There is no doubt that in this inauspicious period for travel and tourism, the sector's economy in Kenya has also been brought to its knees. After being closed since the end of March for two months and the possibility to reopen with strict protocols to follow and without great certainty of customers and even minimal earnings, the entrepreneurs who own resorts on the Kenyan coast had three roads to take. The first was to face the cost of complying with the rules of the pandemic emergency and reopen, giving a signal of recovery and trying to protect their employees as much as possible. A good half of the hoteliers followed this idea.
The second was to stay closed, waiting for better times and convert the part of the staff that remained on salary to ordinary maintenance.
The third way, perhaps followed by a few entrepreneurs, is to take advantage of this unfortunate moment to "relaunch", as one would say in poker jargon.
In other words, investing in important restructuring to be found not only ready but even more attractive when tourism in long-range destinations such as Kenya will start up again.
Pasquale Tiritò, owner of Jacaranda Resort, Jumbo and Eden Village in the beautiful setting of Jacaranda Bay in Watamu, has opted for this route.
"It was a natural choice - explains Tiritò - facilitated by the closing of a long contract with a tour-operator who actually gave me back one of the resorts, Eden Village. Considering that tourism from Europe to the tropics and the Equator will not recover before August 2021 and perhaps more realistically in December next year, I decided to look ahead to what could be the new offer".
Tiritò is a well-known name in Malindi and Watamu, having been one of the first to bet on "package holidays" on the Kenyan coast and having organised flights and allotment since the 1980s. His thought is that people will resume traveling and enjoying havens like Kenya, but everything will be with short term plans, for now, starting from the programs of operators and agencies.
"Hoteliers can no longer expect long-term commitments from Tour Operators or, if they want to, they will have to allow flexibility," explains the Roman entrepreneur, "so it's time to change the type of proposal, raising the quality of the facilities and improving services, trying to offer a product that can satisfy those who do not want to give up their holiday and will be more and more demanding, as well as wanting to feel more secure and followed. Attention, this does not mean that, once the emergency is over, you will only live in precariousness.
The market, from end customers to agencies and tour operators large and small, will always be there.
The approach will change and it will be up to us hoteliers to know how to seize it, to transform a handicap into an opportunity. I was, well before the Covid-19, against deposits just to get some "cash flow". At most I could ask them for the exclusive use of an entire structure. Let alone when there was the Covid crisis: I chose without hesitation to pay back direct clients and operators. I found the voucher policy unfair and luckily the various authorities confirmed that I was on the right side. Changing the approach means being flexible in the "cancelation policy" and not making the client feel "stuck". For example, if travel insurance has been adjusted, we can adjust too".
On the strength of this philosophy, Tiritò began a monumental restyling of the Eden Village, involving four different construction companies and 150 employees, including 50 women from nearby villages to whom the hotelier wanted to give the opportunity in this period without tourism to earn a living.
"This cannot happen forever," he stresses, "but while I can, I try to help the community.
The Jacaranda group is now an institution in the Chembe area, north of Watamu, having built a school, the church and connecting the locals to the water pipes where until recently it was donkeys who transported the tanks from the wells to the villages.
"It is an important investment and there is no certainty of a return in time - explains Tiritò - but I felt it was essential to move forward and give a signal to the sector. Crying over ourselves has never borne fruit, but also keeping open and reducing the quality of service or lowering prices to try to save what can be saved is not part of my credo. When you get down it is always difficult to climb back up, I always believe in Watamu as a competitive destination and at this moment we can show that we are ahead of other tourist destinations that in the past years had faced us or even surpassed us in terms of facilities and services".
The Eden Village will be undergoing total renovation, with great news concerning the panoramic restaurant overlooking the sea, an infinity pool with ocean view, meditation gardens and more.
The Jacaranda Resort will reopen on December 5th.
"We will welcome those who want to come and manage to come - explains Tiritò - with all the signs of a pandemic emergency but maintaining the same standards and obviously the same prices. We already have requests from the local market and we will go on as long as the season allows us to stay in the expenses".