Flavio Briatore has decided to sell its prestigious Lion In The Sun spa resort in Malindi.
The announcement came during a press conference by its manager, Philip Chai, who is also the director of the hotel association of the Kenyan north coast. A statement first taken from the Daily Nation newspaper.
Chai explained that Briatore, after years of falling tourism in Malindi and Kenya, made this decision and that Lion In The Sun is one of the six resorts that have been closed this season for lack of tourism.
The decision was taken, says the Kenyan newspaper, in spite of the tourism boom that Watamu and Malindi have recorded in August, compared to previous years and despite the election and the negative campaign they have sparked.
Chai added that the problem is mainly tourism in Malindi, whose decline forced other structures to close or reopen after the years of crisis following the 2008 country riots and the 2011 and 2014 Al Shabaab attacks.
In the past voices reported that Lion of the Sun was among others interested in President Kenyatta, a great friend of Briatore.