Geoffrey Onyango serves Patrick Mwashighadi a drink, March 14, 2021. [Omondi Onyango,Standard]
Buoyed by a slight increase in the number of local tourists, hoteliers at the Coast remain hopeful in the
sector’s recovery plan despite a recent surge in the number of Covid-19 infections.Yesterday those interviewed reported a slight increase in booking inquiries for the Easter holidays, especially from local tourists, despite the extension of curfews and other restrictions.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said the hoteliers were witnessing a surge in hotel occupancy. “We are not having international guests at the moment. However, we are seeing a surge in hotel occupancy being taken up by local tourists,” said Mr Balala.
The CS said he expects the number of local tourists to go up once employees in the sector are vaccinated against Covid-19. He said he had submitted a request to the Cabinet to have personnel working in the hospitality industry included in the list of those getting the Covid-19 injection.
Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Executive officer Sam Ikwaye said they remain optimistic the sector will recover from the ravages of Covid-19. “If the vaccine roll-out is well managed, we could include this in our global campaigns to reassure travellers that Kenya is ready for business and that we are ready for post-Covid-19 engagements,” said Dr Ikwaye.
He said despite a terrible scenario last year, there had been a slight improvement in hotel occupancy of between 20 per cent and 30 per cent. “The sector is still in shock and the effects of the pandemic might take a while to go away. We do not know when we will be past this turbulent period, but we are happy that the government moved in to cushion the sector. The rolling out of the Covid-19 vaccine and the lifting of restrictions are quite a relief, but everyone has a duty to take personal responsibility even when travelling,” he said.
The sector has been on its knees for nearly a year, but hoteliers said subsidy schemes by the airlines, after the international flight ban was lifted in August last year, and the State’s Sh3 billion stimulus package, had helped the sector to remain afloat. “Things are steadying up after the lifting of the lock-down and the introduction of health protocols that we are observing. Local guests are back,” said Janet Chamia, a hotelier and investor.
Ms Chamia is the chairperson of the Kenya Association for Women in Tourism Mombasa County Chater, and the proprietor of Jacyjoka Holiday Apartments in Nyali, Mombasa. “Consistent marketing campaigns in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe is also bearing fruit,” she said, adding that she laid off 3 permanent staff because of the pandemic.
However, despite the State’s intervention and the opening of the Kenyan skies for international flights in August last year, hotel occupancy is yet to hit 25 per cent. Hoteliers are optimistic the arrival of Covid-19 vaccine recently will bolster tourists’ confidence. Last week, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said employees in the hospitality industry would also be prioritized in the vaccination of frontline workers.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2019 economic survey, bed occupancy in hotels was at 9 million (or 66 per cent) of the hotels’ capacity. The report showed that the number of international arrivals increased by 0.4 per cent to 2 million in that year although that was a slower growth compared to 14 per cent rise in 2018.
The Covid-19 outbreak in March last year wiped all these numbers, with night bed-occupancy dropping to below 10 per cent within a month, according to the stakeholders.
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