Nairobi — The Kenyan coast is benefiting from the newly revamped cruise terminal at the port of Mombasa receiving 3,000 visitors in the last two months.
The cruise terminal has been unused for the past two years.
Speaking after receiving visitors and crew aboard the MV World Odyssey cruise ship at the Port of Mombasa on Thursday, Tourism PS John Ololtuaa said that the development of the terminal was significant with more cruise planners now targeting Kenya within their itineraries.
PS Ololtuaa noted that cruise tourists form a crucial part of the tourism industry owing to their high spend thereby generating additional crucial revenue for the destination.
"Cruise tourism is a high-value market worth billions of dollars, especially for destinations that have invested heavily in the relevant infrastructure as well as marketing their destinations globally. We want to ensure that this segment continues to contribute significantly to Kenya's tourism sector as well as leverage on this potential by ensuring that we diversify our maritime products," added the PS.
The MV World Odyssey is the third cruise vessel to call on the newly refurbished Port of Mombasa cruise terminal this season.
The vessel, which is owned and managed by Semester at Sea, had its maiden call to Kenya in November last year.
This was followed by the MS Nautica which made its inaugural Kenyan call a month later on December 25, 2022.
The MV World Odyssey will be in Mombasa for six days with the voyagers expected to visit various attractions at the Kenyan coast.
"The return of MV World Odyssey to Kenya shows that the destination has tourism opportunities that suit every visitor who lands here. With the enhanced experiences at the Kenyan Coast and other parts of the destination, we take pride in being able to accommodate global visitors of diverse interests and tastes. We are certain that the voyagers will enjoy their stay here," said Kenya Tourism Board Ag. CEO John Chirchir.
The government has recently stepped up efforts to improve infrastructure and policies to ensure the tourism sector especially cruise ship operations thrive in the country.
The refurbishment of the cruise ship terminal at the Port of Mombasa is one such initiative that has played a key role in enhancing port operations and creating a more attractive environment for cruise ships to call.
