Hotels in the North Coast region have opened for the high tourism season and are hopeful they will get more tourists this year.
Already in areas like Watamu and parts of Malindi, hotels recorded booming business in the month of August and expect the numbers to rise in the coming months up to April next year.
July is the start of high season for tourism sector in the country.
Last year, the country got about 1.5 million tourists visit which is an improvement after tourism numbers dipped due to Covid-19.
Hoteliers have already expressed their optimism with large number of bookings they have received.
In preparation for the high season, some resorts have upgraded their facility to suit modern-day travellers and are switching from Makuti to flats to reduce the risk of fire.
At the Jacaranda area near Watamu, Daniele Tirito who is the general manager of Jacaranda Beach Resort which faces the famous Sardinia Due (two) Island, said they are happy the season has begun well and expect booming business up to April.
“We started the new season very well, a lot of tourists are coming especially from Italy, during this time of Summer. A lot of tourists usually come from Italy," he said.
Tirito said this time they decided to renew their hotel and change the Makuti roofs for safety reasons and give a new shape to the resorts.
He said they also upgraded most of their rooms, particularly the beach rooms, to meet the standards of the hotel and the destination which needed a facelift to attract more tourists.
Tirito said from now to Easter, the forecast for occupancy was good as tour operators in Italy were pushing hard to sell the destination, adding that currently, they have increased charter flights.
He said they have tourists also from France, the Czech Republic, and Germany who have increased interest in touring Kenya for holidays.
“Even in terms of the local market from Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa we are always receiving for weekends or the holidays and we need all kinds of customers,” he said.
“To me, the Kenyan Coast has to be a middle high-class level target for the tourists. I can say that we are quite happy with the new government for all the efforts that they are putting into the tourism sector, we just need a few things to be improved,” he said.
Tirito said the government should install streetlights along Jacaranda Watamu Road, and increase security on the beaches and on the streets of Watamu and Malindi.
He said so far, the local politicians including the area MP Owen Baya, Kilifi County government under the leadership of Gideon Mung’aro together with the National government at large, have been helpful in ensuring they have a proper environment for operating in the sector.
Tirito said his family owns three hotels including Jacaranda Beach Resort which is the biggest with 149 rooms, Jumbo Resort which has 89 rooms and Bravo Club Watamu which is managed by Alpitoure a big tour operator in Italy with 75 rooms.
“All the three hotels were renewed because we have to meet the demand for the tourists, so we have to always improve and change according to what they need,” he said.
The hotelier said what happened in February this year when a fire broke out and destroyed four resorts in Watamu, forced them to opt to change from Makuti as it was impossible to maintain the hotels with such roofs.
Silvano De Lagata a tourist from Italy said he was happy to be in Kenya and Jacaranda in particular for holiday.
Lagata said he is on a 14-day holiday which has been full of fun.
“I am happy I have enjoyed Watamu, I experienced excursions and Safari to Tsavo East it was very beautiful,” he said.
