NAIROBI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya announced on Wednesday that it is positioning its Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism sector to help bridge a 2.3 million visitor deficit as it targets five million international arrivals annually by 2028.
Julius Bitok, principal secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, said the ministry will lead efforts to attract more MICE business from key global source markets.
Kenya recorded 2.7 million international arrivals in 2025, a 9 percent increase from the previous year, with the broader tourism sector generating about 500 billion shillings (3.86 billion U.S. dollars), according to the ministry.
The MICE segment emerged as a standout performer, attracting over 736,000 visitors and generating more than 85 million dollars in direct revenue, underscoring its strong economic multiplier effect, it added.
Bitok noted that Kenya's expanding world-class venue capacity must be matched by an equally aggressive push from both the government and the private sector to firmly establish the country on the global events calendar.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Chief Executive Officer June Chepkemei reaffirmed the need for collective action across the sector, noting that achieving Kenya's ambitious tourism targets will require sustained, strategic engagement between the 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. ■