Teachers’ conference boosts hotel bookings in Mombasa

Mombasa hotels are reporting brisk business as head teachers converge in the town for the annual Kenya Secondary School Heads Association National Conference which starts Monday.

Over 8,000 teachers descended on the port city for the 40th edition of the conference whose theme is 'Re-Evaluating Relevance and Quality of Education in Kenya.' A spot check by The Standard revealed that occupancy in a number of star rated hotels had gone up after months of low patronage occasioned by adverse effects of travel advisories by some Western nations.

''We are 100 per cent full and have had to take over guests to neighbouring hotels,'' an accommodation clerk at the Mombasa Beach Hotel said.

It is the same story at the Reef Hotel, Nyali Beach, Sai Roc and the Travellers Beach Hotel, all located along the Bamburi Beach frontage in Mombasa's North Coast.

Domestic tourism

''We have always maintained that there exists great potential in domestic tourism and a good example is the teachers conference which will help bring in the much needed numbers," Mr Silas Kiti, General Manager of the Kenya Safari Lodges and Hotels, which also owns the Mombasa Beach Hotel, said.

Kiti, who is also vice chairman of the Kenya Association of Hotel-keepers and Caterers (Kahc) Coast branch, said most hotels have reduced their rates to attract more Kenyans sample hospitality.

He said apart from hotels recording good business, vendors are also expected to make a killing from the conference.

Teachers started arriving in Mombasa over the weekend for the five-day conference, which will be officially opened by Deputy President William Ruto Tuesday.