Preparations in high gear for re-opening of hospitality industry
Noel Wandera @NoelWandera5
Local hotel chains are preparing to re-open next month as they hope that government restrictions will be lifted in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s speech last week.
The government has already signaled that players in the hospitality industry would be allowed to re-open if they can satisfy operational protocols outlined by Ministry of Health.
Yesterday, PrideInn Group, that runs nine hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa, said it will re-open its hotels in the two cities mid-June to local guests, or as soon as cessation of movement directives are lifted.
“Plans are underway to re-open our hotel facilities to visitors starting mid-June,” said managing director Hasnain Noorani.
He said the hotel chain had reconfigured their facilities to conform with strict guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to maintain social distancing, frequent sanitisation and ensure safety of guests and staff.
Speaking earlier this month, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said the government is working to re-open the hotel and tourism sector which has been massively affected by measures imposed globally to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Certification
Balala said, once the protocols for hoteliers and other players in the hospitality industry are in place, it would be the responsibility of every facility to access and abide by them.
“After meeting all requirements laid out, inspection and certification will be carried out by county health officers for free,” he added.
Balala said the government would subsidise the cost of coronavirus testing for restaurant and bar operators from Sh4,000 to Sh1,000.
Last Saturday, Uhuru announced a Sh6 billion stimulus package to the sector which has suffered the most due to restricted movements and termination of international flights.
Some Sh2 billion will be set aside to support renovation of facilities and the restructuring of business operations by stakeholders in the industry.
