Kenya backs digital tourism push with launch of new payment platform

Speaking during the platform’s launch in Nairobi, Miano said the solution aligns with the government’s broader strategy to build a more competitive and digitally enabled tourism ecosystem.

“I must confess that I am already in love with this product,” she said, describing the platform as a timely innovation for the sector.

Tourism remains one of Kenya’s key economic sectors, generating about KSh500 billion in 2025 and supporting nearly three million jobs directly and indirectly, according to government data. More than 75 per cent of the workforce in the sector is under 35, underscoring its role in youth employment.

Miano said sustaining growth in the sector will require greater innovation, efficiency and improved visitor experiences.

TouristTap seeks to address longstanding payment challenges within the tourism value chain by enabling cashless transactions across multiple touchpoints, including airports, hotels, national parks, local markets and informal businesses such as kiosks, tuk-tuk operators and street vendors.

Miano said limited digital payment options have previously led to missed business opportunities for local tourism operators unable to process electronic transactions.

“This is the gap TouristTap is closing,” she said.

The launch comes as the government steps up digital transformation efforts across key sectors under President William Ruto’s administration, with digital payments increasingly viewed as essential infrastructure for modern tourism.

The platform has been developed by Craft Silicon and has been approved by the government for use across various tourism-related services. It was unveiled during the “Tap into Kenya” event.

TouristTap is backed by a partnership with KCB Bank as the acquiring partner and Visa through its CyberSource payment platform.

The system allows travellers to make payments using NFC-enabled mobile devices by entering local till numbers, paybills or mobile numbers and authorising transactions with a PIN.

Craft Silicon Group CEO Kamal Budhabhatti said the platform is intended to improve convenience for visitors while enhancing transparency and operational efficiency for service providers.

Visa’s General Manager and Vice-President for East Africa, Chad Pollock, said digital payments are increasingly central to the tourism experience.

Representing KCB, Johnson Ondicho said the bank is providing the acquiring infrastructure behind the platform.

Industry stakeholders expect the platform to support wider adoption of digital payments across Kenya’s tourism ecosystem as the country positions itself as a technology-driven travel destination.

“The future of tourism is digital, integrated, and experience-driven, and today, we take a bold step along that path,” Miano said.