Nakuru — Unprecedented numbers of both international and local tourists are making bookings to Nakuru county ahead of the Christmas festivities.

The Chairman of the Nakuru County Tourism Board David Mwangi said the service industry was excited by the high number of bookings for both local and international tourists who are planning to spend their Christmas holiday in the county.

He said unlike in the past when the hotels relied only on foreign tourists. For the last five years, the number of local tourists has surpassed the former by a whopping 50 percent.

"We hope this year's festival season, which begins on the 12th of this month will push the figures higher," said Mwangi.

The chairman noted with excitement that some local tourists started booking as early as last month to avoid the last-minute rush and that a number of hotels in the Central Business District (CBD) were already 80 per cent booked.

He said dissimilar to other counties, the centrality of Nakuru city was one of the attractions and has a high number of hotels whose charges were favourable for the tourists.

He commended the local tourists for having elevated the county to the most preferred and desired after the coastal region.

But, he said Naivasha was currently competing positively with other well-known tourist attractions in Africa due to the warmer climate and discreet atmosphere.

He noted that Naivasha has become popular with garden weddings because the charges for grounds, tents, and catering services were much cheaper than in Nairobi.

Additionally, he said Lake Elementaita which hardly attracted local tourists has now become a crowd puller, and its shores are grazed with zebras, gazelle, eland, and families of warthog, while the surrounding forests are perfect for long walks and bird-watching.

Other tourist attractions in the county include Menengai Crater, Lord Egerton Castle, Kariandusi museum, and large-scale farms that are offering homestay services that are liked by families since it gives their children a chance to learn that "milk is produced by cows".

The chairman said last year, over 426,000 tourists visited the Hell's gate and the Lake Nakuru National park, and this year, many more were anticipated. - Kna