KENYA is stepping up the digitisation of its tourism products as the government seeks to reach travellers who increasingly rely on online platforms and artificial intelligence to discover, compare and book destinations.
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said digital technology had become critical to the country's competitiveness, as global travellers changed how they research and make travel decisions.
Miano spoke in Uasin Gishu county during Kenya's celebrations to mark World Tourism Day 2026, held under the theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
She said the government was packaging and digitising tourism experiences to make them more visible and accessible to both domestic and international travellers.
“Today's traveller is increasingly using a smartphone, digital platforms and online tools to discover destinations, compare experiences and make travel decisions. This means that we must redesign how we showcase Kenya,” she said.
This, she said, will ensure that the country’s destinations, experiences and tourism products are visible, accessible and relevant in the digital spaces where travellers are making those decisions.
The Cabinet Secretary cited Safari Live, developed in partnership with Wildlife Earth, as one of the initiatives being used to showcase Kenya's wildlife and destinations to international audiences.
She also pointed to Tembea Kenya as an important platform for promoting destinations and tourism experiences across the country while encouraging Kenyans to explore local attractions.
Miano said the transformation would also create opportunities for young people, particularly influencers and digital content creators, whose understanding of online audiences could help expand the reach of Kenya's tourism brand.
“Our young people are an important part of this transformation. Their digital skills, creativity and understanding of online platforms are an asset that we must continue to harness,” she said.
The government is already working with young people, including influencers and content creators, to promote Kenya's tourism experiences and increase their visibility in digital spaces, she added.
Miano said the government would continue strengthening Kenya's international tourism brand, noting that efforts to promote the country globally had contributed to its growing visibility as a destination.
The digital push comes as Kenya seeks to diversify its tourism offering beyond traditional wildlife and coastal products by developing experiences around sports, culture, nature and other emerging attractions.
Tourism Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the World Tourism Day celebrations provided an opportunity to position Uasin Gishu and the wider North Rift as an emerging tourism circuit.
He said Eldoret's elevation to city status, improving road infrastructure and the region's sporting heritage could help attract more visitors and stimulate investment in tourism facilities and experiences.
“It is time we fully opened up this tourism circuit. There is huge potential in this region, with Eldoret's city status and improving road infrastructure making it increasingly accessible to visitors,” said Bitok.
He urged investors and tourism operators to improve and diversify tourism products in the region to make them more competitive and attractive to visitors.
Bitok also called for greater promotion of the North Rift's sports tourism potential, saying the region could use its reputation as a training ground for elite athletes to develop new tourism experiences.
The planned 2029 World Athletics Championships are expected to further raise the international profile of the region and create an opportunity to link major sporting events with tourism experiences, he said.
The World Tourism Day celebrations followed a week-long programme in Uasin Gishu that showcased the county's sports tourism potential alongside its cultural, natural and other attractions.
World Tourism Day is marked annually on September 27 to highlight tourism's contribution to economic, social and cultural development.
For Kenya, the government's focus on digital platforms and AI signals a broader shift in how the country intends to market its tourism assets, with technology increasingly becoming part of the competition for global and domestic travellers.
