Diani Beach’s seafront hotels are ready for peak tourism season as visitors return to the sandy beaches and bed occupancy rises.
Hotels, lodges, and other lodging establishments are reporting high demand for the approaching Christmas and New Year holiday weekends.
In certain cases, this year’s occupancy rates stand in stark contrast to the previous two years, when the travel sector was reeling from the coronavirus outbreak.
Diani Beach in Kwale County is a popular holiday destination for both Kenyans and foreign visitors, with a record number of visitors visiting each year to enjoy its gorgeous sandy beaches and tropical atmosphere.
The World Travel Awards named The Beach the greatest beach location in Africa six years in a row.
Beach hotels and other tourism institutions are reporting strong reservations and bookings ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to hospitality industry stakeholders.
According to Sam Ikwaye, Executive Officer of the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast section, the festive season looks good for individuals in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industries.
The KAHC Executive Officer, speaking at a consultative tourism stakeholders’ meeting at Neptune Paradise Beach Resort and Spa, credits the increase in bed occupancy to increased consumer confidence in the tourism and hotel sectors.
“The signs are that this will be an extremely busy and fully booked festive period,” said Dr. Ikwaye adding that hotel bed occupancy is currently oscillating between 80-90 percent.
Baobab Beach Resort and Spa General Manager Jeff Mukolwe says as the peak tourist season swings into high gear high occupancy rates are expected in the coming days and weeks.
“Hotels are receiving advance bookings and we feel that it’s going to be a pretty good season for the tourism industry players,” said Mkolwe, adding that his hotel is already hosting 700 guests.
“We are actually expecting an increase in foreign and domestic visitors this holiday season if the enhanced bookings and reservations we have had in the past few days are anything to go by,” he said.
The veteran hotelier said there were many domestic tourists from Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nyeri and other upcountry towns flocking the region.
