Nairobi, Feb 23 (IANS): Kenya's earnings from tourism rose to $2.13 billion in 2022 compared to $1.16 billion in 2021, according to data released by the state-owned Tourism Research Institute (TRI).

The TRI said on Wednesday that the country's international tourist arrivals in 2022 were 1.48 million, representing a 70.45 per cent increase as compared to 870,465 arrivals in 2021.

Peninah Malonza, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage who released the findings in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, said that the tourism sector's performance was indicative of a gradual but sustained progress toward the pre-Covid-19 visitor arrivals numbers.

"This growth can be attributed to many source countries lessening their Covid-19 restrictions and opening for travel," she added.

Tourism is one of Kenya's leading sources of foreign exchange alongside horticulture, tea, and Diaspora remittances, according to statistics from the government, Xinhua news agency reported.

Malonza said that the US was the leading source of foreign tourists with 209,360, followed closely by Uganda, Britain, and Tanzania.

She revealed that when it comes to the purpose of the visit, visitors on holiday took the lead with 36.6 per cent, followed closely by those visiting friends and family at 27.8 per cent of the total number of international arrivals. And the rest of the foreign tourists came to Kenya for business and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), education, sport and medical purposes.