Hotels Report Impressive Tourist Arrivals

After a lull in international tourist arrivals following the March 4 General Election, there has been a surge of visitors who have hit an all-time high this year.

Bookings have shot up at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and at the Coast, Mt Kenya and Rift Valley regions. This welcome turn of events is attributed to the peaceful election campaign and the ushering in of the Jubilee government.

According to Narok County Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) deputy senior warden Moses Kuyoni, lodges and tented camps in the Mara are bursting at the seams with wildlife enthusiasts who have poured in to watch the spectacular wildebeest migration.

The migration began in mid-June with vast numbers of the herbivores in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania crossing the Mara River in their annual journey that has been described as the Eighth New Wonder of the World.

KWS senior warden Bernard Koruta said the wildlife agency had partnered with the local government to boost security in and around the game reserve to ensure the safety of locals and visitors.

In Nakuru, Lake Nakuru Lodge marketing director Joseph Muya said bookings were up 90 per cent, adding that most of the visitors were from countries not traditionally known to tour Kenya like China, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan.

The rest, he noted, had come from traditional source markets like the United Kingdom, the United States, Nigeria and South Africa.

He attributed the rise in bookings to the lodge’s aggressive marketing campaign in the Far East, Europe and the US.

Lake Nakuru National Park, he added, had also proved to be a magnet for tourists due to its abundant flamingoes and other wildlife attractions such as tree-climbing lions, rhinos, leopards and giraffes.

In Nanyuki, Sweet waters Serena Camp general manager James Odenyo said the facility had over 80 per cent occupancy with 70 of the guests international tourists from India, China, the UK and the US.

He expressed optimism that the number of arrivals would remain high until October, adding that the visitors were lured by wildlife attractions such as black rhinos, lions and chimpanzees.

At the Coast, at least 30 hotels that had been shut have re-opened while more than 5,000 casual and contracted workers who had been laid off have resumed work.

For the last three months, hotels in the region kept afloat by targeting domestic tourists and conferencing.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Malindi and Watamu branch chairman Philip Chai identified Malindi and Watamu and Kilifi resort towns as having been hardest hit by the low international tourist arrivals.

“We are delighted that the high season has just kicked off, offering a lifeline to thousands of workers who had been at home,” he said.

In Mombasa, Voyager Hotel general manager Sylvester Mbandi said the hotel had seen a rise in international visitors.

“Following the start of the high season on July 15, occupancy has gone up due to soaring number of foreign guests. Many are jetting in for the warm weather and to have fun on the beaches,” he said.

The tourists, he added, were mainly from England, the Netherlands and Germany.

 Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Coast vice-chairman Vikram Korla said hotels on the South Coast expect good business this month with the few that had shut during the low season reopening.

“The combination of international guests and locals who will be coming here during the school holiday will boost the industry,” he said.

Moi International Airport manager Yatich Kangugo said more than 10 European charter airlines from Italy, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland that had withdrawn services in March and April due to the General Election and the low season have resumed flights to Mombasa.

“The high season has started with most charter airlines flying back to the coastal town. The outlook is promising,” he said, adding that expectations were high that the number of international arrivals would rise this month as the season gathers momentum.

Kenya Association of Tour Operators Coast branch chairperson Monika Solanki said tour firms were busy as more tourists booked game drives to witness the wildebeest migration.

Kenya Tourism Board managing director Muriithi Ndegwa said he expected a good season in the wake of peace enjoyed in the country.

The sector, he added, was destined for recovery due to KTB’s aggressive marketing campaigns in both traditional and emerging source markets.

The participation of Kenyan travel and tourism players in the International Tourism Board Berlin fair in Germany, he noted, coupled with road shows and advertising activities abroad had boosted international tourist numbers.

Mr Ndegwa said tourist numbers from across the continent were also on the increase owing to marketing drives in South Africa and the East African region.

Daily Nation  August, 4, 2013