Save coastal tourism
What you need to know:
- The spiral decline of the tourism industry at the Coast is reaching crisis proportions.
- More coordinated and well-thought-out strategies are needed to arrest the situation.
The spiral decline of the tourism industry at the Coast is reaching crisis proportions, going by the distress warnings being sent out by hoteliers.
Few holidaymakers are contemplating visiting the region for the Christmas and New Year holidays due to insecurity.
Although the holiday season is fast approaching, hotels currently record a paltry 35 per cent occupancy, half of the bookings recorded last year.
Foreign visitors ceased coming a while ago as security deteriorated, and now, only six chartered flights arrive in Mombasa a week, compared to 20 in the past.
With the local bookings taking a nosedive, there are a few options left for the hotels and other businesses that depend on tourism.
Unfortunately, insecurity, the major cause of all these problems, is not showing any signs of improving any time soon.
The approaches adopted to rein in suspected terrorists have only spawned new challenges.
Clearly, this is a difficult situation and solutions are not easily discernible, but that is no reason to give up.
More coordinated and well-thought-out strategies are needed to arrest the situation.
Efforts must be intensified to end insecurity at the Coast and convince the public that the region remains a choice destination for holidaymakers.
