Bed nights occupancy in the hospitality industry rose to 10.2 million in 2024, from 8.6 million the year before, contributing to an occupancy rate of 28.9%, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey shows.
- •KNBS figures show that the number of available beds rose by 7.7%, from 33 million in 2023 to 35 million in 2024, and Kenyan residents accounted for nearly half of the total occupancy for the year.
- •While Europe contributed 2.4 million of the occupancy, Americans led in year on year growth with their hotel bed-night occupancy increasing by 37% to 846, 000 in 2024.
- •Another significant growth point was a 65% jump in the number of permanent occupants-defined as guests who stay for a month or more in one hotel-to 218, 600.
The 2024 figures represent the highest occupancy rate since the pandemic, signifying an ongoing recovery of the hospitality sector especially at the Coast. The number of hotel bed-nights occupied in the Coastal Hinterland area more than tripled from 241, 500 in 2023 to 613, 400 in 2024.
Likewise, occupancy in Coastal Beach grew by 16.1% to 4,135, 900 over the review period. The North Coast was the preferred destination compared to the South Coast in 2024.
Bed nights occupancy is a metric used in the hospitality sector that focuses on the number of beds in a hotel instead of the number of rooms.
Bed nights occupancy at the North Coast rose from 1,668,200 in 2023 to 2,626,100 in 2024. Occupancy within Kilifi, Malindi and Lamu dropped from 1,045, 200 bed-nights in 2023 to 919,300 bed-nights in 2024. Similarly, hotel bed-nights occupancy at the South Coast dropped from 850,000 in 2023 to 590,400 in 2024.
Occupancy in Nairobi High Class recorded a 20.7% growth to stand at 1,879, 800 in 2024.
Kenya earned Kshs. 452.20 billion from tourism last year compared to Kshs. 377.49 billion in 2023, translating to a growth of 19.79% as the sector recovered from the pandemic slowdown. The government is projecting 3 million tourists and KSh 560 billion in earnings in 2025.
Despite the recovery, the growth in net profits in the sector has been slow due to increased operational costs in the current tough business environment.