Kenya on Friday began building its first ever cruise ship terminal at the Port of Mombasa with the aim of boosting tourism in the region.
The facility is deemed to become the port's first terminal that is fully customised for luxury vessels.
According to Citizen digital, the Sh350 million terminal is a project jointly funded by the Government of Kenya together with the private firm Trade Mark East Africa.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Catherine Mturi said they expect the terminal to improve the facility’s cruise tourist arrivals by a substantial extra 140,000 visitors each year and also generate $52 million profit in the same period.
According to data revealed by Mturi, 10 cruise vessels with 6,000 tourists docked at the port last year alone, and the number is expected to go up this year.
“We are very keen on improving our port in this area to attract more passenger vessels and fully exploit the great potential that exists in our Blue Economy,” she said.
Cruise tourism in the region had been slowed by piracy in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden but there has been improvement in the past few years due to improved security.