Kenya Sets Five Million Tourist Target to Drive Foreign Exchange Growth
Kenya's Tourism Principal Secretary, Prof. Julius Bitok, has announced a government target to double international tourist arrivals from the current 2.7 million to five million annually, citing tourism as the country's leading foreign exchange earner. Speaking in Eldoret on Monday, Prof. Bitok highlighted that each international visitor contributes an average of Sh300,000 (approximately US$3,000) to the economy - meaning current arrivals already generate significant national revenue, with the proposed increase set to substantially boost those figures.
Beyond foreign exchange, Prof. Bitok underscored tourism's broader economic impact, noting that every international tourist supports an estimated 11 jobs across the tourism value chain. He called on young Kenyans to pursue careers and entrepreneurial opportunities within the sector, pointing to established hospitality and tourism training institutions as well as small-scale visitor-oriented businesses as viable entry points - reinforcing the sector's potential to drive inclusive economic growth alongside technology as one of Kenya's key growth industries.
Source: Kenya News Agency