The tourism sector at the Coast faces unprecedented turbulence following the mass cancellation of hotel bookings in the wake of weekly anti-government demonstrations.
Hotels with tourists booked for city tours or national reserves travelling have been forced to reschedule their plans to reduce risks of their tourists being caught up in the protests, according to officials in the sector.
The situation has also affected international tourism arrivals, with a number of foreign guests diverting to Tanzania and Zanzibar, both of which are experiencing relative peace and tranquillity.
Tourism business
Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast Chief executive Sam Ikwaye said the tourism business will continue to sink should the protests continue on a weekly basis.
“Tourism is a business that highly depends on travel, if we have demonstrations, and we sustain them; it means that we will not enjoy attractions including city tours,” he said.
The hotelier said the ugly scenes of protests witnessed in the past two weeks send a bad image to foreign tourists who prefer the coastal region as a holiday destination. Some of them have cancelled their bookings due to safety concerns. Ikwaye said if not contained as soon as possible, the economic effects of the protests will affect the local economy as visitors stay indoors instead of enjoying the beaches or town visits.
“This is curtailing their stay, when you cancel city tours due to protests, it means that you are giving them a raw deal, because they will not have time to enjoy what they paid for, so it’s not good for the sector,” he added.
Kenya Coast Tourism Association chief executive Julius Owino echoed the concern, saying the region has been forced to depend on domestic tourists who are also faced with limited spending because they have to stay within their resorts.
“We are starting our peak, remember the wild beast migration period is with us, and now potentially this is the high season, and this is the season that we are now breaking from covid-19 effects, compared to other years. We are anticipating to do well this year, but the numbers are not growing now,” he said.
Owino said the situation has been worsened by the cancellation of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) services from Nairobi to Mombasa on Wednesdays when demonstrations are taking place. The tourism sector at the Coast faces unprecedented turbulence following the mass cancellation of hotel bookings in the wake of weekly anti-government demonstrations.
