Coast hoteliers focus on conferences to stay open after boom
Foreign tourists at the Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT
Domestic tourists at the Coast have drastically reduced with the reopening of schools leaving hotels to rely on conferences and international guests to stay afloat after festive season boom.
Hotel occupancy across the region has risen to between 40 and 60 per cent compared to 25 and five per cent in the same period last year.
Of the 40 and 60 per cent guest numbers, international occupancy is at between 20 and 50 per cent compared to 10 and three per cent, January last year.
In Watamu, Garoda Beach Resort resident manager Daniel Mwita said the hotel which was full from the New Year holiday to last Saturday, currently has 65 per cent occupancy.
“We are happy that at the moment, 55 per cent of our guests are from the international market compared to 20 per cent last year ,” he said.
The hotelier attributed the improvement in international guests to improved security coupled with the lift of travel bans by some western countries last year.
Mr Mwita said tourism could fully recover in Watamu if the government expands the Malindi airport to allow international direct flights from Europe.
In Mombasa, Travellers Beach Hotel marketing manager Wafula Waswa said the hotel had 60 per cent occupancy with 45 per cent being international guests.
He added that the hotel expects more international arrivals in the forthcoming tourist high season following marketing campaigns in Italy and Poland.
“It is encouraging that this month we have 45 per cent of international guests compared to three per cent, January last year,” he said.
“We expect 2016 to be a better year due to improved security and the rise in international tourist arrivals from Germany, the UK and Switzerland markets.”
In Diani, Leopard Beach Resort general manager Omar Mohamed said the hotel had 57 per cent occupancy with 30 per cent being international guests. He added that the hotel was targeting to improve guest numbers by hosting conferences.
However, the hotelier said he expects international tourist arrivals to increase this year following the government’s Sh5.2 billion tourism recovery campaign this year.
Heritage Hotels chief executive officer Mohamed Hersi said Voyager Hotel had 25 per cent international guests out of a total occupancy of 60 per cent.
Jacaranda Indian Ocean Beach Resort general manager Ann Safari said the hotel was busy yesterday due to a local conference.
She added that the hotel was also banking on both domestic and international markets to boost guest numbers.
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