rooms under development.
The CEO revealed Kenya has 31 hotels with a total of 4,268 rooms in the pipeline with an average room size of approximately 138 square feet.
The KTB CEO spoke during the Hilton Hotel’s latest addition to the Kenyan market.
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