Investors in Mombasa have expressed worry over the low number of tourists visiting the region.
Reacting to a report issued by the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), indicating that the region has received 581,808 tourists this year which translates to an increase of 17.2% compared to last year, the investors said the low turn out has reduced their gains.
Kenya Association of Hotel keepers and Caterers Coast branch Executive Officer Sam Ikwaye said the statistics are a clear indicator that the nation has not fully recovered its glory.
"From the KTB statistics, this shows short-term (year on year) and long-term (base year) comparisons that indicate that yes, we have grown +17 per cent but we are overall still down at 50 per cent compared to the industry's better years," said Mr Ikwaye, as quoted by The Standard.
He noted that the low numbers were raising concern among most investors in the country, especially in the Coast region.
"The reality is more vivid in Malindi and Watamu sub-regions, especially after the suffocation of tourists due to inaccessibility of the region after the national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ), pulled out from the route," said Ikwaye.
The same report indicated that the arrival of tourists at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport increased from 522,709 in comparison to 448,549 registered in 2015.