Sector Intelligence — Tourism Research Institute Kenya

Kenya Tourism Performance Dashboard · Q1 2026

International Arrivals

2,104,830

+8.3% vs Q1 2025

Source: Kenya Airports Authority + Border Points · TRI

Tourism Revenue

KES 247B

+11.2% vs Q1 2025

Estimated · Tourism Revenue Model · TRI

Avg. Hotel Occupancy

64.8%

+3.1pp vs Q1 2025

Accommodation Performance Survey · TRI

Domestic Visitor Trips

18.4M

+6.7% vs 2024

2025 Annual · Domestic Tourism Survey · TRI

Tourism Employment

1.62M

+4.5% vs 2024

2025 Annual · KNBS Labour Survey + TRI Model

Arrivals Intelligence

International arrivals trend analysis

Kenya's international visitor arrival volumes from 2015 to Q1 2026, with annual comparisons and growth rate trajectory.

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International Arrivals — Annual Trend (2015–2025) + Q1 2026

Source: Kenya Airports Authority + Kenya Port Authority + Border Points · TRI Compilation

Source: Kenya Airports Authority + KPA + TRI National Tourism Statistics · Annual figures represent full-year totals except Q1 2026

Key Finding

Q1 2026 arrivals on track for record full-year total

2.1M

Q1 2026 arrivals (January–March)

Q1 2026 arrivals of 2,104,830 represent 8.3% growth over Q1 2025 and are 98% of the equivalent 2019 pre-pandemic benchmark. If this growth rate is sustained through the year, 2026 would record Kenya's highest-ever annual arrivals total.

↑ Positive On Record Pace

View forecast →

Recovery Analysis

Full pandemic recovery achieved; growth phase underway

+148%

Arrivals growth from 2021 low to 2025

Kenya's tourism sector completed its COVID-19 recovery in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic arrival levels for the first time. The 2025 full-year total of 7.7 million arrivals exceeds 2019's record of 3.1 million by a significant margin, reflecting expanded capacity and new source market penetration.

Recovery Complete Full report →

Revenue & Accommodation

Revenue and occupancy performance

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Tourism Revenue — Quarterly Trend (2023–Q1 2026)

KES Billions · Tourism Revenue Estimation Model · TRI + CBK

Source: TRI Tourism Revenue Model · Central Bank of Kenya · KNBS Tourism Satellite Account

Hotel Occupancy by Accommodation Category — Q1 2026

TRI Accommodation Performance Survey · Q1 2026

Safari Lodges & Tented Camps 78.4%

▲ +4.2pp YoY

Coastal Beach Resorts 72.1%

▲ +5.8pp YoY

Nairobi Upper-Market Hotels 69.3%

▲ +3.1pp YoY

Mid-Market Hotels (All Regions) 61.2%

▲ +2.4pp YoY

Budget & Guesthouse Sector 54.7%

▲ +1.9pp YoY

National Average 64.8%

▲ +3.1pp vs Q1 2025 · Highest Q1 figure since 2019

Source: TRI Accommodation Performance Survey · 847 properties · Q1 2026

Economic Intelligence

Tourism's contribution to Kenya's economy

Tourism's share of GDP, export earnings, employment generation, and multiplier effects through the Kenyan economy.

8.7%

Tourism Share of GDP

+0.4pp vs 2024

KES 832B

Total Tourism GDP Contribution

+12.4% vs 2024

KES 410B

Tourism Export Earnings

+9.8% vs 2024

1.62M

Tourism Employment (Direct + Indirect)

+4.5% vs 2024

Tourism Share of Kenya GDP — Annual Trend (2015–2025)

Tourism Satellite Account · KNBS + TRI · Percentage of total GDP

Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Tourism Satellite Account · TRI Economic Intelligence Model · 2025 figures are preliminary

Source Market Intelligence

International arrivals by source market

Kenya's top 15 international source markets by arrival volume, market share, and year-on-year growth — Q1 2026.

Full Market Intelligence →

Market ↕	Arrivals Q1 2026 ↕	Market Share ↕	YoY Change ↕	Avg. Spend / Visit	Action
United Kingdom	284,620	13.5%	+9.2%	KES 142,400	Bulletin →
United States	231,480	11.0%	+14.6%	KES 168,200	Bulletin →
Germany	198,340	9.4%	+7.8%	KES 138,600	Bulletin →
India	176,820	8.4%	+22.1%	KES 112,400	Bulletin →
France	142,110	6.8%	+6.4%	KES 134,800	Bulletin →
Tanzania	128,440	6.1%	+4.2%	KES 68,200	Bulletin →
China	116,280	5.5%	+31.4%	KES 148,600	Bulletin →
Canada	98,640	4.7%	+11.8%	KES 154,200	Bulletin →
Netherlands	82,410	3.9%	+8.3%	KES 128,400	Bulletin →
Uganda	74,820	3.6%	-2.1%	KES 52,400	Bulletin →

View All Markets & Bulletins

Labour Market Intelligence

Tourism employment and labour market

Direct, indirect, and induced employment supported by Kenya's tourism sector — by category, region, and gender breakdown.

742,000

Direct Employment

+5.2% YoY

620,000

Indirect Employment

+3.8% YoY

260,000

Induced Employment

+3.1% YoY

47%

Female Employment Share

+1.4pp YoY

Tourism Direct Employment by Sub-Sector — 2025

KNBS Labour Force Survey (Tourism Module) + TRI Employment Model · 2025 Annual

Accommodation (Hotels, Lodges, Camps)

312,400 +6.1%

Food & Beverage Services

186,200 +4.8%

Tour Operations & Guiding

124,800 +7.2%

Transport (Aviation, Ground)

78,600 +3.4%

Cultural & Heritage Sites

40,000 +2.8%

Source: KNBS Labour Force Survey (Tourism Module) 2025 + TRI Employment Intelligence Model

Quarterly Performance

Quarterly tourism statistics — 2023 to Q1 2026

Period	Intl. Arrivals	YoY Change	Tourism Revenue	Avg. Occupancy	Avg. Length of Stay	Avg. Spend / Visitor
Q1 2026 Latest	2,104,830	+8.3%	KES 247B	64.8%	8.4 nights	KES 124,600
Q4 2025	2,312,440	+10.2%	KES 278B	72.4%	9.1 nights	KES 126,800
Q3 2025	2,184,620	+9.6%	KES 262B	68.2%	8.8 nights	KES 124,200
Q2 2025	1,648,200	+7.8%	KES 198B	58.6%	8.2 nights	KES 119,400
Q1 2025	1,944,010	+6.4%	KES 222B	61.7%	8.6 nights	KES 120,200
Q4 2024	2,098,600	+8.1%	KES 248B	70.2%	8.9 nights	KES 118,200
Q3 2024	1,992,440	+7.4%	KES 236B	65.8%	8.6 nights	KES 116,400
Q2 2024	1,528,840	+5.6%	KES 180B	56.4%	8.0 nights	KES 114,200
Q1 2024	1,827,400	+9.2%	KES 208B	58.6%	8.3 nights	KES 112,800

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