Kenyan Coast Strengthens Position as Regional Tourism Hub During POATE 2026

The Kenyan Coast is increasingly anchoring the strong performance of the East African market into Kenya, as regional travel from Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda continues to drive tourism growth and sustain year-round business for coastal hotels and resorts.

This momentum was evident during the ongoing Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2026 in Kampala, where a strong delegation of Kenyan Coast hotels, resorts and tourism stakeholders intensified regional partnerships and marketing efforts targeting intra-African travel.

Speaking at the expo, Tourism Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa said the Kenyan Coast remains central to Kenya’s regional tourism strategy due to its unique mix of beach leisure, Swahili culture, hospitality diversity, conferencing facilities and improved connectivity.

“Uganda remains a key market for Kenya, due to its accessibility by, air, road and even through Lake Victoria, making visits between the two countries easy. The Kenyan Coast continues to anchor regional travel demand. Its appeal stems from a compelling blend of pristine beach experiences, rich Swahili culture, diverse hospitality offerings, state-of-the-art conferencing facilities and enhanced connectivity,” said Ololtuaa.

Uganda remains Kenya’s leading regional source market, contributing 234,556 visitors in 2025, accounting for 31 per cent of all African arrivals and representing an 8.7 per cent growth compared to the previous year. Tanzania followed with 209,536 arrivals, reflecting a 7.7 per cent increase from 2024. Kenya is now targeting a further 27 per cent growth in Ugandan arrivals to reach 300,000 visitors.

The Coast continues to be a major attraction for regional travellers seeking beach holidays, destination weddings, honeymoons, golf tourism and family leisure experiences. The growing regional market has also helped sustain occupancy levels across coastal destinations throughout the year, cushioning the sector against fluctuations in long-haul international markets.

The region has equally benefited from major sporting events such as the World Rally Championship (WRC), which continues to attract thousands of regional visitors into Kenya.

Ololtuaa said improved air connectivity, progressive visa openness policies, enhanced regional infrastructure, forums like POATE and the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE), familiarization trips for operators and joint conferences were accelerating travel flows into Kenyan destinations.

“Travelers are increasingly preferring an integrated East African experience combining wildlife safaris, coastal leisure, business events and cultural tourism including festivals. We are working together as the East Africa community, through the ‘Visit East Africa, Feel the vibe’ campaign, to promote the region as one, and further easing movement of visitors from one country to another.” He added.

At this year’s POATE, Kenya joined hundreds of exhibitors, international buyers and tourism professionals from across Africa and beyond to showcase tourism products, investment opportunities and strengthen trade partnerships.

A significant number of Coast-based hospitality brands used the expo to market their offerings, among them Neptune Hotels, Reef Hotel, PrideInn, Bamburi, Tamarind, Diamond Leisure, Jacaranda Indian Ocean Beach Resort, Bamburi Hotel  alongside several establishments from Kwale County.

Speaking at the same event, Kenya Coast Tourism Association Chairman Victor Shitakha said POATE had become a key platform for promoting tailored regional travel packages targeting East African travellers.

“This expo is a vital platform for us to market curated packages tailored for regional travellers, including short beach holidays, wellness retreats, destination weddings, honeymoons, festivals, nightlife, MICE tourism and sports tourism experiences,” said Shitakha.

He noted that Kenya and Uganda were strengthening cross-border tourism marketing through joint campaigns and multi-destination tourism initiatives aimed at boosting intra-African travel.

“A key aspect of this strategy is the annual Uganda-Kenya conference, which brings together tour operators from both countries to identify and promote complementary attractions,” he said.

Shitakha added that stakeholders were increasingly leveraging regional marketing platforms such as POATE, Kili Fair in Tanzania and the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE), supported by visa-free travel arrangements, expanded air connectivity and improved road infrastructure across the region.

The sustained growth in regional tourism continues to position the Kenyan Coast not only as East Africa’s premier beach destination, but also as a strategic tourism and hospitality hub driving intra-African travel and regional economic growth.