Traditional dancer waiting for visitors to disembark from a cruise ship at the Port of Mombasa. [Photo/ Kenya News Agency]
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is constructing a modern cruise terminal at the Port of Mombasa in a bid to tap into the rich tourism sector in the region.KPA Managing Director Catherine Mturi-Wairi said the Sh350 million cruise ship terminal at dock 1 and 2 is being constructed under joint funding by the Kenya government and a private firm, Trade Mark East Africa.Wairi said the construction of the cruise terminal with two passenger pavilions began in December 2016 and steady progress is being made.She said the construction is coming at a time when the port of Mombasa is getting back on the international cruise itinerary as witnessed by the increased number of cruise ships calling at the port in recent years.Speaking during a KPA media symposium in Mombasa, Wairi observed that Kenya continues to receive cruise ships at the main cargo terminal and that the new facility is envisaged to be completed by October 2018. “Mega cruise ships will now be welcomed at the facility once it swings into operation,” she said.Wairi said a survey carried out in 2015 by Tourism and Transport Consultant International on cruise tourist potential for Kenya, predicted that Mombasa could attract 140,000 passengers per year.She said the port of Mombasa for the last ten years has received 40,000 cruise tourists adding that upon completion of the terminal, the numbers would scale up.The report further showed that worldwide, the industry boasts of 12 million tourists annually.