Italian tourism in Kenya is on the upswing: data from hotels and bed & breakfasts on the Kenyan coast, the presence in private homes, the numbers of land and sea safari agencies, restaurants and other major tourist attractions.
After the worrying drop in admissions to the country in 2019, expressed by the Kenyan Ministry of Tourism with an unflattering 10 percent less than the previous year, since the beginning of 2020 there are again reports of presences similar to those of 2018 that bode well, in projection.
In the year just ended, in fact, the vertical drop had occurred precisely from February and slow signs of recovery had only occurred at the end of July, while October and November were even better months than December, for the entry into the country by compatriots.
This year, however, there are many new arrivals in the first weeks of the year, higher than the last months of 2019: the hotels are still full and personally we at malindikenya.net have gone in recent days to check the situation in Watamu. Even structures not affiliated to our portal and not aligned for a better tourist promotion, sponsoring our work, such as the Blue Bay Village and the Garoda Resort, register an excellent influx of tourists.
Seven Island, Crystal Bay and Jacaranda have very few rooms available and reservations continue to arrive. Weekly Neos charters, including one direct to Mombasa without stopovers in Zanzibar, are always full of countrymen who come for holidays and it is hoped that this hustle and bustle of tourists will continue until Easter. Restaurants still report excellent attendance, in Malindi there are more holidaymakers than last year, although perhaps they spend less. However, there is satisfaction for those who manage the gastronomy and entertainment sector.
Season still strong also for the safari agencies, thanks to the rain that has made the nature of the savannah wonderful, even if some trails in the parks are difficult to practice. There is often a lot of off-road traffic and minibuses on the main arteries of the Tsavo East, and it is not always easy to see the animals that have so many areas where to get food. But the experience continues to attract thousands of holidaymakers. As well as the so-called "blue safari" at the Malindi and Watamu Marine Park. Whole families of dolphins are reported, and word spreads from week to week increasing bookings for sea trips by boat or dhow.
All this beyond the painful notes that those who live or frequent Malindi assiduously know: roads, beach lapped by debris brought by the Sabaki river, water rationing. But obviously these are problems that do not hold back those who have chosen this destination for its beautiful sides and its uniqueness.