Kenya is counting on Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism to play a central role in closing the 2.3 million visitor gap needed to hit its target of five million international tourist arrivals annually by 2028.
Tourism PS Prof. Julius Bitok says his office would lead Kenya’s pursuit of MICE business from key source markets worldwide, pointing to the near completion of the Bomas of Kenya International Convention Complex as the infrastructure milestone that should now drive an immediate and coordinated push for international event bids.
Speaking at an engagement forum with tourism stakeholders in Nairobi, Bitok noted that Kenya’s growing world class venue capacity must be matched by an equally aggressive push from Government and the private sector to place Kenya on the global events calendar.
“As your PS, I give you my personal commitment to support this industry fully. On MICE, for instance, the State Department of Tourism will serve as the chief bidder to bring major events to our country. With the growing world class venue capacity including the Bomas Complex, and others by the private sector there is no reason Kenya should not be competing at the very top,” Bitok said.
The PS also drew attention to Kenya’s air connectivity as one of the country’s strongest selling points for MICE business, noting that reliable links to Europe, Asia, the Americas and other African markets would be central to convincing international event organisers to choose Kenya.
“What we are aspiring for is not an abstract concept, it is growth that is verifiable in numbers of foreigners coming in through our airspaces, waters and roads. It is in the bed nights spent in your hotels and lodges, and the additional livelihoods we will have drawn into the tourism ecosystem,” he said.
Kenya recorded 2.7 million international arrivals in 2025, a 9% increase from the previous year, with the broader tourism sector generating approximately Ksh 500 billion. The MICE segment was a standout performer contributing over 736,000 visitors and more than Ksh 11 billion in direct revenue, underscoring the sector’s outsized economic multiplier effect.
PS Bitok also called for a sharper digital marketing approach, urging stakeholders to invest in platforms and content that could reach and convert international audiences. He tied sustainable tourism practices to Kenya’s marketing strategy, arguing that travellers increasingly made decisions based on a destination’s environmental and community credentials.
On her part, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) CEO June Chepkemei reinforced collective action by the sector noting that achieving Kenya’s tourism ambitions would require sustained engagement across government and the private sector.
“Through strategic partnerships, enhanced destination marketing, digital transformation and stronger trade engagement, KTB is implementing initiatives designed to accelerate international arrivals and tourism receipts,” she said.
Stakeholder representatives from the tourism sector called for greater investment in product diversification, pointing to the need to grow offerings in eco-tourism, adventure tourism and cultural experiences to attract a wider visitor mix and extend average lengths of stay.
Human capital development was also raised as a priority with the stakeholders highlighting that a skilled workforce would underpin Kenya’s ability to deliver world class experiences for both leisure and business visitors.
The forum, which brought together representatives from across the tourism ecosystem, marked PS Bitok’s first formal engagement with industry leaders since his appointment and set the tone for a closer working relationship between Government and the private sector
