Kenya is targeting 50,000 tourist arrivals from the Middle East, more than doubling the 20,480 visitors recorded from the region during the 2025/26 financial year, as the country steps up efforts to attract more visitors and investment from the lucrative market.
According to Capital FM, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) plans to achieve the target through expanded air connectivity, targeted destination marketing, stronger engagement with travel agents, investment promotion and the use of diaspora networks.
KTB Chief Executive Officer June Chepkemei said Kenya would focus on travellers interested in wildlife, the coast, luxury, wellness, family experiences, adventure and short breaks, while positioning Nairobi as a gateway for travellers connecting through the region. The Middle East contributed 20,480 visitors to Kenya in the 2025/26 financial year. Israel, Yemen and Iran accounted for 48 per cent of the arrivals, while the United Arab Emirates contributed 10 per cent and Saudi Arabia seven per cent.
Air connectivity is central to Kenya’s strategy. Emirates operates three daily flights between Dubai and Nairobi, while flydubai operates four weekly direct services. Kenya Airways and Qatar Airways also connect Kenya with the Gulf and other international markets. Beyond attracting tourists, Kenya is also seeking to position the UAE as an important investment market, particularly for hotels, resorts, wellness facilities, luxury tourism and family entertainment.
Kenya’s Ambassador to the UAE, Kenneth Milimo Nganga, said the country needs to make it easier for Emirati investors to establish and expand businesses in Kenya, while calling for stronger airline partnerships, fewer bureaucratic bottlenecks and improvements in the ease of doing business. KTB will also work with travel agents through training, joint marketing campaigns and events involving airlines and tourism trade partners, with the aim of converting growing interest in Kenya into actual bookings.
The board is further deploying its “One Diaspora, One Visitor” initiative, encouraging Kenyans living in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries to bring at least one visitor to Kenya. A Diaspora Open Day is scheduled for October 10 as part of the initiative. The strategy forms part of Kenya’s wider push to increase tourism receipts by targeting high-value markets, strengthening international connectivity and linking tourism promotion with investment opportunities.
