This archive report was first published on 21 August 2019.
Published on August 21, 2019, the Maasai Mara wildebeest migration has drawn over 100,000 tourists, with many more expected before the spectacle ends next month.
Hotels in the area have been overwhelmed by the surge in visitors, with some being forced to refer clients to facilities outside the reserve for accommodation.
"The number of tourists has been increasing between April and this month," said Mara National Reserve administrator Christine Daabash. "In April we had 9,000 tourists, this shot to 11,000 in May and 26,535 in June. We expect the number to go up to 100,000 by the end of this month," she added.
Locals around the reserve are also capitalizing on the influx of tourists, offering them a chance to experience Maasai culture firsthand in special tourism Manyattas.
For a 24-hour stay within a Manyatta, tourists pay Sh15,000 per head.
Kenya's tourism earnings rose by almost a third in 2018, from Sh114.4 billion to Sh157.4 billion, following a 37 per cent increase in visitors.
