The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife is packaging and digitising Kenya's tourism products to make them more accessible to travellers who increasingly use digital platforms to discover, plan and book their travel. The shift in how travellers make decisions has made digital technology and Artificial Intelligence important to Kenya's competitiveness as a tourism destination. Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano spoke in Uasin Gishu County during Kenya's celebrations to mark the World Tourism Day 2026, held under the theme Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.
She said the Ministry was leveraging technology to expand visibility of Kenya's tourism offering, citing Safari Live, developed with Wildlife Earth, as an initiative that supports World Tourism Day and showcases Kenya's wildlife and destinations to global audiences. She also named Tembea Kenya as an important platform for showcasing destinations and experiences across the country and encouraging domestic travel.
Miano added that the youth would play an increasingly important role in promoting the destination through digital platforms, noting that their creativity, reach and understanding of online audiences were assets that the tourism sector must continue to harness. She said the Government would continue strengthening the Kenyan brand internationally, noting that the President's efforts to promote Kenya globally had contributed to the country's growing visibility as a destination.
Tourism Principal Secretary Amb. Prof. 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 city status, improving road infrastructure and the region's sporting heritage presented opportunities to develop new tourism experiences and attract more domestic and international visitors.
Bitok urged investors and tourism operators to continue improving and diversifying the region's tourism products to make them more competitive and attractive to visitors. He added that the planned 2029 World Athletics Championships would further raise the profile of the North Rift and provide an opportunity to connect international sporting events with tourism experiences across the region. The World Tourism Day celebrations followed a week-long programme that profiled Uasin Gishu sports tourism potential alongside its cultural, natural and other tourism attractions. World Tourism Day is observed globally on September 27 each year to recognise tourism's role in economic, social and cultural development.