Hotel finally relaxes all-inclusive policy

Difficult times call for different policies. At its height, the giant hotel chain, the African Safari Club, one had a guest’s boyfriend kicked out because he was a local.

Not even calls from the vocal local politicians could make it change its policies, until the economic crunch hit home.

Now, the  giant hotel chain, which for more than 40 years was a preserve of foreign tourists, has at long last opened its doors for locals.

African Safari Club (ASC) which owns 10 beach hotels at the Coast is even relaxing its all inclusive policy to allow Kenyans get bed and breakfast accommodation, lunch or dinner.

Tourism minister Najib Balala has on several occasions been urging hoteliers to allow locals to sample the tourist facilities.

Mr Balala said many Kenyans can afford to go on holidays and therefore must be left to access all hotels as domestic tourism has the capacity to cushion the industry during hard times.

ASC managing director Frank Neugebauer said the hotel group was now turning to domestic tourism to keep afloat after being hit by global economic meltdown coupled with post-election violence last year which brought tourism to its knees.

 Mr Neugebauer said ASC suffered a loss of Sh1 billion in 2003 after a huge fire gutted down four of its hotels at Shanzu in Mombasa in 2003.

The ASC boss, said: "For many years our hotels used to be packed with foreign holidaymakers since the industry was performing well. We had our own chartered plane which used to ferry tourists from Europe.