The commissioning of the USD 11 million Cruise Terminal facility at Port Mombasa (Kenya) is still in limbo as the COVID crisis continues to disrupt the travel industry.
In the middle of 2021, Kenya completed the construction of the new ultra-modern terminal, which was created to attract more lines and spur growth in the tourism industry. In Kenya, tourism accounts for a total of 4.4% of gross domestic product (GDP). The East African nation is the 3rd-largest tourism destination in sub-Saharan Africa following South Africa and Nigeria.
However, the brand new facility remained idle, largely due to the disruption of the cruise industry.
The terminal was completed in June 2021, but the government was not in a hurry to commission it owing to the circumstances facing the industry globally.
Situated at berth 1 at Mombasa port, the cruise terminal includes restaurants, offices, conference facilities, and duty-free shops. With a capacity to handle ~2,000 passengers, it was expected to position Kenya as a top cruise destination and enable the country to compete with neighboring South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zanzibar, and Cape Verde among others.
The government believes that once it commences operations, the cruise terminal will create ~300 direct jobs and boost local industries such as the transport sector, restaurants, hotels, and handicraft sellers.