NAIROBI, Kenya- East Africa’s tourism industry is poised for significant growth, but experts say the sector must embrace digital transformation to fully capitalize on rising visitor numbers and increasing global demand for seamless travel experiences.
The call comes as Kenya recorded a strong performance in 2025, welcoming 2.7 million international visitors, up from 2.39 million arrivals in 2024. The 12.97 per cent growth pushed tourism earnings to a record Sh500 billion, underscoring the sector’s growing contribution to the economy.
Despite the impressive figures, industry players warn that outdated operational systems, fragmented booking processes, and reliance on cash transactions continue to hinder growth and limit the region’s competitiveness.
According to Kevin Khaemba, Chief Commercial Officer at Pesapal, digital adoption remains relatively low across Africa’s travel and hospitality sector compared to global markets.
“While global digital payment adoption in travel sits at around 40 per cent, the adoption rate of digital payments for travel bookings in Africa is still quite low,” Khaemba said.
He noted that many hotels, lodges and tourism operators across East Africa continue to rely on analogue systems despite growing demand for digital-first services from both local and international travellers.
Today’s travellers increasingly expect fast, convenient and secure payment options, with many preferring digital transactions over cash payments.
Industry experts argue that achieving Kenya’s ambitious tourism targets for 2027 will require accelerated adoption of integrated payment, reservation and operational management systems.
Modern digital platforms can help businesses streamline operations, reduce revenue leakages, improve customer experience and provide real-time visibility across bookings and payments.
“The operators, lodges, and airlines that thrive in this next era will be those that treat financial and operational technology not as a back-office utility, but as a core component of the guest experience,” Khaemba said.
Kenya already has a strong foundation for digital transformation through the widespread adoption of mobile money services such as M-Pesa, which has normalized cashless transactions across the country.
Experts say the next step for tourism operators is integrating payment systems with booking engines, inventory management tools and customer service platforms to create seamless end-to-end experiences for travellers.
Regional fintech firms such as Pesapal have developed solutions tailored to the hospitality sector, enabling independent hotels, lodges and tour operators to connect payments directly with core business operations.
As competition for global tourists intensifies, industry stakeholders believe that investment in digital infrastructure could become a key differentiator for East Africa, helping the region attract more visitors, improve service delivery and unlock greater economic value from tourism.
With visitor numbers continuing to rise, experts say the future of tourism growth may depend as much on technology adoption as on the region’s world-renowned attractions and hospitality.
