If you are looking to tour the Coast this festive season, make sure that you have made the necessary hospitality arrangements as soon as possible as hotels in the region are almost fully booked.
PrideInn Hotels Mombasa Region General Manager Victor Shitakha on October 29 said that he expects hotels in the region to be full before December.
“Bookings in 2017 were low owing due to the prolonged election period. This year however, we are forecasting an economic boon in the last quarter of 2018 and in early 2019 during the holiday season,” said Mr. Shitakha.
The hotel group Managing Director Hasnain Noorani says that the tourism industry has recovered in 2018, a stark contrast to 2017 when the industry was rocked by the prolonged electioneering period as well as travel advisories and security threats.
Mr. Noorani attributes the recovery to relaxed political temperatures especially after the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga and tightened security.
The Managing Director said the hotel industry is expecting to benefit from infrastructure projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Dongo Kundu Bypass as well as the direct flights to and fro US.
READ: KENYA, SOUTH AFRICA TO STRENGTHEN TOURISM TIES
“We have very positive projections for this year. With the newly launched low cost flights, increased charter flights into the coast and the introduction of the direct flight to the US, there will most certainly be more business into the country and coastal region hotels will see an increase in occupancies” said Mr. Noorani.
