Business Daily (Nairobi)
Solomon Mburu
1 May 2008
Investors in the tourism industry have been offered more options with the opening up of 13 new sites for facility development inside national parks.
With the expected increase in tourist numbers, the 13 new sites located in prime parks present investors with an opportunity to increase bed capacity for Kenya's stretched tourism facilities.
An increase in the number of visitors in the last four years has raised concerns that bed capacity in the country may not handle the tourist numbers in the near future if the trend continues.
The number of visitors to the country shot up from 1.1 million in 2003 to two million in 2007. The Kenya Tourist Board is now targeting five million tourists in the next three years.
The increases led to a flurry of activities last year as major hotels closed up during the off peak season to expand their facilities in anticipation of the increased arrivals.
In total, the new sites will provide 252 new beds for accommodation of tourists visiting the parks.
Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) has called for expression of interest for the construction and management of the eco-tourism sites.
Tsavo East National Park which was the leading income earner for KWS last year with revenue of Sh538 million has opened one site at the Research Hill. The site, which has a 12- year lease, will provide for the construction of cottages with a bed capacity of 30. Lake Nakuru National Park, which grossed revenues of Sh525 million to become the second leading park in the country has opened up two sites each on a six year lease.
These are Flamingo house site for construction of a guest house and Lion Hill for the construction of cottages both with a capacity of six beds.
Tsavo West National Park has opened one site at L. Jipe area for the construction of cottages with a capacity of 12 beds on a 12 year lease.
Two sites in the Aberdare National Park located in the Central Mooreland and Salient areas have been provided for the construction of eco-lodges with a capacity of 24 beds each on a 12 year lease.
The Mwea National Reserve has also opened two sites for a 24 bed tented camp and a 12 bed cottage on a 20 year lease.
Nairobi National Park has also opened up a site at Kisembe for the construction of a 24 bed tented camp on a 20 year lease.
Twenty four bed eco-lodges have also been planned for the Kakamega National Reserve and Mt Elgon National Reserve both on a 20 year lease.
Other parks which have opened up sites include Saiwa Swamp National Park and Hells Gate National Park with sites for 12 and 24 bed cottages respectively.
Efforts to open up new tourism circuits in Northern and Western Kenya are also creating more need for tourism accommodation facilities.
Despite the new sites, experts say that more investments are needed in tourist facilities to meet the expected demand in visitors.
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