It is targeting at least 15,000 visitors and Sh15 billion tourism boost Tourists arrive at the Moi International Airport, Mombasa/ FILE Kenya is targeting a major increase in tourist arrivals from the Middle East, backed by new marketing partnerships with global aviation giants Emirates and Qatar Airways.
The Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), signed on the sidelines of the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM) tourism expo taking place in Dubai, will combine international air connectivity with targeted destination marketing campaigns designed to turn traveller interest into bookings and arrivals.
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has set a target of 50,000 visitors from the Middle East, more than doubling the 20,480 arrivals recorded from the region in the 2025-26 financial year. Based on the government’s indicative average contribution of approximately Sh300,000 per international visitor, achieving the 50,000-visitor target would translate to about Sh15 billion contribution to Kenya’s economy through visitor spending.
The MoUs bring together KTB’s destination marketing expertise and the extensive global networks of Emirates and Qatar Airways, creating a stronger platform to build awareness for Kenya, stimulate travel demand and convert that demand into actual arrivals. The partnerships will see KTB and the two airlines jointly undertake destination awareness and publicity campaigns, conversion-focused marketing, travel trade engagement and media familiarisation programmes across key source markets.
Speaking at the signing, Tourism PS Julius Bitok said stronger aviation partnerships were essential to translating Kenya’s growing connectivity into measurable tourism growth. “These agreements give us a stronger platform to convert connectivity into arrivals. Our objective is not simply to have more flights coming into Kenya; it is to ensure those flights carry more tourists who stay longer, spend more and experience more of what Kenya has to offer,” Bitok said.