Hoteliers have reported a significant increase in inquiries and early bookings for the December festive season, putting the country’s tourism sector on track to achieve a new record this year. This uptick is primarily driven by the domestic market, coinciding with the closure of schools for the long holidays.
The coast region, particularly Mombasa and Diani, has seen the highest levels of bookings, with the average hotel occupancy in the area currently at 85%. Sector players anticipate full occupancy at many facilities in December.
“In December, we expect a full house due to the high number of inquiries currently over 90%. The current occupancy is 60% domestic and 40% international,” said Hillary Siele, a board member of the Kenya Coast Tourist Association and general manager of Travellers Beach Hotels in Mombasa.
Other regions showing a positive outlook include Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, the Mount Kenya Circuit, and the Western and Nyanza circuits, where international visitors are increasingly seeking safari experiences, moving away from the coastal beach destinations.
According to the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC), this year’s performance is set to reach a new high in the post-COVID era as the industry continues its recovery. Mike Macharia, the KAHC chief executive, stated, “This year has been busy all around, so we expect very high occupancy during the holidays.”
The long school holidays are a key factor driving the surge in bookings, and platforms like Airbnb and serviced apartments are also expected to see strong business. Traditionally, the domestic market has been a major contributor to the December tourism season, while international arrivals tend to rise in mid-December when winter begins.
This year, winter is projected to start on December 21 and run until March 20, 2025, a period when residents from colder regions often travel to warmer destinations, making Kenya’s beaches a popular choice for Europeans. The U.S. market tends to favor the Mount Kenya circuit and parks, particularly the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Last year, hotel bed-night occupancy rose by 23.2%, increasing from seven million in 2022 to 8.6 million, as indicated by the Economic Survey 2024.
The domestic market made up more than half of the total occupancy, underscoring the importance of domestic tourism. Meanwhile, the number of international visitor arrivals grew by 35.4%, from 1.5 million to 2.1 million, although it fell short of the target of 2.5 million set for 2022. Additionally, visitors to national parks and game reserves surged by 43%, totaling 3.6 million, with Maasai Mara seeing a remarkable 67.7% increase, bringing in 419,100 tourists during the year.
“Notable increases in visitors were also recorded at Haller’s Park, Tsavo (East), Lake Bogoria, Nairobi Safari Walk and Lake Nakuru national parks.
A decrease in number of visitors was recorded in the Mombasa Marine National Park in 2023,” Kenya National Bureau of Statistics notes in its survey.
The Tourism Research Institute (TRI) has however projected a stellar performance by the tourism industry. International tourist arrivals, a key source of foreign exchange, are expected to hit a high of 2.2 million this year with earnings projected to reach Sh359.1 billion up from 352.5 billion last year, before a further surge to Sh396.1 billion next year.
The country’s best year so far remains 2019 when arrivals hit a high of 2.04 million visitors.
“The projections were informed by global economic factors and Covid recovery patterns. The effects of the Russia invasion of Ukraine on some key markets and on global tourism supply channels was also taken on board,” TRI acting CEO David Gitonga noted.
Its based on economically tested tourism prediction models that TRI has acquired, contracted, he added.
Kenya plans to more than double international tourist arrivals in the next five years, where Kenya Tourism Board is seeking to grow the numbers to 5.5 million by 2028, in a plan that involves the private sector.
