At least another month and a half of top tourism, hotel occupancy over 70 per cent and all the induced activity that the arrival of foreign guests can bring to Kenya. This is the scenario that lies ahead from mid-January to the end of February, especially for the coast and its holiday resorts.
With the reopening of schools and the resumption of work for most Kenyans in the city, the influx of local tourism, which in the very high season, the one coinciding with the Christmas holidays, was added to the more ‘pre-paid’ tourism, i.e. those who did not mind paying much more for air tickets and accommodation. The large numbers were also supported by those who had already arrived in Kenya before Christmas and opted for a longer holiday period.
Now, however, on a daily basis, those who had already planned their holidays after the binge period are entering Kenya and finding a few more opportunities and slightly less overcrowding.
According to the regional hospitality associations, occupancy remains high, especially in Watamu, Diani and the satellite towns of Mombasa, and the grace period of tented camps and lodges in the savannah also continues, with excellent results especially for Maasai Mara and Amboseli.
The Ministry of Tourism is confident of surpassing the sector's growth from 2022 to 2023, with 34% more presences and a recovery rate of 88% compared to the pre-pandemic period.
‘We will do even better this year,’ said Deputy Minister, John Lekakeny Ololtuaa, ’we are on track to return to contributing 10% to the Gross Domestic Product.
Tourism in Kenya is also the second largest source of foreign exchange earnings, behind only the agriculture sector which earns Kenya about 70 per cent of its GDP.
While we are waiting for the final figures for 2024, which should confirm the increase in presences and provide other interesting data, the Kenyan government expects to exceed 3 million presences in 2025, after this promising start to the year and the projections for the following months, also due to the ‘High Easter’, scheduled for 20 April.