Mombasa Port plans Sh100m repairs to attract cruise ships
Kenya prepares to increase its earnings from tourism improved security Two berths at the Mombasa port will be rehabilitated to accommodate cruise ships as Kenya prepares to increase its earnings from the lucrative tourism segment following improved security off the Somali coast.The plans were shelved two years ago when piracy attacks cast doubt over the future of the business.Kenya Ports Authority general manager Khamis Twalib said that Berths 1 and 2 would be rehabilitated at a cost of Sh100 million.Both berths handle conventional cargo as well as cruise ships, but lack adequate facilities for tourists. This has compromised the quality of services that adventure tourists get compared to other destinations like South Africa.The MV Silver Wind Nassau recently became the first cruise ship to sail to Mombasa this season, signalling increased confidence by the international community that the Somali coast was safer in the wake of the Kenya-driven Operation Linda Nchi, which has since been absorbed into the African Union's Amisom force."We are in discussions with four cruise ship companies who want to start operations in the region by next year," said Auni Kanji, managing director of Abercrombie and Kent, the tour operating company that is handling MV Silver Wind ...
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