Kenya’s international arrivals jumped to a record 2.39 million in 2024, boosted by the shift to visa-free entry and streamlined travel authorisation systems aimed at lowering barriers for global and African visitors, data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows.
- •Arrivals were up 14% from 2.09 million in 2023, while departures climbed to 2.23 million, extending a four-year recovery that has firmly pushed the country’s tourism sector beyond pre-pandemic levels.
- •The surge followed President William Ruto’s December 2023 announcement that all foreign nationals would no longer require a visa to enter Kenya from January 2024, replacing the process with a digital Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.
- •The government projects the policy will raise tourism flows from the continent, which already accounts for roughly 40% of arrivals.
The impact was visible in Q1 2024, which posted 577,670 arrivals, well above Q1 2023 levels. Holiday and business travellers, most sensitive to administrative barriers, rose to 420,546 in the first quarter of 2024, up from 308,155 a year earlier.
The third quarter of 2024 recorded the strongest inflow at 680,533 arrivals, the highest quarterly figure on record. KNBS data shows holiday and business visitors accounted for nearly three-quarters of the total, helped by the simplified ETA system and a growing shift toward regional travel.
Outbound travel also mirrored the increase, with Q3 departures rising to 639,722, from 584,096 in 2023.
Kenya deepened its travel reforms in July 2025, removing visa requirements for most African and Caribbean countries. Citizens from eligible states can now enter Kenya without a visa, without the ETA requirement, and without fees or lengthy forms, part of a broader strategy to enhance regional integration and attract more leisure and business travellers.
The exemptions do not apply to Libya and Somalia, which remain excluded over security concerns. African nationals can stay in Kenya for up to two months, while East African Community (EAC) citizens continue to enjoy up to six months of visa-free residence.
The 2024 results cap a sharp rebound from 2020, when arrivals collapsed to 579,560 at the height of global Covid-19 restrictions. The recovery gained traction in 2021 and accelerated in 2022 and 2023, but the decisive shift came with Kenya’s removal of visa barriers.
Total arrivals have now grown more than fourfold since 2020, underlining the combined impact of restored air connectivity, aggressive destination marketing and the government’s new “open-entry” policy.
Holiday and business visitors remained the main driver of the expansion, rising 19% year-on-year to 1.70 million. Transit passengers and “other visitors” a category that includes students, labour migrants and medical travellers, also rose but at a slower pace.
Departures increased in tandem, reaching 2.23 million, with more Kenyans and foreign residents travelling abroad as global mobility normalised.
