Kenya is targeting 199,645 tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom by the end of 2026, a 16.8 percent increase on the 170,936 visitors recorded in 2025. Kenya Tourism Board CEO June Chepkemei says the country is using WTM London 2026 to strengthen partnerships and attract more European visitors. More than 40 Kenyan trade partners are exhibiting.
The target implies about 28,700 additional UK visitors in a single year. That is a sharp step up from recent growth, and it arrives as the Kenya Tourism Board pushes to lift arrivals from Europe as a whole. The board says the goal reflects confidence in the UK market, which has been one of Kenya’s key sources of visitors.
The UK’s recent trajectory suggests the target is ambitious. Kenya recorded 156,701 UK arrivals in 2023, a 19 percent increase on 2022. The 2025 figure of 170,936 means UK arrivals grew about 9 percent over the two years since, which is well below the pace the new target requires.
The Europe-wide picture is also a warning. In June 2025, the board set a target of 764,734 European visitors for that year, up 12.5 percent from 680,373 in 2024. Europe recorded 691,194 visitors in 2025, which is about 73,500 short of that target, or roughly 9.6 percent below it. The 2026 UK goal should be read against that shortfall.
Chepkemei says the World Travel Market in London is a key platform for strengthening partnerships with European trade. Last year, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and the board led a delegation of more than 30 travel trade members to the same event. This year’s participation of more than 40 Kenyan trade partners is a larger group, with the aim of meeting UK tour operators and travel agents directly.
Air connectivity is central to the plan. Kenya Airways launched direct flights to London Gatwick in July 2025, increasing its London frequency to 10 weekly flights. Easier access to the UK market should help the target if fares and schedules keep travellers coming.
Marketing is also being stepped up. The board ran an influencer campaign that expanded to UK content creators in September 2025, and it has launched a global campaign, Experience Wonder, which aims to reach five million international arrivals by 2027. International arrivals rose 14.7 percent to 2.39 million in 2024, and the board is building on that momentum.
Europe accounted for 28.67 percent of Kenya’s international arrivals in 2025, with 691,194 visitors, making it the country’s second-largest source market after Africa. Africa remains the largest source region, accounting for about 42 percent of arrivals in 2024. Europe’s share therefore matters as a counterweight to dependence on regional travel.
The next signal will be the board’s full-year arrival figures for the UK and Europe in early 2027, which will show whether the 199,645 target has been met. Watch the Gatwick route, any new flight announcements and how the trade partners at WTM follow up with bookings.
