Naivasha Reaps Big as WRC Safari Rally Sparks Tourism Boom

A rally car at the 2025 WRC Safari Rally Kenya

Naivasha has witnessed a substantial throb of commercial activities after the 2025 WRC Safari Rally Kenya, which saw a huge influx of tourists into the city’s tourism and hospitality industries.  

Rally enthusiasts have been attracting both domestic and foreign tourists to the area which has seen the largest hoteliers, retailers, and service providers selling in the area.

Susan Muli Mwangi, a hotelier at Grand Tiara Hotel, confirmed that the influx of visitors has pushed hotels to full capacity, with demand spilling over to serviced apartments, boutique hotels, campsites, and Airbnb listings. 

“We have had to set up additional tents and outdoor seating to accommodate the overwhelming number of guests,” she said.

Other industries have not been left behind. 

Apart from the hospitality sector, local buyers and sellers, such as traders and local suppliers, have experienced increased demand, and their businesses obtain products from surrounding farms and Naivasha staples instead of Nairobi. 

Gas stations, shopping malls, and recreational centers are also experiencing more business.

Ugandan fans at the 2025 WRC Safari Rally

Ken Mugo, who runs a popular meat eatery, described the rally’s economic impact. 

“On a normal weekend, we sell about five to eight goats a day. By mid-day Wednesday, we had already sold eight,” he said. 

Sales have skyrocketed at nightclubs and restaurants with the supply unable to keep pace.

Bed night occupancy of domestic tourism increased by 12 percent, and international bed night occupancy increased by 20 percent with respect to the 2024 Tourism Performance Report. 

Major events such as the WRC Safari Rally, have only further pumped up the trend that the country is a top travel destination.

At the rally, Naivasha’s underlying attractions were showcased by hoteliers, including Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Hell’s Gate National Park and the geothermal spa — and hoteliers are now lobbying the government to ask Kenya to host beyond 2026.

CEO of Kenya Tourism Board June Chepkemei spoke of the rally’s impact in promoting sustainable tourism. 

She noted that participants are staying longer after the championship and exploring other parts of Kenya, including the coast.

At the same time, stakeholders are hopeful events like this will be kept alive in Kenya’s tourism calendar as it continues to thrive under the spotlight of global motorsport,