A cruise ship docking at the port of Mombasa. [Photo/ citizentv.co.ke]
A state of the art cruise ship terminal is set to become operational at Mombasa port by October, raising expectations for tourism industry players.
The rehabilitation and modernization of an old building at the port’s Berth 1, which began in December 2016 is 70 per cent complete, port officials said on Wednesday.“If things go according to plan we expect the government to commission the first ever cruise ship terminal before October this year,” project coordinator Abdullahi Omollo said.The terminal, according to Omollo will have an arrival and departure designations for passengers. It will also have a lounge, an immigration office, reception counters, restaurants and souvenir shops.“Cruise tourists will enjoy facilities just like those offered at international airports for them to feel comfortable when arriving in the country or when departing for other destinations,” he said.Omollo said the modern terminal will attract more cruise liners to Mombasa and boost tourism.“We anticipate more tourists to travel to Mombasa by luxury ships for safari. This would contribute to economic growth, job creation and higher incomes for businesses that depend on tourism,” he said.The investment comes when a United States liner, Princess Cruises, is considering making Mombasa its home port two in years’ time. The US liner is currently based in Santa Clarita, California, and incorporated in Bermuda.Cruise visitors have heightened numbers and boosted the economy since they landed and visited national parks including Tsavo, Amboseli, Maasai Mara and Shimba Hills, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said last week.“Although tourists who arrive by sea spend shorter time in the country, majority of them later come back for longer holidays thereby boosting the economy,” Balala said.In 2016, the World Travel Awards voted Mombasa Africa’s leading cruise port for the second-year running.