Ruto bets on tourism to spur foreign investment, economic growth

President William Ruto has said Kenya will continue to market the country as a top tourist destination to spur foreign investment and stimulate economic growth.

Ruto noted that tourism revenue increased to about Sh450 billion in 2024, saying the sector has created job opportunities for many Kenyans. 

"We are investing in quality infrastructure, engaging in strategic marketing and enriching offers and experiences to sustainably drive our tourism numbers," he said.

The Head of State announced that the country targets to welcome five million tourists by 2027 up from 2.4 million in 2024.

He made the remarks when he welcomed the cruise ship, Norwegian Dawn, at the Port of Mombasa on Sunday.

The 294-metre long passenger vessel had 2,200 tourists and more than 1,000 crew on board.

President Ruto said that Kenya has unique tourism features and many countries in the world cannot match the same.

He singled out the Kenyan Coast's pristine beaches, resourceful national parks and game reserves, physical features, and thriving cultures from various communities as some of the unique attractions that makes the country the best tourist destination in the world.

"I am proud to welcome visitors as we establish Kenya as a destination for tourism. I am told 800 of our guests have already left for Amboseli. This speaks to what tourism is doing to our country,'' President Ruto said.

"Cruise ships were at an all-time high a few years ago, and then we experienced a slow down. But last year, we had 6,500 visitors, while this year, we expect the number to rise as we expect another eight cruise ships to dock,'' he added.

During the event, Ruto interacted with tourists on board, shaking hands and taking selfies with them.

He was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Rebecca Miano (Tourism), Davis Chirchir (Transport) and Salim Mvurya (Sports), Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director William Ruto, among others.

The more than 2,000 passengers who disembarked on Sunday morning will enjoy excursions along the Kenyan coast and national parks.

The President urged the private sector to expand facilities to enable the hospitality industry to cope up with the increasing number of tourists coming into the country. 

Ms Miano said the number of tourists who docked on Sunday is the highest Kenya has received at once over the past 10 years.

"We are happy that cruise tourism is picking up and Kenya is emerging as the favourite destination of cruise ships,'' she said.