•More than 30,000 employees in the hotel industry have been sent home countrywide.
•There is no tourism, stay at home. Travel when it is safe, Kenya Tourism Federation chair Mohammed Hersi says.
Image: FILE
Hotels at the Coast are counting losses this year as reduced domestic travel, spending and an entry ban take a toll on the tourism industry.
There is no Easter this year, hotel industry players have concluded as over 90 per cent of facilities at the Coast and the entire country remain closed, as Kenyans remain at home to help contain the coronavirus spread
Traditionally, the Easter holidays, which mostly coincides with the closure of schools during the April holidays, has been a high-season with hotels reporting between 90-100 per cent occupancy.
Over 400 high-end facilities in Mombasa, Diani, Kilifi, Malindi, and Lamu, however, remain closed this year, rendering more than 10,000 employees jobless across the region.
“Easter business is zero. This is our peak time before we head into the May low season but hotels are empty,” Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers(KAHC) executive officer Sam Ikwaye told the Star yesterday.
Mombasa has at least 150 star rated hotels, Kilifi County (150) and Diani about 100, all which remain closed after both domestic and international tourists canceled their travels over the coronavirus pandemic.
Some of the hotels that have closed in Diani, a world-renown beach holiday destination, include Jacaranda's Indian Ocean Beach Resort, Southern Palms, Diani Reef, Leisure Lodge, Leopard Beach Resort, Swahili Beach Resort, Kaskazi and Diani Resort.
Others are Diani Lodge, Nomads, Ocean Village, Papillion, Baobab, African Pearl, Lanatana Galu, Neptune hotels and Pinewood Retros.
“We closed resort from March 31, till tentatively June 15, so no bookings for Easter at all,” said Sylvester Mbandi, general manager at The Baobab Diani.
More than 30,000 employees in the hotel industry have been sent home countrywide.
“There is no tourism, stay at home. Travel when it is safe,” Kenya Tourism Federation chair Mohammed Hersi said.
KAHC chief executive Mike Macharia has called on industry players and the general public to cooperate in curbing the spread of the virus, which has almost paralysed key sectors of the economy.
“The industry(tourism) has shut down just like any other sector save for a few manufacturers and farmers. Let us contain the virus first then we cant think business later,” Macharia told the Star.
The Kenya Tourism Research Institute (TRI) is currently conducting a study on the impact of coronavirus on the country's tourism sector.
“Tourism is hurt but it is early to tell the impact. However, some players might not be able to come back and those who are able might need a lot of support. We are looking into all these and how we will bring back the sector to life once we contain the virus,” TRI acting CEO David Gitonga told the Star.
The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) has urged both domestic and international tourists to reschedule their travel plans to a later date “when things go back to how they were”, instead of canceling.
“It is vital to be considerate of the sector that ranges from transportation, food, and beverage, entertainment, among other connected industries, and the impact of a cancellation on all these players,” KATA said in a statement.
Tourism earnings which rose 3.9 per cent last year to Sh163.56 billion are poised for a major dip this year following a shut down in travel.
Last year, international arrivals totaled 2,048,833. The domestic market contributed to 4.9 million bed nights up from 4.4 million the previous year.
Nairobi remains the biggest contributor of domestic tourism at the Coast, mainly during holidays.