Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania Set to Deliver Africa’s Next Wave of Hotel Supply as Global Brands Expand Across East Africa With nearly 80% of pipeline rooms already under construction in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania, East Africa is rapidly emerging as Africa’s most dynamic hotel development market, drawing aggressive expansion from global hospitality giants including Marriott International, Hilton, Accor, Radisson Hotel Group and IHG Hotels & Resorts as the continent rides a wave of record tourism growth.

Eastern Africa is emerging as the continent’s most dynamic hotel development market, with Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania set to deliver the next wave of new hospitality supply as global brands accelerate their expansion across the region.

A new report on hotel development pipelines across Africa shows that while North Africa dominates the continent’s total pipeline, East Africa leads in construction momentum, with nearly 80% of planned hotel rooms in Kenya and Ethiopia already under construction and Tanzania close behind.

The surge is drawing major international operators, including Marriott International, Hilton, Accor, Radisson Hotel Group and IHG Hotels & Resorts, all seeking to deepen their presence in one of Africa’s fastest-growing tourism and business travel corridors.

The findings come from the 2026 Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report compiled by W Hospitality Group, which shows that Africa’s hotel development pipeline has reached a record 675 hotels and resorts representing 123,846 rooms.

The pipeline has grown by 18.6% year-on-year, highlighting renewed investor confidence in the continent’s tourism and hospitality sector.

Although Egypt and Morocco dominate the overall pipeline in terms of scale, the data reveal a different story when it comes to projects actively progressing toward completion.

East Africa’s leading markets, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania, have some of the highest proportions of hotel projects already under construction, positioning the region to deliver a substantial share of Africa’s next wave of hotel openings over the coming years.

Africa’s expanding hotel development pipeline

Across Africa, hotel development activity is increasingly concentrated in a handful of markets that continue to attract the majority of international investment.

Top African countries by hotel development pipeline (2026)

Together, the top 10 countries account for roughly 79% of the continent’s hotel development pipeline and more than three-quarters of newly signed deals.

Egypt remains the dominant market with 45,984 rooms across 185 properties, representing more than one-third of Africa’s entire hotel pipeline. Morocco follows with 10,606 rooms, while Nigeria ranks third with 8,480 rooms.

However, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania are increasingly emerging as East Africa’s key hospitality growth markets, with nearly 100 hotel projects and more than 16,000 rooms currently planned or under development across the three countries.

East Africa leads in construction momentum

While North Africa leads in overall pipeline size, East Africa is ahead when it comes to projects actively under construction.

Hotel pipeline construction status in key African markets

Kenya and Ethiopia lead the continent with nearly 80% of pipeline rooms already under construction, closely followed by Tanzania with 77.5%.

This high level of project execution suggests that East Africa is likely to deliver a significant portion of Africa’s new hotel supply in the short to medium term.

Global hotel brands accelerate East Africa expansion

Much of this growth is being driven by the aggressive expansion strategies of major global hotel operators seeking to strengthen their African portfolios.

Leading global hotel brands in Africa’s development pipeline

Together, these five international operators account for around 80% of Africa’s hotel pipeline, highlighting the growing influence of global hospitality brands across the continent.

In East Africa, these companies are targeting both established gateway cities and emerging tourism destinations.

Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Dar es Salaam remain major business travel hubs, while leisure destinations such as Zanzibar, the Serengeti corridor, Kenya’s coastal resorts and Ethiopia’s cultural heritage sites are attracting increasing interest from hotel developers.

Africa emerges as the world’s fastest-growing tourism region

The surge in hotel development across East Africa is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader tourism boom across the continent.

According to the UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer released in January 2026, Africa has emerged as the fastest-growing tourism region globally, having fully recovered from the pandemic and outperforming other global regions in recent growth rates.

Africa Tourism Performance (2023–25)

In 2025, Africa welcomed approximately 81 million international visitors, representing 8% growth compared to 2024, the strongest performance of any region globally and double the global average growth rate.

The previous year, 2024, marked the moment when Africa’s tourism sector fully surpassed pre-pandemic levels, recording 7% more arrivals than in 2019.

Strong tourism outlook supports hotel investment

Looking ahead, the outlook for African tourism remains highly positive, though growth is expected to normalise as the post-pandemic travel surge stabilises.

Tourism outlook for Africa

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, tourism could generate as much as $168 billion in economic value for Africa over the next 10 years, highlighting the sector’s expanding contribution to economic growth, employment and foreign exchange earnings.

Drivers behind East Africa’s hospitality boom

Several structural factors are helping fuel East Africa’s hospitality expansion.

Air connectivity remains a critical driver. Major regional hubs such as Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Kigali have significantly strengthened their connectivity through airlines including Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways, making the region more accessible to international travellers.

East Africa’s aviation market alone is projected to grow by approximately 5% annually, reinforcing its role as a gateway for tourism into the continent.

Visa facilitation is also improving travel flows. Countries such as Kenya and Rwanda have introduced simplified visa policies, making it easier for tourists to visit multiple destinations across the region.

At the same time, major investments in tourism infrastructure, including airports, highways, resorts and conference facilities, are helping convert rising global interest in Africa into actual visitor arrivals.

East Africa positioned as Africa’s next hospitality frontier

Despite global economic uncertainties, the strong pipeline of hotel construction in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania signals a clear shift in Africa’s hospitality development map.

While North Africa continues to dominate the continent’s overall hotel pipeline, East Africa is increasingly emerging as the region where projects are progressing most rapidly from planning to construction and delivery.

For international hotel brands, the region represents a compelling opportunity: a combination of rapid tourism growth, expanding business travel, improved connectivity and relatively limited branded hotel supply.

If current trends continue, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania are poised to become the primary drivers of Africa’s next hotel development cycle, placing East Africa at the centre of the continent’s evolving hospitality and tourism economy.