Tourism CS hails Kenyan winners at World Travel Awards
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano during an interview at her office in Nairobi on June 3, 2025.
What you need to know:
- The event was held in Dar es Salaam to recognise excellence in travel and destination development, among other categories.
- Ms Rebecca Miano said focus has now shifted to the grand final of the competition, which will be held in Bahrain later this year.
Cabinet Secretary for Tourism Rebecca Miano has congratulated Kenyans who emerged winners of the 2025 World Travel Awards, held in Dar es Salaam Tanzania to recognise excellence in travel and destination development, among other categories.
In a statement, the CS said that the outstanding performance across various categories from Kenyans demonstrated the depth, diversity, and dedication that define Kenya’s tourism and hospitality sector.
CS Miano stated that the recognition is spanning sustainable tourism, luxury hospitality, business travel, innovation, and destination excellence that saw Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa being among the top mentioned countries in the ceremony.
“This global recognition is not only a celebration of your individual and collective excellence but also a resounding affirmation of Kenya’s leadership in responsible tourism, community empowerment, heritage preservation, and inclusive economic growth,” the CS said.
She also said that the outcome reflects the hard work, innovation, and resilience of tourism players, who continue to elevate Kenya’s profile on the world stage.
“Kenya’s success at this year’s awards, alongside other leading African nations, confirms the continent’s increasing influence in global tourism.”
According to the CS, the awards ceremony that was held last month highlighted celebration of Africa’s beauty, creativity, and ambition and Kenya proudly stood among the top.
The CS said that the focus has now been shifted to the grand final of the competition, which will be held in Bahrain later this year.
“I encourage all stakeholders to remain committed to excellence, sustainability, and service. Kenya’s tourism future is bright, and your efforts are central to that journey.”
During the ceremony, Kenya Airways was voted Africa’s Leading Airline of the year, while Zanzibar was announced as the Africa’s Leading Destination.
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari emerged as the best Africa’s Leading Hotel, and Chale Island was voted as the Africa’s Leading Private Island Resort. Africa’s leading safari company also came from Kenya.
This comes amid a boom in the country's tourism sector, which has recently seen a 60 percent increase in international arrivals since 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism.
The data shows that 2.4 million tourists visited the country in 2024, compared to 1.5 million tourists registered in 2022.
CS stated that the growth drove tourism earnings to Sh452 billion, a significant rise from Sh268 billion which were reported two years ago.
“Over time tourists have been confined to beach and wildlife safari products despite there being other equally attractive and interesting circuits available within the country. This has led to under-utilisation of the existing tourism products such as conference tourism, heritage tourism, Sports Tourism, cultural tourism, Avi Tourism, Health and Wellness Tourism and Agro tourism," Ms Miano said while commending on the outcome in May this year.