Tourism players want ‘idle’ cruise terminal revved up

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Tourism and hospitality players want the Kenya Ports Authority to come up with strategies to market Kenya and the region as a cruise destination.

The players said Kenya’s Sh1.3 billion modern cruise ship terminal is still lying idle at the Port of Mombasa almost two years after its completion as the government remains mum on how to revamp the sector.

Kenya built the cruise terminal as part of efforts to attract international tourists.

The chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Mustafa Ramadhan said cruise tourism has the potential to make a significant contribution to economic growth by generating revenue and creating jobs.

Speaking during a meeting with the secretary-general of Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA), Andre Ciseau and the Marseille Provence Cruise Terminal (MPCT) expert, Jacques Massoni, the industry players said Kenya’s cruise ship terminal should be exploited to spur the sector.

Mr Massoni said cruise ship terminal can bring about 1 million visitors into the country yearly. This is why we (MPCT) are the leading cruise terminal in France.


With approximately 500 cruising calls and some 1,700,000 cruise passengers in the year 2018, the terminal is ranked 4th amongst the cruise ports in the Mediterranean and is one of the world’s 15 largest cruise terminals, he added.

Mr Mustaffa said Kenya can borrow a leaf from France on how to tap cruise ship sector.

The same is possible for Mombasa because, while a ship is at the port, guests and employees spend money on food, gifts, shore excursions and various other goods and services, Mr Mustafia said.

Cruise ships also purchase food and beverage, fuel and other supplies in ports of call, as well as paying port fees, fairway dues, tug hire services and agent fees, and investing in ship maintenance.

With the recent completion of the Cruise Terminal in Mombasa, Mr Mustaffa said the Kenya Ports Authority has the responsibility of engaging stakeholders on the strategies for promoting and marketing Kenya as well as the region as the preferred cruise destination.

The Kenya Coast Tourism Association chairperson Victor Shitakhah said cruise tourism will boost hotels which has over 40,000 beds at the coast.

Cruise ship is a very important segment which we must tap to boost our tourism, said Mr Shitakha.

Kenya’s tourism sector has been depending on international and foreign tourists for years. However, the sector slumped thanks to COVID-19, forcing the country to rely on domestic visitors.

The terminal features a three-story building with facilities such as duty-free shops, lounges, restaurants, conference facilities and offices for key stakeholders including port health, logistics and immigration.

The pandemic affected Kenya’s plan to revive the cruise ship tourism after the industry slumped globally.

The players say the government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, is yet to provide a roadmap on how it is preparing for cruising.

Currently, the government requires tourists to show a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate when entering and departing.

Stakeholders in the tourism sector have been urging the government to review its PCR rules for fully vaccinated international tourists to boost the ailing industry.

But Health Cabinet secretary Mutahi Kagwe has insisted that Kenya will only allow vaccinated international tourists into the country on a reciprocal basis.

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