As of 2023, roughly 265,000 visitors from the United States arrived in Kenya, the largest number among all other countries. Over 201,000 visitors came from Uganda, while close to 158,000 were from Tanzania, both neighboring nations. Overall, Kenya recorded over 1.9 million international visitor arrivals that year. This shows a steady post-pandemic recovery since 2020, with the number almost reaching pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019.Â
Changes in airport movements
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, passenger flight landings in Kenya decreased severely in the second quarter of 2020. In May 2020, the traffic in the country’s main airports reduced to less than 200 flights, only a few coming from abroad. Thus, 2020 turned out to record one of the lowest performances in the annual number of flight landings in Kenya. However, by the end of that year, signs of recovery were already spotted. The rebounding trend followed through 2021: Passenger flight landings increased by 40 percent compared to 2020, although the number remained 37.5 percent lower than the pre-coronavirus level.
Touristic destination for international visitors
Being the home of Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa, Kenya attracts many tourists with its rich nature and wildlife. In 2021, nearly 300,000 international visitors chose the country as a holiday destination. This corresponded to roughly 35 percent of the total inbound visits. In 2019, previous to the COVID-19 pandemic, direct earnings from international tourism generated around 2.6 billion U.S. dollars. Inbound visitors spent mostly on accommodation, air passenger transport, and food and beverage services.