The beach side of Diani Reef in South Coast.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 21 – Mombasa is flooding with local and international tourists ahead of Christmas festivities set for next week.
Tourism and hospitality industry players said hotels and guest houses have recorded an average of 20 per cent increase in bookings at this period compared to the same period last year.
At the South Coast, Diani Reef Managing Director Bobby Kamani said business is booming with bookings from local and foreign tourists.
“It is an extremely busy festive period,” Bobby told Capital FM News. There is renewed confidence in destination Diani by the domestic market as well as an increase in international clientele visiting Diani.”
He said they have an extremely busy festive period “due to renewed confidence in Destination Diani by the domestic market as well as an increase in international clientele visiting.
Bobby, is among hoteliers picked by Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, to help boost marketing the country.
He was picked alongside Mohamed Hersi of Pollmans Tours and Travels, Rakhee Kantaria of Leisure Lodge, Sheema Merali (Neptune Hotels), Al Noor Kanji (English Point Marina) and Hasnain Noorani of Pride Inn.
Victor Shitakah, Coast Regional Manager for PrideInn Hotels said international holiday makers have gone up by 22.4 percent following an increase in number of chartered, international direct flights and local daily flights received in Mombasa.
Hospitality industry players are working hand-in-hand with the county security team and other security agencies to combat any form of crime during this merry making season.
“Hotels have come up with a range of interventions to ensure that guests are safe during this festive period, we want to assure all visitors coming to celebrate Christmas that the resort is safe for vacations,” said Shitakah.
Tourist arrivals in the nine months to September went up by 7.8 per cent to 777,791 from 723,174 visitors recorded during the same period in 2017.
According to the latest data from the Kenya Tourism Board arrivals through Moi International Airport Mombasa have improved with 84,286 visitors up from 57,588 arrivals in the same period last year, a 46 percent growth.
Kenya tourism and hospitality industry prospects are looking up after the 2014 reprehensible period when terror attacks and travel advisories threatened tourism industry.
The US – the top performing market – posted a 6 per cent increase in arrivals for the last nine months compared with the same period last year with 95,234 visitors up from 89,866 recorded last year.
UK, the second top performing market, also increased arrivals by 4.5 per cent in the last nine months with 82,509 visitors up from 78,930 for Jan-September period last year.
Germany recorded a 17.3 per cent growth with 79,972 visitors while France, within the same review period, posted an increase of visitors to 20,248 up from 16,403 same period last year, indicating a 23.4 per cent growth.
