• More than 1,000 visitors travelled via SGR.
• Low-cost airlines contribute to the influx.
Image: ERNEST CORNEL
Coast hotels are full, most citing 100 per cent occupancy for the Easter holidays.
The county is the preferred holiday destination for many Kenyans and foreign visitors. Each year, it receives a record number of holidaymakers savouring its pristine beaches and tropical ambiance.
Travellers Beach Hotel general manager Fred Kiuru said advance bookings and reservations had been “very encouraging”.
“We expect this to remain so for some time,” he said yesterday at the hotel.
Kiuru said standard gauge railway has helped boost the numbers. He said the train is fast and convenient.
The manager also linked low-cost airlines to the influx.
Increased charter flights have boosted passenger numbers at Moi International Airport ahead of the festive season.
Kenya Airports Authority data released in December showed that passenger movement at the airport increased by 24.5 per cent last month to 126,696 air travellers. Year-on-year passenger movement to the airport grew by 21.3 per cent to 518,660 visitors.
Tourism stakeholders have also said the Qatar-Mombasa direct flights also led to increased bookings.
Qatar, a peninsular Arabian Gulf country, launched its first-ever direct flight from its capital Doha to Mombasa in December.
The airline, which will be operating an Airbus A320 to Mombasa, will be making four flights to the region every week. The Airbus features 12 business-class seats and 120 seats in economy class.
The 150-passenger capacity plane lands at Moi International Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“Before, it was hard to tap this foreign market because of expensive airline tickets," Kiuru said.
Touring firm Bonfire Adventures said over 1,000 passengers travelled to Mombasa on the SGR passenger trains.
Chairman Simon Kabu said more than 50 shuttle vans and buses also ferried passengers who were destined for various hotels in both the North and South coast for Easter.
Security has also remained tight. Police commander Johnstone Ipara said they will not compromise on the safety locals and visitors.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)