Kisumu hoteliers bet on special offers to boost holiday bookings

Hotels in Kisumu are offering pocket-friendly packages to families and corporates to cash in on the long festive season.

Kisumu Hotel Managers Group chairman Anyal Robinson said hoteliers in the region expect to record full bookings during the season helped by the special discounted offers.

“Most hotels will be doing over 70 per cent between December 22 and December 31 and a good number have already been fully booked as from December 20.”

The hoteliers had restructured their packages to cater for family breaks, events in addition to offers targeting domestic tourists wishing sample the lakeside town which is emerging as leisure destination.

“It is a happy season, schools are closed, most people are on holiday and families want happy time together,” explained Anyal.

Occupancy rate

He said occupancy rose by about 10 per cent this year helped by increased to marketing by individual hotels during the year.

“The hotels participated in activities like the Magical expo jointly sponsored by Kenya Tourism Board and the Sarit Expo to boost their market presence. The hoteliers also competitively redesigning their packages to attract holiday makers,” said the chairman.

A spot check revealed that hotels were planning to shift away from international cuisines synonymous with top hotels to traditional African cuisines.

Duncan Mwangi, the general manager at Acacia Premier Hotel, said they were planning live night bands on Christmas and New Year’s eves.

Indian cultural festival – Lohana– that is slated for between December 22 and December 27 has also pushed hotel bookings during the Christmas festivities.

The event whose theme centre’s on cultural exchange brings together Hindu communities drawn from far and wide.

Anyal added that the opening up of the region as an emerging leisure tourism destination boost of several attraction sites Ndere Island, Impala sanctuary and cruise tourism on Lake Victoria.

Also a major attraction is Kit-Mikayi rocks. The rocks are unique sedimentary rocks located in Kisumu West District, Kisumu County along Kisumu-Bondo road.

The rocks are arranged in a rather amazing way and offer a unique attract to visitors.

Leisure boats have been introduced on the lake by a private investor, boosting efforts to establish mariners on its shores.