Tourism investors call for talks with West to lift travel warnings

Tourism sector investors want President Uhuru Kenyatta to hold talks with US and UK governments to press for the lifting of travel advisories which have crippled the industry.

Kenya Coast Tourist Association (KCTA) chairman Mohamed Hersi said the sector’s recovery depends on how soon Western countries lift the advisories.

The region has witnessed a sharp drop in the number of charter flights which has seen some hotels close down.

READ: Coast hotels struggle with low numbers after holidays

“We fail to understand why Western countries have not revised travel bans yet security has improved at the coast and other parts of the country,” said Mr Hersi.

Hotels in Mombasa, he said, now depend on tourists from Germany and a few locals who turn up for conferencing.

Kwale tourism executive Adan Sheikh said hotels in Diani have been hit by lack of international guests owing to small number of charter flights from Europe to Mombasa. He added that hotel occupancy averages at between 15 per cent and 30 per cent partly as a result of travel advisories.

To revive the sector, he said, the government should encourage more international airlines to fly to Mombasa to boost tourist arrivals.

Lake Nakuru Lodge marketing director Joseph Muya said hotels in the region had empty beds due to lack of holidaymakers.

Mr Muya said that hotels had started laying off workers due to the tourism downturn.

“It is time the government worked out ways of reviving the sector or else more hotel workers are going to lose their jobs,” he warned.