Research: These are top travel destinations for most Kenyans

Tour and travel industry in Kenya has tremendously grown and Kenyans are traveling day and night to various destinations in and outside the country.
According to research done by Uber, Following a prolonged period of global travel bans, more people are taking up international travel, more specially for leisure and business.
Uber has revealed the top destinations that Kenyans have visited, via a comparative study from 2019 and 2021, showcasing top city trips and holiday destinations.
In 2019, the East African capitals of Dar es Salaam and Kampala were among the top cities that Kenyans traveled to according to the statistics from Uber.
This was followed by Johannesburg, London and Doha in the same year. In 2021, top destinations included Doha in Qatar, Dar es Salaam Tanzania, London-Uk, Johannesburg in South Africa and Kampala Uganda.
Other cities beyond Africa that were popular among Kenyans in 2019 include; Washington D.C, New Delhi, Dubai and Toronto, compared to Washington D.C, Toronto, Birmingham and New York City in 2021.
“The uptake in travel is providing a much-needed lifeline to travel and hospitality industries locally and internationally. As more people take trips for business and leisure, Uber is available to provide safe and reliable on-demand rides in cities locally and across the globe,” says Brian Njao, Head of East Africa, Uber.
The data also reveals that Kenya is a top tourist destination for travelers and tourists from around the world.
Now what do these countries ranking high as most preferred by Kenyan travelers have to offer;

Top travel destinations for most Kenyans

• Dar es Salaam

The neighbouring Dar es Salaam in Tanzania has seen a lot of visits by Kenyans thanks to the good trade relations between Kenya and Tanzania. The two countries also attract tourists and with the great wildebeest migration being a well known phenomenon among the two countries.

• Kampala

Kampala has always remained to be a top cross border business destination for most Kenyans. Many Kenyans flock to Kampala to buy goods thanks to the low taxation rates on most of Ugandan products.
Many also travel to Kampala for religious purposes and tourism

• Johannesburg

Johannesburg informally known as Jozi, Joburg, or “The City of Gold”, is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity. Johannesburg is the top choice for Kenyans to explore for holidays and discover the best time and places to visit.

• London

London, city, capital of the United Kingdom, is among the oldest of the world’s great cities—its history spanning nearly two millennia. This city is among the top choices for Kenyans who travel to UK for Studies, meetings as well as for leisure activities.
Tourist traffic concentrates on an area defined by the main attractions, each drawing between one and seven million visitors in the course of the year

• Doha

Doha is a thriving city of some 2 million that offers an intriguing mix of modern wonders and ancient traditions to explore.
Doha is the capital of Qatar, located on the east coast of the Qatar Peninsula in the Persian Gulf.
Tourism and business is the main reason Doha has seen an influx of Kenyans. Many Kenyans also travel to Doha each year seeking for employment opportunities
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya has shown steady growth in tourism since 2015. The country’s tourism arrivals grew by 3.9% from 2.02 million tourists in 2018 to 2.05 million tourists in 2019. Domestic tourism numbers in Kenya grew from 3,645,144 in 2017 to 3,974,243 in 2018, recording a 9.03% growth.