Reconfiguring Tourism Systems after Crisis: Government Strategic Interventions and Post - Pandemic Performance Trajectories in Kenya

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Government of Kenya’s strategic interventions in reviving the tourism sector during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period, using secondary data from national reports, policy documents, and international tourism databases covering 2019 - 2024. Anchored on the Destination Resilience Framework, the report examines how fiscal stimulus measures, health and safety procedures, digital marketing efforts, e-visa facilitation, capacity-building programs, and the New Tourism Strategy (2021-2025) aided the sector's recovery. Trend and time-series studies demonstrate that international arrivals and tourism receipts recovered significantly after the 2020 downturn and exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 2023-2024, demonstrating the material impact of government-led measures. The findings show that Kenya's tourist rebound was fueled by a mix of rapid crisis-response operations and long-term adaptation efforts that increased destination resilience. The study indicates that coordinated government measures were critical to rejuvenating the tourism sector and advises additional research that includes stakeholder views, long-term effect evaluations, and comparative analysis to improve knowledge of tourism resilience.