Italy evacuates 500 tourists stranded in Kenya

A lonely tourist at the Jomo Kenyatta Public beach on May 7, 2020, despite its closure by the government due to the spread of Covid-19. [Gideon Maundu, Standard]

Italy has started taking home its citizens from Kenya’s coastal towns in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.

The European nation has so far documented at least 32,000 deaths related to Covid-19, against Kenya’s 50.

Most Italians in the country live and conduct business at the coast, largely in Malindi, but also visit as tourists. In an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease, the government has instituted cessation of movement orders in three of the region’s counties – Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa.

Italy has been badly hit by the deadly virus, with Kenya putting in place an early ban of flights from the nation, especially the northern parts where most of the Italians in Malindi come from.

At that time, estimates showed there were about 7,000 Italians living in various coastal towns. About 3,000 left before the flight ban, leaving the majority stranded.

A few were also reluctant to return to Italy, which was then sweltering in the heat of massive infections and widespread deaths from the virus.

Chartered flights have so far been allowed to evacuate about 500 Italians through the Moi International Airport in Mombasa.

Italy’s consulate in Malindi is co-ordinating the evacuations, which began on Sunday and will continue tomorrow. More than 250 Italians in the north coast region alone were evacuated on Sunday.

Freddy Delcuratolo, the head of the Italy consulate in Malindi, told journalists yesterday that the majority were stranded after Kenya suspended international passenger flights.

“It is the first time that a lot of people from the same nation are going back at the same time. Many Italians used to travel to Italy annually between March and May,” he said.

“It is a big loss for the regional economy, especially for Malindi because there is literally no business without Italians in Malindi and Watamu.”

Philemon Mwavala, who runs Southern Sky Safaris, a travel agency, said his firm would be transferring about 200 Italians to the Mombasa International Airport for flights home.

Rita, a flower vendor in Malindi town, said she was struggling to make ends meet since most of her clients had left the town.

The chairman of the Kenya Coast Tourist Working Group, Hasnain Noorani, was however optimistic that despite the lows in the tourism sector, things would improve.

“By staying home today, it doesn’t mean that we will not travel and tour sites tomorrow. It may take time but the economy will bounce back as we embrace the new normal,” Mr Noorani said.

Malindi and the coastal belt would currently be in the low tourist season, when a number of employees are usually laid off. But by mid-July, as tourist numbers start increasing, so do the employment slots in the sector.