•60 per cent of the fund is allocated to the coastal region which is the country's beach holiday destination.
•40 per cent is allocated to the other regions in the country.
Hotels in the country have started receiving the Sh3 billion tourism sector government stimulus to help mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on businesses.
The payment is being extended to hoteliers in form of "soft loans" through the Tourism Finance Corporation (TFC).
TFC yesterday said successful applicants have started receiving payments and so loans have been disbursed in Meru, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Kilifi, Mombasa, Kitui and Kisumu counties.
The funding is expected to facilitate the restructuring of business operations and help them cut key operation costs.
Focus is on energy efficiency and renewable energy funding, water efficiency, storage and recycling funding, technology enhancement, capital Covid-19 compliance costs and waste management and bio-digestion funding.
The program is guided under the Treasury circular 14/2020, that targets businesses that have been affected by the economic impact of Covid-19.
Sixty per cent of the allocated went to the coastal region which is the country's leading beach holiday destination with more than 400 star rated high-end hotels and establishments spreading from Diani to Lamu.
Fourty per cent was allocated to the other regions in the country.
"The disbursement process is ongoing and TFC is working together with the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and Ministry of lands to ensure securitization is hastened," said Orumoi Jonah, managing director, TFC.
Government data in collaboration with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance indicates travel and tourism is the most hit sector by the Covid-19 pandemic, with 3.1 million jobs affected last year.
This includes hotel employees, pubs and restaurants, tour operators, airlines, travel agents and their related suppliers and support services.
About 2.3 million employees were sent home on unpaid leave with most hotel employees on 50 per cent pay as earnings by businesses remain low.
The government is staring at a loss of up to Sh2.5 billion in catering levy alone in the financial year ending June 20.