Mazera Ndurya & Daniel Nyassy
8 July 2009
Nairobi — The tourist high season has started on a high note at the Coast with increased activities reported at the Moi International airport in Mombasa and the Malindi airport.
Several major airlines resumed their flights through Mombasa from Tuesday, according to the airport manager Yatich Kangugo.
Of interest, Mr Kangugo said, is the maiden flight of Africa Express which flies between Nairobi-Mombasa and Oman which is set to open up the emerging Middle East market.
Cosair from Milan, the Condor of Germany, Monarch Air from Manchester in the UK and Zanair have already resumed their flights into the Mombasa airport.
"We are very optimistic this year and the good thing is that we are seeing growth despite the global economic crunch. More charter flights are expected from next week and set to heighten the activities at the airport," Mr Kangugo said.
Neos and Air Italy brought guests through Zanzibar and Moi International Airport bringing an unknown number of guests according to Italian consular in Malindi Mr Roberto Macri.
Mr Macri said another charter flight, Euroflying, will start trips to Kenya on July 21. The three charter flights will be bringing guests to Kenya once in a week through Zanzibar.
The consular said there was uncertainty in the tourism industry and the season did not look very good. The presence of swine flu and cholera in the country had caused some jitters in Europe, said Mr Macri.
"Although the swine flu and cholera reports in Kenya have not had very bad effects in the industry, there is some uncertainty and some tension in Italy," he said, during an interview in Malindi on Tuesday.
Mr Macri said hotels would reopen but bed occupancy is expected to remain low throughout the July-August high season.
This is partly due to a similar summer climatic condition between Malindi and Italy as well as high air fares to travel to Kenya.
"When it is cheaper to stay in Italy and enjoy similar climatic conditions than to come to Kenya, many people would choose the former," he said.
It costs between 900 and 1,000 euros for a tourist to visit Kenya inclusive of travel, accommodation and food "out of which 60 to 70 per cent goes to air fare," said Mr Macri.
He said marketing efforst by the Kenya Tourism Board and other agencies had not shown exciting results adding that much more had to be done which includes diversifying the target market.
Overdependency on the Italian market had resulted in low bookings in the North Coast, Mr Macri said last month.
"The Kenyan marketers should diversify and look beyond Italy. They should market the destination in France, Germany, Asia and even America," he said.
Meanwhile, local hotels continue to rely on conferences to survive the economic downturn as the low season comes to an end.
The general manager of Sunrise Resort, Apartments and Spa Titus Kangangi said his hotel was fully booked for international conferences.
"Business is good and we are grateful to the media for their part in highlighting the positive attributes and this has had a positive impact on the industry," he said.
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