Holiday and leisure travel experienced a shift in tourist motivations for visiting Kenya, according to figures comparing December 2024 and June 2025 from the KNBS Inbound and Outbound Tourism Expenditure Survey Report 2025, released in August 2026.

While holiday and leisure accounted for 49.5 per cent of visits in December 2024, that figure stood at 32.0 per cent in June 2025.

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Conversely, business and professional travel grew, representing 25.0 per cent of arrivals in June 2025 compared to 18.7 per cent in December 2024. Visiting relatives and friends also rose to 18.2 per cent in June 2025, up from 15.3 per cent in December 2024.

Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) accounted for 9.2 per cent in June 2025, compared to 8.2 per cent in December 2024.

Other travel categories registered smaller shares. Study and student visits stood at 3.4 per cent in June 2025, up from 2.3 per cent in December 2024.

Cultural events accounted for 3.3 per cent in June 2025 versus 0.9 per cent in December 2024. Religion and pilgrimage registered 2.3 per cent in June 2025 compared to 1.7 per cent in December 2024.

Sports events rose to 1.8 per cent in June 2025 from 0.5 per cent in December 2024. Health and treatment visits recorded 1.6 per cent in June 2025 compared to 1.1 per cent in December 2024.

Second residence accounted for 1.6 per cent in June 2025 against 0.9 per cent in December 2024.

Transit visitors accounted for 1.2 per cent in June 2025, up from 0.6 per cent in December 2024. Shopping remained steady at 0.4 per cent across both periods.