Slow growth in Kenya visitor arrivals despite visa-free policy

Travellers exit the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Terminal 1A upon arrival. Kenya recorded slow growth in visitor arrivals in the 11 months to November 2024.


Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group

Visitor arrivals in the 11 months to November last year grew by a marginal 4.09 percent compared to a similar period in 2023, casting doubt on the much-touted visa-free policy introduced in January last year.

Official data from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) shows that 1.54 million foreigners entered the country via the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Moi International Airport, compared to 1.48 million in the 11 months to November 2023.

The slow growth came despite the introduction of the visa-free policy announced by President William Ruto in a bid to increase the visitor arrivals and boost the tourism sector.

However, the growth in the 11 months to November last year was lower in absolute terms given that the 4.09 percent was equal to a rise of 60,631 visitors, while in the same period to November 2023, the growth was 411,027 visitors (three percent rise).

The slow growth comes at a time when the Ministry of Tourism projects record numbers of visitors for last year, going by performances in the first nine months.

“If you look at quarter by quarter, we are on the right trajectory doing slightly better than in 2023. We hope to close at least 2.4 million visitors, which would be the highest in Kenya’s history,” Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said last month.

In January last year, Kenya became a visa-free country meaning all visitors can get the crucial travel document on arrival, as the government moved in to ease entry requirements for foreigners.

Visitors are required to apply for entry into Kenya 72 hours before arrival and pay $30 (Sh3,800 at current exchange rates) for the electronic travel authorisation (eTA). East Africans are, however, exempted from this requirement.

But, critics have raised concerns that the eTA is akin to a visa application, adding that it (eTA) did not factor in travellers from across the continent who need to visit Kenya for emergency purposes or to change their travel dates.

The introduction of the electronic travel authorisation in place of the visa hit Kenya’s ranking in Africa, with the country dropping to 46th last year from 29th in 2023, according to the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Report.

The drop largely points to the challenges that the eTA poses to travellers, defeating the very intention behind its roll-out.

But the Cabinet on Tuesday passed a resolution to remove the eTA for all African countries, except Somalia and Libya. Nationals of the two countries were locked out due to security threats back home.

While last year’s numbers signal better fortunes for the tourism sector, November, May, April, and March were recorded as the worst months in terms of visitor arrivals.

The number of visitors to the country was less than 130,000 in each of the four months, while August was the best month with 175,113 people jetting into the country.

The high visitor numbers in August coincided with the famous wildebeest migration along the Mara River, which takes place from late July through August and sometimes into September. The spectacle is known to be a major tourist attraction.

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