NAIROBI, Oct. 7– Tourism officials from African countries on Wednesday urged African nations to accelerate digital transformation and adopt artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance destination marketing and drive sustainable growth in the continent’s tourism sector.
The call was made during the opening ceremony of the 16th Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) 2026 in Nairobi. Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano underlined the profound impact of emerging technologies on global travel trends, urging destinations across the continent to innovate rapidly.
“The destinations that shall lead the way forward are those that are willing to innovate, adapt, and move with considered pace into the new normal,” Miano said. She noted that technology has fundamentally transformed how travelers discover destinations, make decisions, book experiences, and engage with the places they visit.
Julius Bitok, principal secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, said that Africa recorded 81 million arrivals in 2025, with Kenya alone welcoming 2.7 million international visitors.
Bitok outlined an ambitious target of 5.5 million annual international arrivals for Kenya by 2028, driven by technological enhancements such as the Electronic Travel Authorization system and strategic product diversification into sports and cultural tourism.
Uganda’s State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Susan Nakawuki Nsambu emphasized that tools such as AI and data analytics enable tourism authorities to identify emerging markets, personalize marketing strategies, optimize service delivery, and manage protected wildlife areas more effectively.
Nsambu stressed that digital transformation will broaden economic opportunities, ensuring that small local operators and community conservancies gain equal access to global digital platforms. She challenged regional stakeholders to fully leverage these technologies to enhance the continent’s global competitiveness.
Held under the theme “Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence: Shaping the Future of Tourism,” the three-day event has brought together more than 10,000 delegates from 40 countries, over 400 exhibitors and more than 250 vetted international buyers, the largest gathering in the expo’s history, according to the organizers. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
