Kenya’s tourism industry is looking beyond traditional advertising to attract visitors, as artificial intelligence begins to shape how people choose holiday destinations, compare hotels and plan their travel experiences. Tourism businesses are now working to ensure that travelers using AI-powered tools can easily discover what Kenya has to offer, from wildlife safaris and coastal resorts to cultural attractions and local experiences.
Kenya looks to attract more international visitors by ensuring that AI assistants such as ChatGPT can find and recommend its hotels, safari camps, beaches and cultural attractions.
Kenya welcomed 2.7 million international visitors in 2025, up from 2.47 million in 2024. The tourism sector generated approximately Ksh.500 billion, highlighting the importance of attracting travellers through new digital platforms.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Chief Executive June Chepkemei said the board was changing how it presents tourism information online to make it easier for AI systems to understand and recommend local experiences.
“Kenya is making its content easily readable by AI tools, meaning we are making our content more AI-discoverable,” Chepkemei said.
Travellers can now use digital assistants to research destinations, compare accommodation, discover cultural activities and organize their trips instead of visiting numerous websites.
Booking.com’s 2025 Global AI Sentiment Report found that 67 per cent of travellers had already used AI during some part of a trip, while 89 per cent wanted to use it in future travel planning.
However, AI recommendations could favour businesses with stronger online visibility, leaving smaller operators struggling to attract customers.
Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps Managing Director Mohanjeet Brar said smaller safari camps and lodges could miss opportunities when AI systems prioritize heavily marketed properties over less visible alternatives. He said human travel advisers still played an important role in helping customers choose experiences that matched their budgets, personal needs and expectations.
Hotels are also adapting to changing customer behavior. Sarova Hotels marketing creative Norman Gitimu said social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram increasingly influenced how travellers discovered hotels before making bookings.
However, businesses still struggle to determine how many customers find their properties through AI recommendations.
Pristine Mara Bay Lodge Head of Sales and Marketing Fridah Marangu said tourism businesses needed accurate website information, consistent property details, customer reviews and structured online content to improve their visibility.
AI is also helping tourism companies save time by preparing marketing materials, researching potential customers and developing personalized campaigns.
Despite these opportunities, Kenya faces a data-sharing challenge. Chepkemei said the tourism industry lacked a unified, consent-based view of travellers from the moment they discover Kenya to their booking, visit and return home.