Kenya Looks North: Chalbi Desert Headlines a Fresh Domestic Tourism Push

KTB flags off a new era of domestic travel in Samburu with #TwendeChalbi

Samburu, Kenya — The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has officially kicked off a new, conversion-focused leg of its domestic tourism drive with the flag-off of #TwendeChalbi at Samburu National Reserve.

The activation marks the beginning of the Tembea Kenya – Hapa Ni Wapi Sales Conversion Campaign, a strategic initiative designed to turn growing interest in local travel into actual bookings. The Northern Kenya circuit—anchored by the dramatic landscapes of the Chalbi Desert—serves as the campaign’s debut destination, before rolling out to Mambrui, Malindi, and Western Kenya in subsequent phases.

From Inspiration to Booking

Speaking at the launch on Monday 22 September 2026, KTB Chief Executive June Chepkemei described the initiative as a pivotal shift in how Kenya promotes its tourism market.

“Today, we mark the launch of a campaign that takes Kenya’s domestic tourism effort in a new direction,” Chepkemei said. “For years, Kenya’s domestic tourism has been shaped by strong destination marketing, compelling stories, and national pride. The effort has been further sustained through campaigns like Tembea Kenya – Hapa ni Wapi, which has been inviting Kenyans to rediscover the country they call home.”

However, Chepkemei noted that inspiring Kenyans to see their own country is only half the job; getting them to actually book the trip is the other. The new campaign is the board’s direct response to that gap, working with the travel trade to put together packages that are affordable, clearly priced, and available to book right now.

Putting Numbers to the Trip

At the core of the activation is a hard target: KTB is aiming to grow domestic bed nights from approximately 5.15 million (recorded in the 2025/26 financial year) to 5.6 million this year.

This requires generating roughly 450,000 additional bed nights—an 8.7 per cent growth from the existing base—and represents a significant push to support the country’s accommodation sector. While earlier reports indicated a domestic slowdown due to the rising cost of living, which saw bed nights land around 5.01 million in a previous financial year, more recent official figures suggest a rebound to 5.7 million bed nights for 2025/26, reflecting a 13.8 per cent year-on-year increase.

To hit the new targets, KTB is establishing a national platform that unites tour operators, county governments, and tourism partners under a single framework for selling structured packages. More than 50 operators from the Tour Operators Society of Kenya (TOSK) and the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) are participating in the initial Northern Kenya activation.

The Northern Circuit

The Chalbi Desert and wider Northern Kenya circuit were chosen to showcase the region’s wildlife, cultures, landscapes, and community-led conservation far from Kenya’s established mass-tourism routes.

Chepkemei highlighted that improved road infrastructure across Northern Kenya is a key enabler of the drive, opening up destinations once considered out of reach for ordinary travellers.

“Our target is to grow bed nights from the 5.15 million recorded in the 2025/26 financial year to 5.6 million this year, and we intend to achieve this through a series of regional activations, starting here in the north before we move to other underexplored circuits later in the year,” Chepkemei said.

A Unified Framework for the Trade

For the travel trade, the campaign addresses long-standing barriers to domestic travel—namely pricing and access.

“KTB’s role is to lead the marketing effort nationally, coordinate the industry, and track what matters most: bookings, bed nights, and business for our tourism enterprises,” Chepkemei added. “I, therefore, invite every Kenyan to look out for Tembea Kenya – Hapa Ni Wapi packages and take that trip today.”

Raymond Cheruiyot, Chairperson of TOSK, echoed the sentiment, noting that while members have long known Kenyans want to travel locally, the campaign now provides a clear structure to package the north affordably and sell it directly.

The #TwendeChalbi activation is the first step in a broader campaign designed to stimulate domestic travel, strengthen tourism businesses, and promote year-round travel across Kenya.