[ad_1]
Kenya hopes to increase hotel bed occupancy from 4 million in 2023 to 5.5 million this year, thanks to growth in tourist arrivals, the Kenya Tourism Board has revealed.
KTB CEO June Chepkemei said the industry has overcome the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, gradually stabilizing and returning to profitability, thus rekindling strong investor interest.
The 2023 Tourism Industry Performance Report shows that between 2019 and 2023, bed occupancy increased by 27% from 4,996,370 beds in January to September 2022 to 6,338,904 beds in the same period of 2023.
This is attributed to the increase in the number of tourist arrivals and growing domestic tourism activities during the reporting period and the country’s growing popularity as a tourist destination.
“As of last fiscal year, we had approximately 4 million nights stayed in our hotels and this fiscal year, we hope to increase that number to over 5.5 million nights,” Chepkemei said at the opening of Hilton’s newest hotel in the Kenyan market.
Hilton officially unveiled Kwetu Nairobi, Curio Collection by Hilton, marking the Curio brand’s debut in East Africa.
Located near key areas such as the Central Business District, Gigiri and Karura Forest, the new entrant to Nairobi’s hospitality scene is also Hilton’s first lifestyle-themed hotel in the country.
Kwetu Nairobi general manager Adel Mojarrad said changes in consumer demand prompted the store’s shift towards a lifestyle theme.
“We are thrilled to unveil our beautiful boutique hotel to the community and invite everyone to experience the first Curio Collection in East and Southern Africa. Kwetu means our place in Swahili and we wanted to create a space that is both ours and yours,” said Mojarrad.
Combining historical details with modern design, the hotel offers rooms with balconies, terraces and local-style interiors.
“We are pleased to learn that Kwetu’s gaming attendance is currently at 70 percent. This is above market levels, which are usually around 50 percent, which shows that if you invest, if you invest correctly, you will get demand and support in the market,” Chepkemei said.
Several high-end hotels have opened this year, such as the JW Marriot, which will open in May 2024, and the Pullman by AccorHotels.
However, the latest survey by W Hotel Group Lagos and the African Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) shows that the country has dropped two places from fifth place in terms of number of hotel rooms under construction in 2023.
Kenya has 31 hotels with a total of 4,268 rooms, with an average room size of approximately 138 square feet.
The latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2024 Economic Survey shows that hotel bed occupancy increased from 7 million in 2022 to 8.6 million in 2023, an increase of 23.2%.
In 2023, Kenyan residents accounted for more than half of total bed occupancy, highlighting the importance of domestic tourism.
[ad_2]
Source link
