Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa during a past media briefing. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa has assured Coast residents and visitors of enhanced security ahead of December festivities.Marwa called on residents to resume business and build the economy now that the long electioneering period is over.Addressing a press conference at his office in Uhuru na Kazi building, Marwa said tourism has already picked up in the region, with hotels registering a high number of bookings.He attributed the good numbers to the stability witnessed in the region before and after the elections. The Coast region mainly depends on tourism and hopes to reap from thousands of tourism arrivals and related activities this season. "The governors and other local leaders, including those who lost during the elections, preached peace and that is important for this region. We are going to ensure peace prevails all times,” said Marwa. The regional coordinator also asked hoteliers to ensure they practice proper hygiene to avoid cholera and other diseases related to food or water contamination.Bahari Beach Hotel Operations Manager Geoffrey Juma said the hotel is now recording about 75 percent international bookings mainly brought about by the recent introduction of regular charter flights from Poland and Germany to Moi International Airport by Poland’s Tui charter airlines.“Most of our guests come from Germany, Britain, and Poland and this has been as a result of the introduction of new charter flights,” said Juma. He credited the rise in numbers to improved security and the school holidays that have enabled families to head to the Coast.“The hotels will be full from Christmas Eve to New Year,” said Juma. German tourist Arne Wulff, who is on a three-week holiday at Bahari Beach termed Mombasa as one of the best tourism destination.