Joris Holtus_AFKL GM for East and Southern Africa
By Joris Holtus
Kenya’s tourism sector is showing renewed momentum, with recent data pointing to stronger visitor numbers, higher earnings and growing demand for travel into the country. For the aviation industry, this presents an opportunity to expand connectivity and help sustain that growth.
Data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that international visitor arrivals rose to 584,825 between February and April 2026, up from 539,044 during the same period in 2025. This represents an 8.5 per cent year-on-year increase.
European destinations, including Paris, Amsterdam and London, accounted for 217,633 of the arrivals, representing 37.2 per cent of the total. The trend is supported by findings from a Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) survey showing that forward bookings for August to November had risen to 56.25 per cent, compared with 49.5 per cent during a comparable period the previous year.
Tourism earnings have also strengthened, reaching Sh564 billion, an 18.7 per cent increase, while average spending per tourist rose to KSh204,300, its highest level in five years.
Taken together, these indicators suggest that Kenya is not only attracting more visitors but also generating greater economic value from each arrival.
For the airline industry, this creates a clear opportunity to connect Kenya to more travellers and make it easier for them to reach the country.
It was just eight years ago that Air France resumed flights to Kenya after an 18-year absence. Since then, the Paris-Nairobi route has continued to strengthen. In May, we deployed larger aircraft on the route, increasing capacity by about 12 per cent, while additional flights to Nairobi have also been introduced during the 2026 summer season.
Greater capacity and more direct connections can open Kenya to markets that may previously have been difficult or expensive to access. They can also make it easier for repeat visitors to return, support business and leisure travel, and accommodate travellers who combine several destinations within a single trip.
The significance of this expansion goes beyond simply adding seats. Connectivity gives travellers greater flexibility and makes Kenya more accessible through major global gateways.
This is increasingly important as international tourism evolves, with travellers placing greater value on convenience and connectivity alongside the destination itself. For Kenya, it strengthens the case for continued investment in aviation infrastructure and for viewing tourism and aviation as part of the same growth story.
The opportunity also extends beyond Nairobi. Improved international connectivity can help distribute visitors to other tourism hubs in Kenya and across East Africa, strengthening Nairobi’s role as an international gateway to the region.
There is a wider economic dimension as well. International aviation supports hotels, restaurants, tour operators, transport providers, retailers and countless businesses that depend directly or indirectly on visitor spending. Stronger air links also facilitate trade and investment by connecting Kenya more efficiently to international markets.
The growth we are seeing today therefore provides an opportunity to look beyond the immediate recovery in visitor numbers and consider what a more connected Kenya could look like over the next decade.
If demand continues to grow, airlines will need to respond with the capacity, routes and networks required to support it. At the same time, sustained growth will depend on continued investment in infrastructure, tourism products and the broader travel ecosystem.
The encouraging numbers from the first part of 2026 suggest that the foundation is already being laid. The challenge now is to turn this momentum into a sustained cycle of connectivity, investment and economic opportunity that extends well beyond tourism.
The writer is Air France-KLM’s General Manager for East and Southern Africa.
