Emirates and the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) have signed a partnership agreement to strengthen collaboration and drive inbound tourism to Kenya, leveraging the airline’s global network to attract visitors from established and emerging markets.
The agreement, signed at the 2026 Arabian Travel Market, builds on Kenya’s strong demand across Emirates’ Africa network and is aimed at unlocking new opportunities for the country to grow international visitor arrivals.
According to a press releases, under the partnership, Emirates and KTB will explore joint initiatives to promote Kenya in key international markets, showcasing the country’s year-round tourism offerings and encouraging more travellers to visit. The two organisations will also collaborate on programmes for travel trade partners and tour operators, including incentives, familiarisation trips and other marketing initiatives.
Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, Centre, said Kenya had been an important market for the airline for more than three decades, adding that the company had consistently invested in its presence in the country and worked with travel trade partners and tourism stakeholders to stimulate inbound travel.
He said Nairobi remained one of Emirates’ top five busiest gateways in Africa, with significant traffic coming from the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as the United States.
June Chepkemei, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Tourism Board, said the partnership would strengthen Kenya’s global tourism profile and showcase the country’s tourism experiences to travellers worldwide.
She said Emirates’ extensive international network and reach across established and emerging markets would help Kenya build on growing demand and create new opportunities to attract visitors.
Tourism is a key pillar of Kenya’s economy, creating employment opportunities and serving millions of tourists who visit the country each year. The Kenya Tourism Board is seeking to establish Kenya as Africa’s most visited tourism destination, supported by a year-round calendar of diverse, sustainable and authentic experiences.
The latest agreement comes as Emirates continues to deepen its links with Kenya’s tourism and travel industry. The airline marked 30 years of operations to Nairobi last year, while Emirates Holidays, its tour operating arm, earlier this month signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kenya Association of Travel Agents to stimulate outbound travel. The initiative is expected to equip more than 300 travel agencies with enhanced product and network insights and promotional opportunities.
Meanwhile, Emirates has also entered into a strategic partnership with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) as part of efforts to expand its presence in medical, wellness and longevity travel.
The airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MTA on September 17, 2026, seeking to develop medical tourism as a strategic customer segment and identify key medical travel markets and corridors, particularly across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The partnership will also explore tailored travel solutions for patients, referring physicians, insurers and employers, while Emirates and MTA plan to work with accredited healthcare providers on industry engagement, market intelligence and international best practices.
