Economy

40 hotels re-open as Italian tourists signal season rush

TOURS

Tourists enjoy themselves at the Serena Beach Hotel in Mombasa. Tourism stakeholders are optimistic that the sector is set for revamp. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT

More than 30 hotels and luxury villas have resumed operations at the Coast in the first clearest signal of investor confidence despite low visitor numbers that have plagued tourism in the last seven months.

Malindi and Watamu Tourism Association interim secretary Harvey Ndege said between 30 and 40 hotels, villas and cottages that closed down during the low season have opened their doors to welcome holidaymakers, mainly from Italy.

Italian chartered airline Meridiana Fly resumed flights from Rome to Mombasa last month bringing hope to the sector that had been hit by international tourist drought.

“The return of charter flights is key for the revival of the industry in Kilifi County, which had hit its lowest ebb since it depends on tourists from the Italian market,” said Mr Ndege.

The number of foreign visitors fell sharply in the first seven months of the year compared to last year after a spate of terrorist attacks that mostly affected the industry’s coastal bastions.

Official data indicates that 347,398 visitors arrived via the Jomo Kenyatta and Moi international airports between January and June compared to 428,223 in a similar period last year.

READ: Mombasa airport books the lowest number of foreigners

Mr Ndege, who is also the general manager at the Ocean Beach Resort in Malindi, said tourist arrivals from Italy are expected to rise as another Italian chartered airline, Francorosso, resumes flights from Milan to Mombasa on Wednesday.

He, however, warned that chartered airlines from Italy alone would not sustain tourism in Kilifi County since most of the visitors end up in Zanzibar.

He called on the government to allow airlines from the Gulf such as Qatar Airways, the Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways to introduce flights to Mombasa to boost international tourist arrivals.

He also noted that expansion of the Malindi Airport and the Ukunda Airstrip could attract regional airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir to help revive the industry.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast vice chairman Silas Kiti said the visits by US President Barack Obama and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi last month were a major boost to the tourism sector.

The KAHC official said the visits improved Kenya’s image as well as gave confidence to international tour operators and chartered airlines that the country is safe for holiday.

“At the moment, German holiday airline Condor flies to Mombasa from Frankfurt thrice a week coupled with flights from the Italian market,” Mr Kiti said.

The KAHC official was optimistic that some UK chartered airlines might also resume flights to Mombasa following bookings made by major British tour firms Kuoni, First Choice and Somak beginning September.