Susan Nyawira

The tourism sector is upbeat this week with increased hotel bookings and fully booked buses, trains, and flights as Kenyans gear up to celebrate the Easter holiday.

Various hotels at the Coast who spoke to Capital Business noted that their occupancy levels are above 80 per cent for this season.

PrideInn Hotels, Resorts and Camps noted that its occupancy levels for this season range between 60-100 per cent across its beach and safari properties.

These include PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort and Spa, PrideInn Flamingo Beach Resort and Spa, PrideInn Diani, PrideInn Nyali and PrideInn Mara Camp.

"Traditionally, beach and safari destinations become very popular destinations during these periods. For instance, our beach properties are currently recording occupancy levels of between 68 and 80 per cent, while our safari property is currently full," said Jackton Amutala, Group Director of Operations and Business Development at PrideInn Hotels, Resorts and Camps.

Amutala noted that occupancy levels have been supported by several factors including the number of visitors arriving in the country, as well as the growing domestic market.

Hemingways Watamu, a property owned by Hemingways Collection, reported 80 per cent occupancy over the Easter weekend.

"Easter numbers look good. We mostly have residents booked at the moment with almost the same occupancy levels compared to 2022," said Hotel Manager Hemingways Watamu, Victor Muthama.

Hemingways Watamu, Victor Muthama.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers(KAHC) CEO Mike Macharia said the industry has been performing well since January, with more activity expected during the Easter weekend.

"As an industry, we are not just looking at the season but we expect more activity, overall our numbers are looking up in 2023 and we are projecting higher numbers than last year," he said.

The SGR Madaraka Express which connects Nairobi to Mombasa is also fully booked over the Easter weekend.

A one-way Jambojet plane ticket to Mombasa from Nairobi now goes for about Sh11,000 from as low as Sh6,500, underlining the high demand ahead of the holiday season.

For destinations such as Malindi and Ukunda, the Jambojet tickets are sold out.

Skyward Express has increased also fares from Mombasa to Nairobi to Sh11,635 from Sh6,435.

As for bus fares to Mombasa, they have increased from Sh1500 to Sh2500.

Apart from the Coast, other regions such as Maasai Mara, Amboseli, and Nanyuki are also expected to record good business.

The Kenya Tourism Board(KTB) has called on Kenyans to take up the available holiday offers this Easter season courtesy of the 'You Deserve a Holiday' campaign.

The offers cater to different categories of travelers including families, couples as well as individuals.