Miano Urges Counties to Diversify Tourism Products to Boost Visitor Numbers

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has called on county governments to actively identify, develop, and promote diverse tourism opportunities within their regions to help Kenya achieve its ambitious tourism growth targets of 5.5 million international visitors and KSh 1.1 trillion in tourism earnings by 2028.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement session with the Council of Governors (CoG), county executive committee members, at the Wildlife Research Training Institute in Naivasha, Miano emphasized that tourism requires close collaboration to unlock its full potential.

She noted that counties are the custodians of tourism products and experiences, ranging from wildlife and landscapes to culture, heritage, adventure, and community-based attractions.

“Kenya’s tourism opportunity is immense, yet much of our rich and diverse attractions remain under-promoted and under-utilized,” Miano said.

 She added: “Counties must explore and showcase unique experiences across all seasons to strengthen destination competitiveness and contribute to the growth of the national tourism brand.”

The Cabinet Secretary highlighted that while 1.4 billion tourists travelled globally in 2024, Africa received only 5.3 per cent of those arrivals, with Kenya accounting for just 2.4 million visitors. This, she said, underscores the vast untapped potential that counties can help unlock through innovation, product diversification, and targeted marketing.

Miano further pointed out that limited awareness of inland, cultural, adventure, and community-based tourism continues to constrain the sector’s growth.

 She encouraged counties to take advantage of the ongoing national exercise to map tourism products and experiences, which aims to generate data to support better product management and targeted marketing at both county and national levels.

“The data from this mapping exercise will help us understand gaps, challenges, and opportunities, and will be shared with counties to inform decision-making,” she said.

 The Cabinet Secretary also urged counties, circuits, and regions to clearly define and strengthen their individual destination brands, noting that strong county brands would collectively enrich the Magical Kenya Brand. This, she said, would help reposition Kenya as a vibrant, inclusive, and year-round destination that appeals to modern travellers.

Miano reiterated that repositioning the tourism brand is also critical to job creation, particularly for young people. With the sector projected to grow significantly, she said Kenya aims to double tourism employment, creating sustainable opportunities for youth as entrepreneurs, digital creators, innovators, and storytellers.

She called for full county support for the Tourism Brand Repositioning Taskforce, stressing that collaboration between national and county governments is essential to redefining Kenya’s tourism narrative, attracting investment, and positioning the country as a world-class tourism destination.

“Together, we can unlock new tourism frontiers, grow arrivals and revenue, and ensure tourism becomes a powerful driver of inclusive growth and youth employment,” Miano said.