Hotels in Mombasa and the south Coast have recorded impressive tourist bookings following security concerns in Lamu.

Hotel managers said the sector was not hit by cancellation of bookings by international tourists after Somali gangs kidnapped a British couple and a French woman in Lamu over the past month.

On Wednesday, diplomats said the French Woman had died in the hands of the kidnappers, believed to be al Shabaab militia.

"Some hotels in Mombasa and the south Coast have recorded impressive bookings despite the Lamu security worries," said Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association chairman Mohamed Hersi.

Mr Hersi, the general manager of Sarova Hotels and Lodges at the Coast, said most hotels had bed occupancy of between 70 and 90 per cent. The tourist high season peaks during Christmas and New Year holidays.

He said hotels were now marketing their services and Kenya as a destination through social websites such as Facebook.

"New bookings are trickling in as our customers in the West know that Kenya is safe for holidays and they understand that cases of kidnappings can happen anywhere in the world," he explained.

He, however, called on the government to heighten security in the tourist destinations to root out insecurity.

"When tourists come on holiday their safety is of paramount importance. The government should therefore accord its people and visitors adequate security for sustainable tourism," he said.

In the south Coast, Baobab Beach Resort director Bimal Thaker said the hotel had a 90 per cent bed occupancy with 85 per cent being guests from Europe. Mr Bimal, however, added that some visiting tourists were still worried about their safety and called on the government to ensure that no more cases of kidnappings happen in the country.

"We have a lot of international tourists on holiday an indication that visitors feel secure," he said.

"We support the government's efforts to root out insecurity in Lamu." Serena Beach hotel general manager Tuva Mwahunga said the hotels' bed occupancy had improved from 69 per cent last month to 74 per cent this month.

Mr Mwahunga added that this was an indication that the industry was still vibrant despite the Lamu worries.

However, he said, some customers had called the hotel to inquire about the security situation. Travellers Beach Hotel marketing manager Carollyne Kurumei said the hotel had bed occupancy of 71 per cent compared to 60 per cent last year.

Ms Kurumei added that the hotel had 40 per cent of international tourists while the rest were from the East African region. Last year, the country recorded the highest number of international tourists ever at 1,095,945 compared to 952,481 in 2009.