Nakuru’s accommodation facilities are set to accommodate increased tourists for the December festive season, a business leader has said.
Kenya Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nakuru chapter chairman Kamau Njuguna said hotels, resorts and tented camps in the county are bursting at the seams as about 80 percent of the facilities have been booked for conferencing, team building events and boarding by both local and international tourists.
“All hotels, lodges and tented camps across the county are determined to promote tourism in the region especially during the festive season. Business has significantly improved,” Kamau told our reporter, adding that business in the establishments is booming during this festive season as visitors pour in.
He revealed that the in-flow of visitors to Nakuru was as a result of adequate security in the town compared to other parts of the country.
Kamau said many people were opting to move from big cities like Nairobi and Mombasa to Nakuru and Naivasha which they considered as more secure and strategic.
However,he noted that their could be a shortage of accommodation and called on more people to invest in the hotel industry to boost the sector which has proved to be a major source of income in the county.
He also urged international investors to consider investing in the sector to cater for the ever increasing tourists visiting the region.
He revealed that there were investors from South Africa who were keen to invest in the county to boost the tourism sector.
A spot check by HiviSasa.com found most of the tourists checking in at various hotels, resorts and camping facilities in readiness for Christmas celebrations.
Lake Nakuru Lodge marketing director Joseph Muya said the facility was busy with both local and international tourists from the UK, Russia, China, Japan, Germany and Finland.
Nakuru County is home for several tourist attractions, including Lake Nakuru national park, Menengai crater, Hell’s Gate, Lake Naivasha, Lake Elmentaita, Hyraxx hills and Longonot crater.
Statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board show that majority of the tourists who visit Kenya annually come to Nakuru County.
Meanwhile county commissioner Mohamed Birik has assured both local and international tourists visiting the area of enough security during the festive season.
Birik said security had been beefed up and measures had been put in place to handle all forms of crimes in the region and that the county was safe for tourism activities.
“Security agents are monitoring the inflow of visitors into and out of the region to weed out any criminals intending to disrupt peace during the December festivities,” he told our reporter.