The Nation (Nairobi)
Mathias Ringa
1 November 2009
Nairobi — Kenya's tourism industry is set for major recovery next month, following impressive foreign tourist bookings, according to hoteliers. The industry, which had been dented by the post-election violence early last year, compounded by a global financial crisis that robbed it of holidaymakers, now seems to be looking up.
According to Mr Charles Muya, Serena Beach Hotel general manager, 50 per cent of guests in his establishment are foreign, with the number expected to shoot to more than 80 per cent in December. Speaking during a phone interview on Monday, he said the hotel had a 90 per cent bed occupancy currently, including local tourists, but by mid-month it will be bursting at the seams with guests till next year.
He attributed the increase of foreign holidaymakers' bookings to aggressive marketing campaigns by the Kenya Tourist Board in major source markets of Europe and other continents. Recently, Tourism minister Najib Balala, announced that the industry has improved remarkably with the number of foreign tourists expected to go above the one million mark, compared to last year's 725,000.
The setting in of the winter season coupled with Christmas and New Year festivities, he said, would play a part in boosting the number of foreign tourists. "We are glad that bookings from our tourist source markets are on an upward trend compared to last year's worst performance, which was occasioned by the post-election violence," the hotelier said.
"From mid-month, we shall have a big number of foreign holidaymakers and in December the industry will have recovered from last year's downturn," he said. The school holidays next month are also expected to put the icing on the cake in the sector. Mr Bimal Thaker, Baobab Beach Resort and Spa director, said the hotel currently had more than 70 per cent of foreign guests and that bookings from European source markets were on the increase.
He expects the hotel to record a 100 per cent occupancy in early December, with majority of visitors being foreign holidaymakers. "In our hotel, we have a large number of foreign guests and as we gear towards December, we would have recovered from the drought of foreign tourists," he said.
"Local tourists too, are expected to flock our establishments, especially during Christmas and New Year. In December up to March next year, business will be better compared to last year," he added.
During winter
Mr Isaac Rodrot, Temple Point general manager, said hotels in Malindi and Watamu were expected to record higher numbers of foreign tourists in mid-December. He added that bookings are set to shoot up to more than 50 per cent, compared to between 10 and 30 per cent currently.
"Foreign tourist numbers are expected to pick up from mid-December as Italian tourists will be coming on holiday during the winter, as well as Christmas and New Year."
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