Easter exodus: You soak up the sun, hotels soak up cash

Players in the travel and tourism industry are rubbing their hands with glee in anticipation of a bountiful holiday weekend as thousands of Kenyans gear up for the annual Easter exodus to the Coast.

Tourist resorts and hotels are fully booked while the Madaraka Express trains and flight tickets are sold out this week as millions of people prepare to celebrate the holiest holiday in the Christian calendar.

A one-way plane ticket to the Coast from Nairobi now goes for about Sh17,000 from as low as Sh5,000, underlining the high demand for flights as Kenyans seek to unwind after two years of restrictions and lockdowns.

Kenya has about 536km of beautiful coastline and Mombasa, Malindi, Lamu and Diani have long been desirable destinations for those charmed by age-old tales of idyllic sandy beaches and a vibrant nightlife.

The bookings have been bolstered by domestic tourism as learners are on holiday, with many visitors expected.

This will be a boon for the industry, which is just recovering from Covid-19 pandemic shocks. 

Many hotels have, however, maintained their normal rates despite the expected high traffic.

Kenya Coast Tourism Association chairman Victor Shitakha said this is the most promising Easter weekend since 2019.

“The results are excellent from all the facilities at the Coast. The hotels are busy with a majority of them being at 70 per cent and above bed occupancy. About 90 per cent of the guests are locals,” he said.

“You cannot compare this to the previous years. In 2020, the pandemic had just hit in March and last year Nairobi was on lockdown, which is Coast’s largest domestic tourism market,” he added. 

Leopards Beach Resort Diani General Manager Kioko Musyoki said the boom in business has been supported by the school calendar favouring the holiday season. 

“We’ve been having guests since the beginning of April, especially families on holiday,” he said, adding that the industry has, however, been affected by the war in Europe. 

“The war in Ukraine is hurting tourism. Some 67 Ukrainian guests became refugees overnight. That was one of our main markets,” he said.

Holiday homes commonly known as AirBnB are fully booked in Diani in Kwale County and Nyali and Shanzu in Mombasa. The apartments and villas are usually slightly cheaper, attracting holiday makers on a budget.

A single bedroom apartment goes for about Sh7,000 per night in Diani. A two-bedroom apartment, which is popular with families on holiday, goes for about Sh15,000.

Pollman’s Group Operations Director Mohamed Hersi said most hotels are at 70 per cent in bookings, but the fuel crisis would hamper plans for game safaris.

“The abnormal prices at the pump are increasing our cost of doing business and we cannot increase or pass the cost to clients as some made prior bookings,” Mr Hersi said.

Kenya Association of Tour Operators Coast branch chairperson Monika Solanki said there was nothing to smile about this Easter as most of her game drive vehicles were grounded.

“The fuel crisis is a big problem; diesel is in short supply and we have no requests for safaris this Easter,” she said.