Kenya sets 60% MICE growth target backed by new convention facilities and airport expansion
Kenya is targeting a 60% increase in business tourism by 2027, with a strategy centred on new convention infrastructure, airport expansion, and incentives for event organisers. Kenya Tourism Board Chief Executive June Chepkemei announced the target at World Travel Market London on 6 November 2026, where Kenya was represented by more than 40 tourism trade partners. The country recorded 643,068 conference visitors in 2025, accounting for 25 per cent of total tourist arrivals.
The growth plan is underpinned by three new convention facilities - the Bomas International Convention Complex (capacity 10,000 delegates), Kisumu Convention Centre (5,000) and Tembo International Convention Centre in Mombasa (6,000), which hosted the 11th Our Ocean Conference in June 2026, attracting over 6,000 delegates in the event's first African edition. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is also earmarked for expansion, with plans to raise annual passenger capacity from 8.8 million to between 15 and 22 million. Kenya Wildlife Service is additionally offering discounts of up to 30 per cent for meetings and conferences held in national parks, while Samburu County is providing a 50 per cent entry fee waiver for selected visitor groups to attract further tourism investment to northern Kenya.
Source: Travel Daily News
