Hotels and parks at the Coast are attributing the high number of bookings to the Madaraka Express, especially for first-time visitors.
Besides cutting the time it takes to travel to Mombasa, the train has diversified transport means.
Since introduction of the service in June, tourist facilities in Mombasa, Diani and Tsavo East and West national parks have been receiving more visitors compared with previous years.
The trains have gained popularity among Kenyans and international visitors due to cheaper fare of Sh700 and the shorter time they take to arrive in Mombasa and Nairobi (about five hours), compared with buses, which take eight hours.
Passengers travelling on the Madaraka Express enjoy free game viewing — including elephants, buffaloes, impalas, zebras and giraffes — in Tsavo East and West national parks.
Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA) chairman Victor Shitakha said the railway is a big boost to the sector.
“Domestic tourists ferried by trains from Nairobi cushioned hotels in Mombasa against low international guest numbers during the long electioneering period,” he said.
Mr Shitakha, who is also the Kenya Safari Lodges and Hotels chief executive, said Tsavo East and West national parks had benefited from the service.
He said Voi Safari Lodge in Tsavo East National Park had 65 per cent occupancy as a result of local visitors by rail to Voi, compared with 30 per cent before the train service started.
Ngulia Safari Lodge in Tsavo West National Park, said Mr Shitakha, had 70 per guest occupancy.
“The trains have made travel to Tsavo parks more convenient as they take a shorter time to get to game viewing spots. Previously, tourists used to spend hours on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway after being caught up in traffic,” he said.
Bamburi Beach Hotel general manager Charles Ibukah said the hotel had 70 per cent occupancy, compared with 60 per cent last month, bolstered by local tourists arriving by rail.
“We also have international visitors from Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland, who are here to enjoy the warm weather,” he said.
In the South Coast, Diani Reef Beach Resort managing director Bobby Kamani said visitors were proceeding to Diani after travelling by rail to Mombasa.
“The flow of tourists to Diani has improved,” he said.
Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Tsavo and Amboseli Circuit branch chairman Willy Mwadilo said lodges and camps had been receiving more local tourists following the introduction of the Madaraka Express.
“The trains have boosted visitor numbers as tourists from Nairobi drop off at Mtito Andei or Voi for safari. Lodges and camps are nowadays busy,” he said. Last week, Kenya Railways Corporation managing director Atanas Maina confirmed that the trains were fully booked.
He said there were many groups and families travelling from Nairobi to the Coast for holiday or business, and an equally huge number of people travelling from the Coast to Nairobi and upcountry.
“People who wish to travel by train for Christmas and New Year to Mombasa or Nairobi should book early to avoid disappointment,” he said.
Mr Maina said from November 1, the number of passengers travelling by train had increased to between 4,500 and 4,800, up from 2,700 in October. Meanwhile, the KRC boss said they would maintain the current frequency and fare until they carry out a study on travel patterns in the past five months.
“If the passenger demand is stable, we will increase the frequency,” he added.
Kenya Tourism Federation chairman Mohamed Hersi called on Kenya Railways to increase the number of trains on the route. “Many domestic tourists want to travel to Mombasa by train for the festive season, but sadly the trains are fully booked,” he said.
Mr Hersi is also the Sun Africa Hotels chief executive officer.
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