10/02/2026
The travel trade plays a critical role in helping Kenya deliver on its Magical Kenya experience promise.
I had a great time this morning at the KWS Travel Trade Breakfast, organised to update the private sector on the state of bush tourism, our conservation efforts, and the opportunities to grow tourism around our protected areas. It was also a wonderful opportunity to recognise and celebrate the top performers who are driving revenue to our parks and supporting conservation.
But who exactly is the travel trade?
The travel trade is the network of tourism businesses and professionals who connect destinations with travellers and turn tourism experiences into actual bookings and visits. This includes tour operators, travel agents, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), hotels and accommodation providers, airlines, tour guides, online travel agencies and other tourism intermediaries.
They are an essential link between Kenya's tourism products and the visitor. They package experiences, market destinations, make bookings, facilitate travel and, ultimately, help convert interest in Kenya into actual arrivals and tourism spending.
That is why partnerships between government, conservation agencies, the private sector and the travel trade are so important. We cannot deliver the Magical Kenya experience alone.
Congratulations to all the winners and, more importantly, to everyone across the travel trade who continues to sell Kenya, create jobs, support communities and contribute to conservation.
And to everyone attending Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) next week — see you there!
We are expecting more than 450 exhibitors and 10,000 registered participants from over 80 countries, making this an important platform for connecting Kenya's tourism industry with the world.
Together, let’s turn the Magical Kenya promise into experiences that visitors can see, feel and remember.
