Arrivals to East Africa are growing, with operators reporting a 60% increase in bookings compared with a year ago.

In East Africa, Kenya is enjoying a tourism recovery after a period when security incidents damaged its inbound markets. The country expects to earn just under US$1bn from its tourism sector, based on 1.6m international tourists. Growth of 14% was recorded for the first six months of 2016.

“Bookings for Kenya have bounced back in a big way this year, up about 60% on 2015,” says Sanctuary Retreats’ Rob Dixon. “We are seeing strong forward bookings for 2017 and we are expecting this trend to continue.”

The rise in demand for Kenya is a due to its excellent value-for-money and diverse experiences. Suzanne Bayly-Coupe of Classic Portfolio highlights the diversity, which includes the arid Samburu northern frontier, open Mara plains and southern highland mountains in Laikipia.

Wilderness Safaris’ Craig Glatthaar is equally optimistic and encouraged to see interest in Kenya growing again. He says the country’s safari offering is “affordable” and “remarkable”.  A new strategic partnership with the Governor’s Camp Collection with its seven facilities in Kenya and Rwanda, gives muscle to both entities to extend their East African eco-footprint.

There is much excitement about Rwanda too, generally considered to be an up-and-coming destination. Wilderness Safaris is building Bisate Lodge adjacent to the Volcanoes National Park, home of the mountain gorilla. It will open mid-2017.

Further, the Rwandan government will commence construction of a new international airport in Kigali in June 2017. The country is also one of four – the others being Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan – that have committed to a single airspace without travel restrictions. As it readies for a higher tourism profile, the country is also grading its accommodation sector on a star classification system; all East African countries have agreed to classify tourist establishments by year-end.

Bayly-Coupe notes, however, that as areas in East Africa’s national parks get busier, there is growing interest in wildlife management areas adjacent to the parks where tourist traffic is less. In Tanzania, Legendary Expeditions operates in an area almost double the size of the Maasai Mara in the south-eastern Serengeti, with only one lodge, three permanent camps and a mobile camp, making for a far calmer environment. Likewise, there are no crowds at Little Chem Chem adjoining the Tarangire National Park, which is known for its large herds of elephants.

In Kenya, where much wildlife is located on private land as opposed to national parks, there is a new generation of low-volume safari properties based on community-owned land that financially incentivise and support private landowners who play a significant role in the fate of wildlife areas. 

One of these is Saruni, a collection of four lodges. CEO, Riccardo Orizio, says they are smaller, more expensive, better managed, more community- and eco-friendly, lower-impact properties than many others in East Africa. 

Kenya, he points out, is losing 4% of its wildlife on an annual basis due to population growth. “Saruni believes in ethical creation of wealth,” says Orizio. “This is the way forward for Africa, and for conservation, the protection of wildlife and nature based on distribution of income and jobs to its stakeholders and custodians.”

Saruni is a member of two community-owned wildlife conservancies leasing land to operators of camps catering for tourism. The landowners receive substantial and direct income from wildlife, and all stakeholders co-operate on land management policies, including controlled grazing, low-volume and low-impact tourism.

 “We have created Saruni Communities Trust (SaCoT), a forum where donations can be channelled and monitored, where community issues can be discussed, where new ideas can be implemented and beneficiaries identified.”

New and trending

• Mahali Mzuri, a tented safari camp in Kenya’s Maasai Mara and a member of the Virgin Limited Edition, has been included for the first time, with a three-star rating in the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good listing. The association recognised the emphasis the camp placed on quality of life for people within the local community, and its protection of local wildlife and habitats.
• The Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel in Tanzania has just completed the first phase of a refurbishment plan, with new coffee shop, shopping arcade and lobby improvements.  Renovations will also be made to the Maisha Health Club, Serengeti Restaurant, the Kibo Bar and Ballroom. There will be a new pool bar in coming months.
• Marriott International is to build two new hotels in Uganda as part of a major African expansion, while Bon Hotels has acquired the 33-room Lake Heights Hotel Entebbe, close to Entebbe airport.
• Air Tanzania is also undergoing expansion, with new aircraft, a wider domestic and regional route network and recruitment of staff.
• At the Serena Beach Resort and Spa in Mombasa, guests can witness sea turtle hatchlings find their way to the ocean.
• Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to 340 mountain gorillas, which is roughly half the world’s population. Gorilla tracking is high on the list of visitors to East Africa. The forest is also rich in bird species.
• Villa Twiga is a new upmarket facility with dedicated butler, at Azura Selous in the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania.
• Also in the Selous Game Reserve are the Selous Serena Camp and Serena Mivumo River Lodge, both of which reopened on June 1 after closure during the rainy season, when maintenance was carried out. The 12 tents at Selous Serena Camp offer 360-degree views over the surrounding bush. They have thatched roofs, elegant Victorian-styled bathrooms, private viewing decks, crystal chandeliers, opulent rugs and elegant rosewood furniture.  Serena Mivumo River Lodge has 12 thatched and timber chalets, each with private viewing deck, plunge pool, high vaulted ceilings and picture windows.