Kenya rolled out the welcome mat today for the first wave of tourists arriving under a revolutionary new visa-free entry system, aiming to ignite a tourism boom after years of pandemic doldrums.
The “maiden visa-free arrivals,” as dubbed by the government’s immigration services department, touched down in Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, having flown in from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This marks the initial step in a bold program that will eventually waive visa requirements for all travelers, regardless of their nationality.
“Right now,” declared Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, at the scheme’s launch, “all countries around the world – Africa, Asia, America, Australia, and beyond – are able to come in visa-free.”
This streamlined process replaces the previous visa application system with a simple online platform where travelers can secure an electronic travel authorization (ETA) for a $30 processing fee. The move reflects President William Ruto’s vision, announced last year, to transform Kenya into a “visa-free country” and shed cumbersome entry procedures.
However, as recently as last week, lingering doubts clouded the program’s launch. The Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority acknowledged that the ETA system was still under development and implementation. Nevertheless, today’s smooth arrival of the first visa-free travelers dispelled such concerns, injecting optimism into the Kenyan tourism industry.
Kenya’s tourism sector, a crucial pillar of the national economy, suffered immensely during the pandemic. Tourist arrivals in 2022 reached 1.54 million, a significant improvement but still shy of pre-pandemic levels. The Kenya Tourism Board, led by chair Francis Gichaba, expressed hope in November that the new visa-free policy could propel arrivals beyond 2 million in the current financial year, even surpassing the 2019 record of 1.9 million.
