BUSINESS: Hospitality industry in the Lake region are eyeing a gradual business rebound following the lifting of a lockdown in five counties.

Lake Victoria Tourism Association (LVTA) chairman Robinson Anyal while lauding the move by the government to suspend the movement restrictions as a relief for the sector, said they expect slight but gradual improvement on the industry performance, especially for the domestic tourism segment.

President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the lifting of restriction of movement in the counties of Nairobi, Machakos, Kiambu, Nakuru and Kajiado on Saturday.

In a move to curb the spread of Covid-19 cessation of movement was declared in and out of the five zoned counties on March 26.

Anyal said lifting the directive on travel restrictions came as a reprieve, particularly for the region’s hotel conference business that was the hardest hit by the shutdown on the five counties.

Going forward

Going foward, he foresaw business in the segment taking off in the coming days with travellers now able to move out of the counties with ease. Conference business remains a key driver of the region’s hotel industry.

“We expect business from corporates, government and NGOs which are majorly coordinated from the capital city Nairobi may go up for the region boosting meetings, conferences and events with restricted numbers as per Covid-19 protocols,” Anyal told Business Hub yesterday.

He said hotels in the region are still operating on survival mode with a certain per centage of employees at work on alternating shifts within the week and on a per centage pay.