Data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows that on average forward hotel bookings for September to December 2019 are higher relative to a similar period in 2018.
MPC market perception survey shows that booking for September (50%), October (52%), November (58%), and December (61%) 2019 were higher than September (49.7%), October (42%), November (44%), and December (47%) recorded in 2018.
| Month | Forward bookings (2019) | Forward bookings (2018) | Variance (YoY) |
| September | 50% | 49.7% | +0.3% |
| October | 52% | 42% | +10% |
| November | 58% | 44% | +14% |
| December | 61% | 47% | +14% |
CBK Governor, Patrick Njoroge, said during the MPC press briefing that many hotels are already fully booked during the peak season.
On average, the forward bookings increased by 15% indicating strong growth in tourist numbers and high tourist arrivals.
The higher bookings reflect leisure booking for both residents and non-residents over the peak season. Furthermore, higher bookings are likely to lead to higher receipts from tourism.
However, booking was affected by unfavorable weather (rains) for tourists in some areas and high competition.
