This archive report was first published on 5 July 2021.
July 5, 2021 - The Maasai Mara Game Reserve is gearing up for the wildebeest migration, a highly anticipated event that is expected to bring in a surge of international tourists.
According to hotel managers, several lodges have received bookings from international tourists, with some expecting a 50% bed occupancy rate by mid-July.
James ole Pere, manager of Keekorok Lodge, said that tour companies that had been inactive for over a year, such as Pollmans, Somak, and Rhino Safaris, are now back in business and taking clients to the Mara.
"We are also receiving bookings from traditional markets in Europe, America, and France, but we are yet to receive any from the Chinese and Far East markets," Mr. Pere added.
International photographers are already streaming into the Mara in preparation for the epic wildebeest migration, with high-end camps and lodges such as Elewana, Salas camp, Angama, and Entumototo witnessing increased bed occupancy compared to middle-level camps.
A spot-check by Business Daily indicates that the Maimahiu-Narok-Maasai Mara highway is becoming increasingly busy, with the number of Land cruisers making stopovers in Narok town.
Hoteliers attribute the surge in bookings to the Covid-19 vaccine, which has given international tourists confidence to visit Kenya.
