Naivasha records surge in hotel bookings ahead of WRC Safari Rally

The championship continues to significantly boost hotel occupancies in Naivasha and its surrounding areas with over 100,000 visitors expected next week for the event.

Over the past four years, Naivasha, and by extension, the Moi South Lake Road have witnessed a surge in hospitality infrastructure with hotels springing up, year in year out.

According to Hylise Hotel General Manager John Mburu, his team is prepared for the gigantic assignment in terms of manpower, equipment, stocks and other resources.

“We are as prepared as can be for the Safari Rally. This is now the fifth year doing this, we have learnt from the past years, and from everything that we do, we want to get better at it,” said Mburu.

Mburu continued: “We are very hospitable people, we have 57 rooms with 66 beds, and as we speak, from this Sunday, we are fully booked until after the rally, Monday the 24th of March.”

Asked how his team has coped with the rising demand of bookings, Mburu added: “With the Safari, the challenge is always the timing, people wake up very early and come back very late so, you have to operate 24 hours, including the FNB section, so we have had to boost our manpower.”

Enashipai Resort and Spa, a multi award-winning leisure and conference destination offering authentic African hospitality, will be a key feature of this year’s WRC Safari Rally. The hotel will be one of the places where the world rally officials and race crews will be hosted.

Shem Onyara, Chief Engineer at Enashipai confirmed that all the 135 rooms in their facility are fully booked for the Safari.

Onyara said: “The whole hotel has been taken by the rally drivers and codrivers, so for that weekend, we have already started receiving the crew members who had pre-booked the hotel.”

Onyara reckons that Safari’s return to the WRC calendar in 2021 was a very big blessing to the hotel industry in Naivasha.

“Before the WRC status of Safari, we had one of the most pathetic roads from Naivasha town to Moi South Lake, all the way to KenGen, but then things changed, and the road was recarpeted. As a result, so many businesses have sprung up, so many hotels that have come up along this road and when the Safari is gone the businesses are still there, ”

In 2022, the WRC Safari attracted 80 million TV viewers in 150 countries, making it one of the largest followed motorsport events globally.

During the four-day event in Kenya, fans from all walks of life will make their way to Naivasha, which is usually abuzz with activity.

 Kenya Tourism Board CEO June Chepkemei, on her part, remarked: “Our role as a tourism agency is to encourage the fans to enjoy the sport. For instance, last year, the Safari Rally attracted over 100,000 participants and spectators in Naivasha and greatly impacted the economy, from small and medium enterprises to the signature hotel infrastructure. The event also gave us an opportunity to showcase our beautiful countryside to millions of viewers globally,”

Moi South Lake Road’s luxury hotels like the Enashipai, Sawela Lodge, Lake Naivasha Resort and Sopa Lodge have time and time again witnessed high demand in hotel occupancy.

With the ever rising numbers, including over 7,000 Ugandan spectators, Safari will prosper small and medium businesses, uplifting livelihoods.

For those in the transport industry, including boda boda riders, all roads lead to the rally, where enthusiastic fans wait to be ferried from one spectator stage to the next.

Farmers, local butcheries, eateries, food vendors and bar owners will experience hikes in business. Entertainment companies, the petroleum industry, dancers, artists, and DJs set up in the area to entertain fans during the rally.