Kenya’s tourism sector maintained strong momentum into 2026, with international visitor arrivals outperforming pre-pandemic trends despite seasonal fluctuations and economic uncertainty in key source markets.
- •Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that arrivals through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Moi International Airport (MIA) and land border points remained elevated during the first four months of 2026.
- •The figures indicate that Kenya’s recovery is increasingly broad-based, supported not only by traditional European markets but also by stronger regional travel, growing Middle Eastern connectivity, and sustained business and leisure traffic through Nairobi.
- •Arrivals from other African cities surpassed Europe in several months and highlights the increasing role of intra-African mobility in supporting Kenya’s aviation and tourism sectors.
Total visitor arrivals reached 244,005 in January 2026, up from 218,201 in January 2025, representing an increase of nearly 12 percent.
Arrivals remained robust at 216,738 in February, compared with 199,906 a year earlier, while March arrivals rose to 193,176 from 169,178. Although arrivals moderated seasonally to 174,911 in April 2026, they still exceeded the 169,960 recorded in April 2025.
JKIA remained the dominant gateway into the country, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all arrivals. The airport handled 154,276 visitors in January 2026, 141,582 in February, 123,682 in March, and 114,238 in April, underlining Nairobi’s continued importance as East Africa’s primary aviation hub.
MIA in Mombasa also recorded healthy traffic, reflecting sustained demand for Kenya’s coastal tourism product. Meanwhile, arrivals through land borders and other entry points remained resilient, highlighting continued growth in regional movement within East Africa.
Europe Remains Kenya’s Largest Long-Haul Market
Total landed passengers from European destinations reached: 56,348 in January 2026, 51,385 in February, 58,960 in March, 50,940 in April and 56,448 in May.
London remained one of the strongest individual source routes, consistently generating more than 14,000 monthly arrivals. Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Istanbul also contributed significant traffic, reflecting the importance of direct air links between Kenya and major European hubs.
Regional Africa Emerges as the Fastest-Growing Source Market
One of the most significant trends in the data is the growing importance of regional African travel. Passengers arriving from East and Central Africa totaled: 72,309 in January 2026, 69,220 in February, 70,201 in March, 72,400 in April and 74,765 in May.
This category surpassed Europe in several months and highlights the increasing role of intra-African mobility in supporting Kenya’s aviation and tourism sectors.
Cities such as Addis Ababa, Kigali, Entebbe, Dar es Salaam, Mogadishu and Bujumbura generated substantial passenger volumes. The strength of these routes reflects expanding trade, investment links, regional integration and growing business travel across East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
For Kenya, the trend is strategically important because regional travellers often visit throughout the year, helping smooth seasonal fluctuations associated with long-haul tourism.
Middle East Connectivity, Asia Recovery
The Middle East remained another major contributor to JKIA arrivals. Landed passengers from the region totaled: 61,897 in January 2026, 46,929 in February, 23,282 in March, 27,932 in April and 37,133 in May.
Dubai remained the dominant route, reflecting its role as a global transit hub linking Kenya with Europe, Asia and North America. Doha, Jeddah and Riyadh also contributed strongly.
Passenger arrivals from the Far East remained smaller than those from Europe or Africa but continued to recover. Arrivals from Far Eastern destinations totaled: 14,995 in January 2026, 13,189 in February, 17,897 in March, 18,458 in April and 19,569 in May
Routes through Mumbai, Bangkok, Guangzhou and Changsha contributed much of the traffic. Growth in this segment may become increasingly important as outbound travel from Asian markets continues to normalize.
