Kenyan tourism operators are suffering mass cancellations following the kidnappings and killings of foreign tourists at luxury resorts by Somali pirates.

With the last month alone, two female tourists - a Briton and a French citizen - have been kidnapped and another, the British tourist's husband, has been killed.

It is believed that the attacks have been conducted by pirates from neighbouring Somalia.

The cancellations are a huge blow for the country, which relies heavily on tourism. Earlier this year, the Kenyan government identified tourism as a key growth economy and announced ambitious targets of doubling tourism numbers and revenue before 2015.

It had planned a number of marketing campaigns, putting the country's safaris and islands forward as a 'paradise on earth'. Those plans have now been replaced by schemes to secure the safety of the luxury resorts and their residents.

All hotels have now been assigned police officers for 24-hour patrols while police helicopters are providing round-the-clock aerial surveillance along the shoreline.

It is feared that the combination of the success of previous attacks and the end of the monsoon season - and the resulting calming of the seas - will lead to pirate activity in the region to increase.

Najib Balala, Kenya's minister for tourism, said: "The tourism fraternity in Kenya wishes to reassure all visitors staying in the hotels and other resorts along the Kenya coast that security will continue to be enhanced.

"Further aggressive marketing will be stepped up ahead of the Annual Lamu Cultural Festival held end of year and one that has placed the region on the global map of recognition."