A new ‘ultramodern’ cruise terminal at Kenya’s port of Mombasa is 98% complete, according to a report by Tourism Update. The terminal will have a passenger reception facility, restaurants shops, office space and conference facilities.
It’s hoped that the terminal, which is being constructed by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in partnership with Trademark East Africa, will help the Kenyan government’s drive to grow tourism in the country.
New cruise terminal building. Image credit: Kenya Port Authority
Although the date has not been announced yet, it’s expected that the terminal will be commissioned early in 2020.
Earlier this year, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala, said that Kenya would like to tap into the rapidly growing cruise industry. With around 76 million travellers using cruise lines every year, cruise tourism is on the rise globally.
The MS Albatros, which is operated by Phoenix Reisen, docked at Mombassa’s new cruise ship terminal in November, bringing over 400 tourists and 300 crew members to the port. According to Tourism Update, ‘two more vessels are expected before the end of the year.’
‘The KPA has prioritised cruise ships calling at the port of Mombasa due to the high impact created in the coastal region by the arrival of such ships. The KPA has committed its resources to modernise the cruise terminal to meet international standards,’ said Daniel Manduku, MD of KPA.
According to Africaports.co.za, the Port of Mombasa is located on the site of one of Africa’s oldest surviving harbours and can be traced back long before the arrival of the Portuguese explorers to a time when Arabian dhows called at the Old Port on the north side of Mombasa Island.
Image credit: Kenya Ports Authority
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