The holidays are back and, after nearly three years of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, people are primed to go all out to celebrate.
In Mombasa City, excitement is in the air. Most people who spoke to the Nation said they have been saving to spend on Christmas shopping and entertainment.
For the first time in three years, Mombasa is full of visitors following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. Mombasa County Police Commander Stephen Matu said more officers have been deployed in critical areas to ensure that security is maintained.
“We have set up an elaborate traffic management plan as we anticipate increased number of visitors this month,” said Mr Matu. National Transport Safety Authority Coast regional manager Eva Nyawira said long-distance bus operators have been instructed to ensure safety by hiring two drivers.
“We shall be making impromptu checks to ensure that they comply,” she said. Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) passenger trains from Nairobi to Mombasa are nearly fully booked for December. SGR operator Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar) and Kenya Railways have reported passenger services to be above 90 per cent booked with anticipation of more passengers in the coming days.
“Few seats remain between December 1 and January 4 as most seats have been taken by domestic tourists and travelers going to Mombasa and the coast region, for Christmas and New Year festivities,” the management said.
For many traveling to the coast, the SGR is their preferred mode of transport owing to its affordability and efficiency. Tickets go for Sh1,000 for economy and Sh3,000 for first class. Children below three years are not charged while those aged between three and 11 pay half the price. According to the Economic Survey 2022, passengers through SGR increased from 806,000 in 2020 to 1, 933,000 in 2021.
Those travelling by bus will have to dig deeper into their pockets as they have to contend with high bus fares, which range between Sh1,800 and Sh3,000 depending on the bus company.
Bamburi Beach Hotel marketing manager Margaret Masha said the hotel has introduced specialised packages including pick-ups from SGR.
The chairman of Diani Hospitality Owners Association, Mr Mohammed Hersi, said bookings have increased significantly since schools closed.
“We have numbers. The challenge is to give the best and we are up to that. This festive season will be better than any as many hotels are already full until the end of January,” said Mr Hersi.
According to the latest Hotels Survey report by the Central Bank of Kenya’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), a majority of hotels in Mombasa reported improved bookings and the numbers stand to improve further, given their high reliance on walk-in clients and short-term bookings.
“Hotel bookings for August to November 2022 are strong especially in Mombasa and Nairobi, indicating a recovery in demand. The majority of respondent hotels expect the sector to continue recovering back to the pre-Covid-19 levels of operations by the end of the year and January,” says the report. The majority of hotels have already recorded more than 90 per cent bed occupancy with numbers expected to be high until schools open end of January. BY DAILY NATION