Why Kenya is losing her tourism mojo to Tanzania and Rwanda

There was a time Kenya used to sneeze and her neighbours caught a flu, a popular adage went. This was testament to Kenya’s long-held reputation as the region’s economic powerhouse and the undisputed leader in tourism, a sector that was originally made popular by the visits of global icons.

Among those who popularised the African safari was former US President Theodore Roosevelt, who visited Kenya for a game hunting expedition in 1909.

Roosevelt’s expedition included 600 porters who braved dangerous animal encounters before bagging over 500 trophies that included 17 lions, 11 elephants and 20 rhinos that were skinned and shipped to America.

During his visit in 1928, Edward, the Prince of Wales popularized Africa’s wild animals as sources of adventure and fascinated his friends back home with gregarious tales of shooting lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos at close range, giving rise to the term ‘The Big Five’, the animals any hunter worth his salt had to bag.

Hollywood productions such as the movie Out of Africa showcased Kenya’s vast, open plains and romanticised the country in the eyes of foreigners.

Since then, most safaris to Kenya have majorly revolved around the chance to see the Big Five in their natural habitats. In the years following the two high-profile visits, Kenya’s beaches became an attraction as Europeans and Americans flocked to the coast in order to escape the harsh winter weather back home.

While welcoming the cruise ship, Norwegian Dawn, at the Port of Mombasa in February 2025, President William Ruto said tourism is the “best bet to accelerate economic growth” as he promised to market the country as a top tourist destination.

Kenya’s revenue from tourism increased to Sh452 billion in 2024 with 2.4 million international arrivals, or a 15 per cent increase compared to 2023. The country is targeting five million visitors by 2027.

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

But Kenya can no longer rest easy as its neighbours seem to be giving it a run for its money. For example, over 2.6 million tourists visited Tanzania in 2024, a 20 per cent increase, edging Kenya by 400,000 tourists.

Interestingly, Kenya is Tanzania’s main source of tourists from the continent, contributing 51,501 visitors between January and March 2025.

The emergence of Tanzania as a regional tourism powerhouse was witnessed during the 32nd annual World Travel Awards for the African region held on June 28 in Dar es Salaam, where Tanzania grabbed 20 awards in various categories against Kenya’s 18.

Tanzania solidified its position as a tourism powerhouse, collecting the title of ‘Africa’s Leading Destination’. The legendary Serengeti National Park claimed the crown for being ‘Africa’s Leading National Park’, whilst the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro won ‘Africa’s Leading Mountain National Park’, with Zanzibar named ‘Africa’s Leading Beach Destination’,” said a media report from the event organisers.

According to the report, Tanzania’s “stellar field of entries” has added to the continent’s reputation as a luxury destination, with the country’s Singita Milele Hotel having won in the category of ‘Africa’s Leading New Hotel’.

During the awards, Tanzania was voted as Africa’s leading destination while Ngorongoro was voted as the continent’s leading attraction. Diani has had the coveted position as the continent’s leading beach destination for years, but Zanzibar has emerged as a frontrunner to the throne. However, Kenya’s Chale Island was voted as Africa’s Leading Private Island Resort.

Kenya registered several accolades in the awards, including Nairobi being voted as the continent’s leading business destination, with Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club bagging the leading hotel in Africa award.

In the aviation sector, Kenya Airways secured the award as ‘Africa’s Leading Airline’ while its subsidiary, Jambojet, was named Africa’s best low-cost carrier. Interestingly, Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam earned the title of ‘Africa’s Leading Airport’.

This competition will see the two countries face off during the WTA Grand Finals to be held in Bahrain on December 9, 2025. The African tourism giants, however, will also be competing with their global counterparts.

Tanzania is not the only country giving Kenya a run for its money as far as attracting visitors is concerned.

Rwanda has of late become the go-to destination owing to aggressive marketing strategies not only by the Rwanda Development Board but also the country’s top leadership, including President Paul Kagame.

Rwanda may not be a famed destination when it comes to the Big Five, neither does it have a beach destination as do Kenya and Tanzania. The country had to reintroduce lions to Akagera National Park in 2015, the first lions in Rwanda in 15 years.

The lions had disappeared from Rwanda following the 1994 genocide, and later, when returnees killed the remaining felines that were preying on their livestock.

However, Rwanda has got gorillas, the key attraction that reels in tourists from all over the world. While these are found in specific regions, mainly within Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda, they have put the country on the global tourism map.

To Rwanda, though, it is quality, not size, that matters. The country has been at the forefront in adding value to the existing tourism products and promoting innovative ways of attracting foreign currency.

In May 2018, Rwanda partnered with Arsenal Football Club to promote the country’s tourism products. As the official tourism partner, Arsenal players sport the “Visit Rwanda” on their shirt sleeves in a deal worth $40 million. 

“The Arsenal shirt is seen 35 million times a day and it is one of the most watched teams around the world, enabling Rwanda to be seen around the world,” said a statement from Visit Rwanda.