Maasai Mara Registers Lowest Christmas Bookings

The Covid-19 pandemic is crashing the tourism industry as hotels in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve operate between zero to 15 percent bed occupancy rate for local tourists.International tourist occupancy rates have dropped to near zero compared to last year’s 30 percent occupancy and 80 percent for local tourists.Hotel managers say this is one of the worst festive seasons since 1958 when the Mara was declared a tourist destination. A Wildebeest herd on the move in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.KWS “I have never seen anything like this in the last 60 years. It’s a total mess,” said a hotelier.Most of the hotel amenities have become grazing grounds for wildlife after hundreds of workers were laid off over the last nine months since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Kenya.“From the domestic market, we are getting a lot of inquiries but people are scared to book. International bookings are very low, practically nil,” said Keekorok Lodge Manager John Ole Pere.Due to Covid-19, Tipilikwani Camp has lost more than 70 percent of business according to the manager, Theophilus Shumwe.“Chinese and other tourists from East Asia visit the park throughout the year but this time they are missing,” said Shumwe.Even after the resumption of international flights in August, several camps and leisure hotels are still closed due to little or no demand.According to the Narok Governor Samuel Tunai, the county has lost revenue in excess of Ksh3.3 billion since the pandemic broke out, forcing his administration to revise the budget.  Ministry of Tourism numbers shows that the country has lost more than 50 percent of total annual tourism earnings due to the pandemic. The country had lost Ksh81.8 billion by July this year, compared to last year’s revenue of Ksh163.6 billion. Tourists looking at a herd of wildebeest at the Maasai Mara National Game ReserveFile