Emirates and the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) have cemented a partnership to boost tourist arrivals in Kenya through the airline’s far-reaching network of destinations and the country’s promotional campaign efforts. The deal was sealed during the 2026 Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai as Kenya looks to strengthen its presence in international tourism markets and drive visitor growth from key and emerging source markets. Emirates and KTB will collaborate on a range of initiatives to drive awareness and convert interest in Kenya’s tourism propositions into actual travel.
Emirates and KTB to Promote Kenya Across Key Markets
The partnership involves KTB capitalizing on Emirates’ presence in key international markets to amplify promotional efforts around Kenya’s year-round tourism offerings and drive visitor growth. Kenya Tourism Board is looking to grow its share of international tourist arrivals driven by a diverse set of travel experiences that can be enjoyed year-round. The deal enables the country’s tourism authority to benefit from Emirates’ international presence and network to drive awareness in key source markets.
Emirates and KTB will also collaborate with travel trade partners and tour operators to run a series of promotional initiatives. These are expected to include financial incentives, familiarization programmes and other initiatives to boost awareness and understanding of Kenya as a destination among international travel trade partners and further build the presence and profile of Kenya through international sales channels.
Emirates Has Been Key Aviation Partner for Kenya Tourism Sector
Emirates has been a long-standing partner for Kenya tourism sector, operating flights to Nairobi for more than three decades and building strong relationships with local tourism stakeholders. Nairobi is one of Emirates’ five busiest hubs in Africa, with a large number of passengers originating from the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. Emirates views the new partnership as a way to build on its long-standing relationships with Kenya tourism sector stakeholders.
Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, Centre, said Kenya has been a key market for Emirates for many years and the company has worked with travel trade partners and tourism stakeholders to support visitor growth. Mr. Al Ghaith added that the new partnership will see Emirates deepening its relationship with Kenya Tourism Board and the wider tourism ecosystem in Nairobi and around the country.
Kenya Looks to Drive Employment Growth Through Tourism Sector
Tourism is an important sector for Kenya’s economy, supporting jobs and businesses across destinations and tourism-associated industries. Kenya Tourism Board is working to market Kenya as a premier tourist destination offering a wide range of unique and authentic experiences. Kenya’s wide range of tourism products includes wildlife and conservation-focused experiences, coastal and beach tourism, cultural heritage and history, adventure sports, wellness tourism and business events and meetings. The country is also looking to diversify its tourism offerings and grow its share of international visitors from different categories.
Kenya is also looking to drive visitor growth from the Middle East in particular with KTB working with international airlines to boost destination marketing and awareness-building efforts. June Chepkemei, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Tourism Board, said Emirates’ network and international reach would support Kenya’s ambitions to drive tourism growth and build on the significant interest and demand from key international markets. Ms. Chepkemei added that the partnership reflected a shared vision to grow Kenya’s international tourism profile and support the sector’s contribution to job creation and economic growth.
Travel Trade to Benefit From Emirates and KTB Collaborative Efforts
A significant part of the Emirates and Kenya Tourism Board partnership will focus on deepening collaboration with travel trade partners and tour operators in key international markets. Familiarization programmes and other initiatives can play a key role in building the capacity of travel agents and tour operators to sell Kenya-focused holiday packages and build greater awareness among potential visitors. The partnership will also build on a separate initiative between Emirates Holidays and Kenya Association of Travel Agencies to deepen collaboration with more than 300 travel agencies in Kenya to support product selling capabilities and provide greater access to news, information and promotional initiatives.
Aviation Network and Destination Marketing Key to Driving Tourism Growth
The Emirates and Kenya Tourism Board partnership deal underlines the importance of combining airline reach and tourism promotion to drive visitor growth. While the airline’s network of international destinations provides essential connectivity to Kenya, targeted and coordinated marketing and promotional efforts can play a key role in building awareness and understanding of tourism products among potential visitors from different cultures and backgrounds.
Emirates’ Dubai hub serves as a major international aviation hub and offers Emirates’ tourism partners access to a large pool of potential visitors. The partnership is expected to support Kenya’s efforts to grow its share of international tourist arrivals and build its presence in key international tourism markets.
For Kenya, the deal marks an important step in its efforts to combine aviation connectivity and tourism promotion to drive growth in visitor numbers. Emirates, in turn, is strengthening its partnerships with tourism authorities in key international markets, with the company announcing that it signed or renewed more than 30 agreements during ATM 2026, including partnerships with tourism authorities in Africa, Europe, Asia and other regions.
