Hotels in Watamu will be fully booked from December 20 ahead of the festive season, The bookings will last until end of the Easter holidays in April, investors have said.
Italian tourists are expected to make a grand return to the Coast. They constitute the majority of tourists expected in Watamu.
Garoda Beach Resort manager Bertoni Guido said tourists confidence in Kenya has increased following the end of the electioneering period.
The number of Italian tourists, who frequent both Malindi and Watamu, had reduced because of the political uncertainties that followed the nullification of the August 8 presidential election on September 1.
Speaking in Watamu yesterday, Guido said tourists also gained confidence after foreign media stopped their bad publicity on Kenya.
“Tourism is picking up after a crisis that lasted for more than four years. Now, there is no negative press reports or riots," Guido said.
He said they had evidence of full bookings from December 20 to the Easter holiday.
Two Italian weddings will take place at the resort this week. The events will attract many tourists.
Watamu is a tourist favourite destination given its renowned beaches.
Guido said they were already eyeing other destinations to attract more tourists, especially during the low season that starts in May.
Hotel owners called for the expansion of the Malindi airport to allow larger flights from Europe to land in the region.
“We need an international airport in Malindi to attract tourists throughout the year," Guido said.
He said tourists from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France are often discouraged by the lack of an international airport in Malindi.
Watamu has over 21 hotels which are all in operation during this festive season.
Roberto Macri a former Italian consulate for Malindi who is now the general Manager of Seven Islands resort in Watamu said investors shifted to Watamu because it’s safe, beaches are clean and people can walk freely.
Italian tourists like Watamu because of its clean, safe sandy beaches, Seven Islands Resort manager Roberto Macri has said.
The former Italian consulate in Malindi said improved security and the attractive beaches are the reason behind the huge number of Italians flocking to town. He also cited the tarmacking of the Malindi-Salagate road that connects the twon to the Tsavo National Park as another reason tourists were preferring Watamu.
Macri said investors are complaining to date include the delay in expanding the Malindi airport which has lasted over 25 years.
“Currently tourists from Europe have to travel by road after an eight hour flight from Mombasa to Malindi or Watamu which is tiresome,’’ he said.
The former Italian consulate said
Watamu will be like Miami and Florida in Kenya due to the virgin beaches
With the tarmacking of Malindi Salagate road tourists will now be able to spend only one hour to reach Tsavo National park.
This development will be further boosted once International flights land directly in Malindi from europe.
Macri said
it will be easier to attract other markets like Russia, Slovenia among other nations.