Editorials

Back investments in hotels

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Radisson Blu in Nairobi’s Upper Hill. FILE PHOTO | NMG

A new report has revealed that 24 global hotel brands are considering opening new facilities in Kenya this year, as the hospitality industry recovers from the effects of the Covid-19 crisis.

The survey by hospitality advisory firm W Hospitality Group says the new hotels will bring to the Kenyan market 3,155 new hotel rooms, making the country the top seven hotspots for new luxury hotels in the African continent.

About 2,450 rooms or more than three-quarters of the planned hotel rooms were considered “onsite” meaning they are under construction.

This development is wonderful news to the tourism industry coming at a time when several hotels that shut down due to the pandemic are yet to fully reopen.

But Kenya is still not the favourite destination for investors despite its location, rich game parks, and tourist attraction sites.

With the likes of Hilton exiting its iconic investment in Nairobi and InterContinental Hotel closing shop, the government must move with speed to engage stakeholders to remove any bottlenecks that are denying the country new investments.