Tourism

Home to 60 national parks and reserves, a broad offering of cultural and historic attractions, and over 500 km of sunny coastline, Kenya has seen its tourism sector rise to become the second-largest foreign exchange earner in the country. However, a spate of terror attacks since 2011, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and ongoing security concerns have weighed heavily on the sector, with 2015 marking the fourth consecutive year of declining visitor arrivals and earnings. However, 2016 saw a return to form for the industry, as the sector recorded 17% growth in earnings, on the back of increased international visitor numbers from a diverse array of countries, including the US, China and India. Recognising the critical role tourism plays in employment and earnings, the government has moved to support the sector with the launch of its tourism recovery programme, a 10-point strategy emphasising marketing, infrastructure development and private sector investment. Combined with rising numbers of regional and domestic travellers, and intensifying efforts to develop the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions segment, the sector is expected to gradually recover in 2017, with ongoing marketing initiatives helping to boost it to full recovery by 2018.