What You Need to Know
Kenya has launched TouristTap, a mobile payment platform enabling tourists to pay for goods and services directly from their devices without needing local SIM cards. The initiative aims to streamline transactions, enhance the visitor experience, and support financial inclusion, aligning with the country’s digital transformation goals in tourism.
Africa-Press – Kenya. Tourists visiting Kenya can now pay for goods and services directly to mobile money platforms without the need for local sim cards.
This is after the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife unveiled TouristTap, which enables visitors to pay like locals by using their card directly from their NFC enabled mobile devices.
Travelers simply download and register on the TouristTap app, choose where to pay by entering the local till, paybill or mobile number, and complete the payment with a simple tap on their phone and secure PIN.
Payments are processed instantly, allowing tourists to transact seamlessly at shops, markets, hotels, and attractions without the need for cash or currency exchange.
Speaking at the official launch in Nairobi on Wednesday, Tourism CS Rebecca Miano described the platform as a timely and transformative solution aligned with Kenya’s ambition of building a globally competitive, digitally enabled tourism ecosystem.
“I must confess that I am already in love with this product,” she said, underscoring its potential to simplify transactions for both international visitors and local users.
Recounting past inefficiencies, Miano cited missed economic opportunities due to lack of accessible payment systems, including instances where local businesses lost high-value clients because they could not process digital transactions.
“This is the gap TouristTap is closing,” she said. “Every touchpoint of a visitor’s journey will now become smoother, more modern, and user-friendly.”
The launch comes as President William Ruto’s government accelerates digital transformation across key sectors.
According to Miano, seamless digital payments are no longer a luxury but a baseline expectation for modern travelers.
She said that TouristTap introduces a unified cashless ecosystem designed to enhance transparency, streamline transactions, and strengthen revenue collection.
Miano pointed to successful digitization efforts such as automated parking systems at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, which have significantly boosted revenues by eliminating manual processes.
Kamal Budhabhatti, Group chief executive officer, Craft Silicon, said that the platform’s broader impact represents a new era of convenience for travelers visiting Kenya.
“By enabling secure, cashless payments across the tourism ecosystem, we are not only enhancing the visitor experience but also supporting financial inclusion, transparency, and operational efficiency for service providers.”
At the core of this innovation is a strategic partnership with KCB Bank as the payments partner, alongside Visa, powered through the advanced capabilities of CyberSource, delivered via the Visa Acceptance Platform.
CyberSource is used by banks and businesses worldwide to securely process digital payments, manage fraud risk, and support fast, reliable transactions on a scale.
This collaboration ensures that TouristTap operates on globally trusted standards of security, reliability, and scalability, supporting high-volume, real-time transactions across the tourism value chain.
Tourism remains a cornerstone of Kenya’s economy, generating approximately Sh500 billion in 2025 and supporting nearly three million jobs directly and indirectly.
Tourism is vital to Kenya’s economy, contributing significantly to GDP and employment. The sector has faced challenges, including inefficiencies in payment systems that hindered visitor experiences and local business opportunities. The introduction of digital payment solutions like TouristTap represents a strategic move to modernize the tourism landscape, making it more accessible and efficient for both tourists and local businesses. This aligns with global trends towards cashless transactions and the increasing expectations of modern travelers.
